Chill at home

I was hoping the coast would be refreshing, but I still feel like I need a break. Oh well there is nothing I can do. I have visions of cooking my own meals and just being home. I love traveling but I love my home. Unfortunately it is too expensive to take a break from traveling by vacationing at home.

Back to the story. I was at Caco waiting for my bus to Tena. I got the bus and watched Terminator in Spanish. There is something about buses that make you tired no matter how much energy you had before you get on but I cannot sleep. I got to Tena and it was dark. I saw a sign for a hostal when I guy came up asked if I was looking for Limonchola (or whatever its name was. I went with this random guy into a humble neighborhood and part of me thought "This is kinda scary". It worked out and I gave him 50 cents as a tip. It was pretty nice place.

Tena was slightly boring. It was a nice city but not much going on. Apparently people go there for white water rafting and to go into the jungle for cheaper. I had already visited the jungle. I instead blogged and figured out how to upload photos. I spent like 3 hours in internet cafes. I met an American woman whose names has escaped me. She was so insecure. It was weird to meet a long term traveler who was cracking under the pressure. I order a tostada with cheese and salsa and doritos with guacomole. I expected a Mexican tostada and regular chips with guacomole. I got a cheese sandwhich and literally Doritos with guacomole. So different and weird. I spent two nights in Tena and got in a bus for Baños.

Baños is a touristy town famous for its baths, waterfall, and the fact that a very active volcano is right there. It went off like three years ago and destroyed towns on the other side of the volcano. I got in the bus and waited for it. A guy dressed up in a clown outfit got in and directed people. It amused me and I took pictures. He ten later started begging for money and showed his scar. I gave money for the picture not the begging. The interesting part about the bus ride was I met Chris(L.A.)and the other two Americans that I had met right before i had left for jungle. Chris sat next to me and we chatted. I was interested in hanging put with Americans so invited myself along.

We were traveling very different. I am a long term traveler and they were here for like two weeks. I wanted to walk to a hostal but they wanted to take a taxi. It is a small town for goodness sake! They paid for it but I do not like being a leech. We headed to a hostal and suddenly I was sharing a room with Chris. I should have stayed in the dormitory because it was cheaper but I got roped in by the moment. We had separate beds for those that are thing wrong thoughts. I was not interested at all. I did have fun hanging out with them but I also felt trapped.

We headed to a restaurant called Cafe Hood. It was delicious but boy were the other Americans different. They were so gluttonous. I had an almuerzo for three dollars which came with delicious pineapple juice, a thick and hearty soup, and pasta. I could not even eat most of the pasta. They ordered nachos (which were delicious). Chris had a hamburger, taquitos, and like three sodas. Mike had a big platter of food and so did the girl with sodas. My portion was 3 dollars and I included fours dollars. The total bill was 28 dollar which is huge in Ecuador. Not that this is terrible but just so different from what I'm use to.

We then headed off to a pool. A lot of them were closed for some reason - we were told this by taxi drivers. We went to one and there were quite a few kids. Mike and Tao (his girlfriend), I think her name is different, did not want to get in and they put their stuff in a waterprrof bag so they could get in if they decided. I ran down to use the bathroom and deposited my stuff including clothes with the staff. I got a nifty yellow armband with the number of my crate. I then ran up the path in only my bikini feeling hot. Chris was in and I got in. It was not that impressive. It looked like a pool with muddy water in it. No natural feeling at all. I jumped in and had a great time. Chris was not bothered by the idea that people could be peeing in water or anything. I have swam in public pools all my life and in fast was a kid who peed when young. Sorry everyone! I was not bothered. Mike and T got in. We swam in the warmish water. Then everyone started to empty out of the pool fast. I see brown bits floating in the water. Yeww!!! I tell the others and start to make for the stairs but the pooh is in my way. I jump out. Mike and T are cracking up. The people who did not want to get in because of this very problem. I'm a bit grossed out but good. Chris is almost retching in the grass and takes like a ten minutes rinse in the showers. What a role reversal!. So aptly enough, in Baños someone used the pool as a baño.

The American group wandered off so I wandered the city. The waterfall was beautiful and I will upload photos soon. I had just a marvelous time looking at the sites and being by myself. I went back and found the group on the roof. We chatted a bit and they wanted to do something I did not. I instead went to eat dinner at Casa Hood. They have a lot of hood resturants. There is also a Casa or Cafe Good. Anyway, it was delicious and fun. It had a funky cafe feeling and I had a great fruit smoothie. Got a touch lonely but had my diary so started to write. Live music played and it was just wonderful.

I went back to use the free internet and meet this guy. He was kinda short and cute. I did not pay terribly attention to him. I then spent the night with Chris and he snored. I left that day for Riobamba. I wwaited for a bus but decided I need to buy some of the toffee I had seen earlier. I ran back, grabbed it, and rushed back. Just as I got back, the bus arrived. It was full and it was the first time I had to stand in a bus. I had a blast. I saw this guy up front who looked kind cute and was short. We kinda made eyes at each other but not terribly much. I got a seat about an hour later. I saw another cute guy rush to the back to grab a seat.

I got to Rhiobamba and the guys got off as well. They were together, odd. The short guy asked me if I knew where I was going. "Of course I know where I am going, just have to find a street." I walked a bit off and found a street. They walk to the same point and we started to explore the town together. That is when I meet Chris and Matt from Conneticut. I had swore I would not share a room with anyone again but I did exactly that. I shared a room with a Chris for a second night in a row. It was cheaper so I met two cute guys and was sharing a room with them like 30 minutes later. We explored the city for a while but they did not want to do what I wanted. I looked at a church and went into a free museum. I played in the kid section and went back. Chris was there and we chatted. He had an experience in the plaza where a kid almost drowned, and he and Matt gave advice to the local drunk on things to say to have sex with a tourist. Chris told me where he planned on going and I tried to find it on a map. It was a town called Mantanita. He sat really close to me and I will admit it was nice. They wanted to use the internet so I walked really far to the bus terminal and back. When I got back, we all went out for a chicken dinner and amazing ice cream. A two scooped cone for seventy cents. Matt got the best one which was Kiwi and Guaynaba as one scoop and mora with yourgut as the second. Mora being blackberry. I got lemon and mora. We ended up the night watching Million Dollar baby. I swear I watch more movies in Ecuador than USA.

The next day we all caught a bus to Guayaquil. I sat next to Chris who I thought was cuter. I did not know what bus ride I was in for. Breakfast was from a panderia which was great. It was really amazing traveling with other long term travelers because they know the joys of walking and cheap bread. I also ate an apple on the bus. That was the mistake. The view from the bus was beautiful but I was queasy. I ended up actually throwing up a little bit into a bag. Chris did not even notice because I did not really talk about it. I felt better. About thirty minutes later, the bus stopped for a quick break. Chris got off and I threw up everything in my stomach. I ran off the bus and threw away the bag. The trip was better but I was still weak the rest of the day. When we got to the bus terminal, I called the girl from couchsurfing whose couch I was going to crash. She was surprised because she expected me another day. She told me she would pick me up from the food court. I escorted the guys to the ticket booth and their bus was leaving in 15 minutes. Said goodybye.

It was now the 30th of September. It was month since I started my trip and I was waithing for a girl named Vany to pick me up from the bus. Soon Nikki and I would meet up to travel up the coast.

Omg, I am traveling with Niiki now and I totally told her about my saying sorry too much in the past. I started saying it again! She totally called me out on it which made me sad and want to say sorry. Grrr!