Chuchaqui

7-12-11

Monday was a 10 hour travel day for me.  I was sad to say good-bye to the volunteers I had gotten close to in Tonsupa in the morning and I took a bus to Atacames where I took a charter bus from Tonsupa to Quito.  The bus ride was different this time because we went through a different charter bus company (Trans Occidentales instead of Trans Esmeraldes) and no one that I know has ever taken this bus.  It was an adventure for me as I didn’t know what to expect.  With Trans Esmeraldes, they don’t allow more people to get on than they have seats for—with Trans Occidentales, they picked up more people who would then stand in the aisles until they reached their destination.  Both buses show movies to make time pass by quickly, but usually you can’t hear them very well and usually they are dumb movies.  Oh well.  About the halfway point of my travels, we stopped at a bigger bus station to let people off.  I really had to use the bathroom, and of course, the bathroom on the bus was locked (it always is! which is really inconvenient).  I climbed over the guy who was sitting next to me on the bus, went up to the front where the drivers were outside and asked if he could unlock the bathroom on the bus.  He told me there was a bathroom inside the big bus station.  I was afraid of being left at the station with my backpack and computer still on the bus, so I told him I didn’t want to go to that one.  This is where trust comes in: he said he would wait for me.  Right. I really had to use the bathroom, so I decided I would trust him.  I paid the 15 cents to use the bathroom quickly and ran to the bus. Haha.  They actually waited for a gringa!     Since I wasn’t exactly sure where my destination was in Quito, it was a little nerve racking as we were driving through Quito for almost an hour; myself trying to orientate where exactly I was in the capital as I looked out the window of the bus.  When there was only 3 people on the bus with me, I asked one of the ladies where she was getting off the bus, where the “Parque Ejido” was, etc. and she told me later on.  Right after that, the bus drivers told everyone that this was the last stop, so we all got off.  I don’t think anyone really knew exactly where to get off.  I walked around the city like I had a purpose so as not to get anymore attention I didn’t need.  I finally found the Parque Ejido, where from there I knew my way around of how to switch busses to end up in Lumbisí.  I’m so glad I was able to utilize public transportation (busses, really) instead of a taxi.  I saved $10.00!  When I arrived home to my host family, they served me soup with bowtie noodles, potatoes, chicken and fresh cilantro with a side of an avocado.  I was happy to be “home” in Lumbisí.  I love this place and its people!