Back in Quito- Can you say fiesta?

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All righty then....

I am alive and not one of the 4 people that died (may they rest in peace) in the horrendous mud slide north of Puyo, just around the area I was volunteering in. (How comforting, I didnt even know until mom mentioned it in her email to me)! Anyways... my last week was amazing, I really enjoyed myself! I am thinking of going back next summer but doing a month at the main centre and maybe 3 weeks or a month at the Flor de Amazonia. I love it!

After our stint in Banos I was a little exhausted! The highlight for sure was that I pierced my nose!! Yup that's right nose piercing, it's a stud no ring it's actually a very nice addition. I decided to do it the Saturday night after I had a few drinks and I looked over at the girl beside me and I saw her nose stud. I loved it and I wanted to fill my desire to get one, I've wanted one for like 3 years. So at 1:30 in the morning I decided I was going to go through with it. Well the place that we thought would do it, didn't do it all. But what a hell of a story to get a nose piercing, half pissed and at 1:30 in the morning. Well I was bummed out. Luckily for me the clubs were playing stellar music so I was able to put my mind off it.....for the night.

So the next morning I am at an internet cafe and I decide to translate nose piercing into Spanish. I asked the clerk and he gave me directions to a place. Wow. I brought two girls I was volunteering with. After 15 minutes of looking for this place a little girl offers to show us the way. Awesome, until.... it was in the artesan market... hahaha. Pretty much go behind the back and have a seat on a stool and wait for him to prepare.

So I got it done, it hurt for 30 seconds. He used an ear piercing gun for my nose. It was very thrilling I am not going to lie. Total cost 2 dollars for the piercing and 1 dollar for a silver stud. Up to date, my nose is fine, sometimes it gets caught on things and once and awhile it pops out, but I just pop it right back in. Give it a couple more weeks. It looks really awesome though. I love it.

So after that we went to a spa and chilled in the jacuzzi and swam and sun bathed all for 3 dollars that was relaxing. I was tempted to get a massage as well, I really needed one, but I held out. After that we had our last meal in Banos together and then hit up the supermarket for cheap rum and goodies to tie us over for the lack of food on Sundays and Mondays. Back on the bus back to Santa Martha. What a nice bus ride. I slept very well for that 2 hour ride. When we got back the centre we were walking up the stairs in the dark and Ingrid's torch caught the slightest movement of a TARANTULA!! ahhh I almost fell over and rolled down the hill. Bastard. I survived, regained my composure and continued upwards.

One thing I should mention is that there is a blue macaw who we call the Hoff and he hates women. He really hates me, but that's because I don't put up with his antics, well that put me further into his hate book. I got back to the room and who was waiting at the door for me? The Hoff and he was charging at me and trying to bite my feet, and then he wanted to go into my room. (A couple of days later he got into the room and he was sniffing around in my roomates pants that were on the floor. He was a boy, further evidence he loves men over women. hahahaha :P No one knows why he is the way he is, you just have to watch out for him. He makes his own rules).

The rest of the week, went by quite quickly, Tuesday we had a new arrival and we played some jokes on her. A guy Ned pretended he was Gloudina the coordinator and spoke in a fake Scottish accent. Good times. But the best was when we put up a "shit list". Basically, we had a list of everyone's name and beside the day column you had to mark off how many times you went number 2. The rules were simple: No flushing on a pee and ONLY 10 flushes per day for number 2. Essentially, we were only allowed a total of 10 number 2's in day!

We got her sooo well. We were all in stitches when Ned told us he made her write her name on the list. She looked spooked. At dinner later that night, we all got into an argument about the number of flushes per day and that we needed to increase it. And then someone got on Gavin's case saying he needed to stop taking so many number 2's and then he got all huffy and walked out. After that we all started laughing and broke the news to her it was a joke. But the next day, the power went out and that meant that you had no running water, sooo you couldn't flush the toilet which meant we had to get pails to flush the toilet. And also, we weren't allowed to flush on pees. hehehehe SO funny.


We were without power for 2 and a half days. I had to shower in a waterfall down the road from us. It was surprisingly very nice! Very refreshing, and tranquil.

I am going to miss the people and the endless laughing and inside jokes about stuff that made us mad about other people. They were harmless but always conjured a laugh.

On the Friday night we all drank and played table tennis to Grease and random heavy metal and then French rap. It was a battle of the nations... pretty much France vs New Zealand. It was intense.

The next day we did our final duties and gave loads of love to the animals and then caught the 10 am bus to Puyo. I was in Puyo by 1130 caught the 12 bus that left at 1230. I met a Spanish girl who rode the bus with me. We talked in broken english and spanish with the help of my phrase book. Oh and universal nods and facial expressions.

I arrived in Quito at 6pm. What a ride. I had to haggle with taxi drivers, at the bus station. Some of them wanted me to pay 5 dollars when I know for a FACT that it is 1 dollar. Bastards, make me walk to the street. haha it was all good, my haggling is gettting good.

I managed one for 2 dollars. He was nice enough. We spoke in broken spanish and hand signals.

Once I checked into the hostel it was like old times. Caught up with some of the staff from before, no one was there from before, which is understandable. Blue was gone aka Malcom, I really liked him. The perfect grandpa.

I had some fabulous dinner, had all you can drink for 2 hours for 3.50. Wow bad idea. Then I had to meet up with Jen at 830. I was 10 minutes late and she had left and I thought maybe she is at a different coffee tree (this is New Town) so I booked it 7 blocks to the other one. Nope that there either. So I took a taxi back to the hostel. I tried calling her hostel no luck. So I just sent emails and waited. She had a 10pm curfew so I knew she would be ok. (I finally touched base with her the next day). So I went back and did some internet and then had some more to drink, and then at 11pm we bundled everyone up and we went off to La Mariscal. The downtown district. Fabulous. Haggling for taxis. We went back to Bunglow 6 this time I stayed until the lights came on. I haven't danced that hard in a long time, it was soo much fun!!!! It was really awesome to have a lot of people out together, and a good mix of people.

I got home around 33o am, managed to find my flash light (torch) and hop into bed. I did manage to peel off my jeans and sweater, to tired for anything else. Woke up at 7am, all because of the 2 weeks of being trained at getting up at 730ish. I have discovered that I can train myself to wake up at certain points in the night to check the time, I guess I am tapping into my internal alarm clock. Not my biological clock. h a h a h a h a ;S

I got up had a shower, got to love the monotanous things in life. Then by 745 I was on the internet catching up, but not on this. Yummy breakfast on the patio, it was soo cold though I needed a poncho and I had to clutch my coffee cup willing the warmth into my body.

Afterwards, I met up with Jen and we have been touring New Town. We found the outdoor market and the indoor market. Did some amazing haggling. Bought some gifts, and an absolutly fabulous scarf! I'll take a picture.

So now am waiting for all of my clothes to be washed. No joke I am wearing a dress and I have 4 pairs of socks, 1 pair of shorts ( a little to short for Quito) and a bikini, so no clothes. Awesome. Clothes are't done until tomorrow. Ekkk.

Alright I think that is enough for today, I need to go wander. Hasta luego.

Chau Meg

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Photos

Pool
At guys playing pool at the Irish bar.