I Couldn´t Even Bribe My Way to Tumbes

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What a beautiful last day!

I checked out of my room at 11 and dropped my stuff behind the front desk of the hostel. After, I grabbed lunch from the birdhouse, the bacon, turkey, guacamole sandwich with potato salad...I´m kinda getting bored with American food! After lunch I laid out on the beach for a couple hours until it was kitesurfing time. Around 2 I met up with Rein and he gave me a kite, harness, and bar and said he would supervise me today...along with the other kid (Matias) who was also a beginner and needed supervision.

We set everything up and launched our kites then headed down to the beach. I felt like I was riding into the wind, but apparently I was just riding FAST downwind. My main objective today is to ride upwind both directions. After a few runs I started getting it. After some feedback from Rein, I finally managed to lean back in the harness and started riding upwind and even creating a "rooster tail"...the spray off the board behind you...which is really good...also means I was traveling pretty quick!. I made it all the way out into the water and then had to come back...not so easy when I´m a normal rider stuck riding goofy. I managed though. After a few good runs and about 2 hours, I decided to call it a day...around that same time Matias crashed his kite into the water and ripped the main cell...not too serious.

After we packed everything up I found Rein´s girlfriend Chrysalis and asked when she was giving massages. She said she wasn´t working today...I told her I was leaving tonight, so she said she could give me on around 6. I met her at Rein´s place and grabbed my hour massages....the perfect ending to my trip in Máncora. I went back to the hostel to shower and change in the Canadian´s room. My toe looked a little rough, so I decided to wear shoes and socks tonight to try and protect it (Ruth saw it today after kiting and said I needed to keep it clean). I headed to my massage at 6. After my massages I grabbed an Exxon Valdez milkshake from the bar and headed back to the hostel to meet up with Braeden and Raya for our last meail together. We decided to hit up El Aji, the tex mex place. i ordered a daiquiri while the other two ordered water. Braeden was still kinda sick and wasn´t drinking and Raya just didn´t feel like boozing it up tonight...so I was the only one with a libation...I wanted to get buzzed so I could fall asleep easily on the bus. After finishing the chicken and steak fajitas with the delicious picante they make, we said our goodbyes and I headed back to the hostel to pick up my stuff from the front desk.

I headed to the bus stop around 9 to wait around for the 930 bus. When I got there I was told, "No passe, No bus a Tumbes o Guayaquil." Apparently there is a strike going on...has been for 3 days and nothing is being allowed to pas...the entire Pan American Highways is SHUTDOWN!...No Bueno. I have a flight to the Galapagos tomorrow morning that I don´t want to miss. So I hit up every taxi driver I can find to see if they´ll take me to Tumbes...which is north of the strike...everybody said no possible! I went to the internet cafe to call my mom and let her know what was going on and that I probably wouldn´t make it to Guayaquil by the morning. I also called Galapagos alternative tours to let them know of the situation to possibly move the trip back a few days. They said it wouldn´t be a problem and to let them know when I can be in Guayaquil. I told them I would call in the morning.

I headed down to the surf bar to find Himey and Naiobi to see if Himey could take me to Tumbes. He said he couldn´t...and another guy at the bar for a drink said if I tried to cross the strike line looking like a traveler with my big backpack, I would probably get mugged...oh sh*t. So Himey calls his cousin who is known as Big Dog who could probably take me to Tumbes for 50 soles + taxi fare...so no more than 30-40 american dollars...I´d pay more than that if I had to. Walking through a strike with Big Dog protecting me sounds like a plan...but unfortunately he was unavailable. Himey calls up his other friend who might take me and finds out the strike is no longer just in Santa Cruz, but is working its way down to Máncora...so a LARGE stretch of the Panamerican is no passable...MIERDE! So it looks like I´m in Máncora another night...maybe tomorrow if the strike is going on, I´ll book a trip south and fly from Piura to Tumbes for super cheap...shouldn´t be more than 100 bucks.

I had a drink at surf bar with the hot blondes, Mary and Brawnya (I also helped them win the bar Trivia contest...When did the American Revolution end...1781!). Afterwards I met up with Gemma and Adine at Hula Hula. After chit chatting with them for a bit, I returned to my hostel and called it a night. I wonder what tomorrow will bring?!?!

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