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Published: October 11th 2008
The Bus Ride
I made it.
I´m exhuasted.
8 hours on a bus.
8 hours repeating over and over and over: (eyes open) "have faith...oh shit!", (eyes closed), "havefaithhavefaithhavefaithhavefaith", (eyes open), "OH SHIT!"
There´s nothing more exhilarating and terrifying than speeding (to the point where the bus feels as though it may actually tip over) around the bends and curves of the Andes Mountains. And believe me, it was a looooooong way down. In all the moments where a driver (who actually wanted to keep living) would slow down, this driver accelerated. But luckily for me I was able to stare at a depiction of Jesus Christ the entire ride. (Did you catch the sarcasm in that last sentence?).
Now just to clarify if you can not picture it already. The bus is a double decker. I´m on the top in the front aisle seat. I have a picture of J.C. (as mentioned above) on the glass in front of me and a tv above me (trying to watch it was similar to sitting in the front row at a movie theater). There is one bus driver and two co-bus drivers to help "guide" him. One of the co-bus drivers has taken a liking to me and keeps opening the door that divides them from the passengers to wink at me. Every time he does this I want to plead with him to make the driver go slower...but alas, I can´t come up with the words in Spanish. At any rate, I´m sure if I managed to get that out he would laugh and we would just go faster. I contemplate crying or going hysterical and having them drop me off on the side of the road. Neither of these options seem suitable, after all, nobody else is freaking out. So I sit (white-knuckled holding on for dear life), and I pray, and I watch a movie and read a bit, and during the really scary parts I will myself to fall asleep. Ending conclusion: I think I´ll fly from Quito to the Peruvian border.
October 10, 2008
Nostalgia
I miss Huanchaco. I miss the people I met. I miss the Volunteer dinners that always began at 6 but carried on for hours and hours because we were cooking unfamilar Peruvian dishes. I miss the conversations in German, Spanish, and French. I miss the sunset and the sound of the ocean. I miss all of the gossip and soap-opera drama that comes with being in a small town. I miss movie nights cuddled on the mattress and dancing until 7am at the clubs in Trujillo. I miss the simplicity and the adventure that came with every day and with every back-street I walked along.
The Downfall of Traveling Alone
I´ve been emotionally eating. Doritos, Milky Ways, sugary sweets, breads, you name it. It´s not all the time, mostly when the sun goes down and I know I have to hole myself up in whichever hostel I am residing in for the night. I know, I know.....I´m in South America! I´m a Nutritionist! But, well,sometimes it´s lonely. I haven´t met any other gringos since leaving Cajamarca on Sunday. I don´t speak the language very well and therefore can not sufficiently be understood or have a meaningful conversation. I spend my days seeing amazing things and nights alone in my hostel room. I share these experiences with my journal, my blog, and my camera. Sometimes I wish I had someone here beside me just so I can say, "Did you see that!"
Okay now that I´ve gotten that out of the way...
My First Day in Loja
I had an absolutely terrific day here in Loja!!!! I love it!
First of all: I got a great nights sleep in my big wonderful bed, in my room with lots of sunshine and double doors that open to a view of the city (all for five dollars). After making a list of things I wanted to accomplish for the day while sprawled out like a cat, I proceeded downstairs to take a shower.
The shower is two tiled rooms not any bigger than 3 feet by six feet. The first room is the actual shower room and then there is a partial divide that opens to a second room which houses a chair where you can get dressed and undressed. On one wall there is a row of "windows" that look out into backyard garden. The windows are open, like most windows here, and do not have glass closing them off.
So, I´m taking a shower and simultaneously fiddling with the handles because the water is so hot it´s burning my skin (which seems a bit ironic considering I spent five weeks trying to get used to a freezing cold shower). It begins to sprinkle outside and the steam from my shower is pouring out the windows making a mist; opaquing my view of the garden. After a few minutes I get out of the water, place myself up against the wall with the windows, and try to think of a way I can finish washing without getting third degree burns. Suddenly, I hear a woman´s voice in spanish saying, ¨Muy caliente, no?". I whip around just as her hand is reaching in through the windows towards my naked body. Instinctively I cover myself with my arm as she continues to talk and motion. It takes a second, but I get over the fact that I am being viewed completely naked by a stranger who is trying to have a conversation with me and listen to what she´s saying. Eventually I catch on. I walk into the dressing room to push up a handle that she´s pointing at (it resembles the switch you might pull when turning on an electric chair) and waa-laa! just like that the water is turned to the perfect temperature. I thank my shower savior and as quickly as she came she is gone.
Fifteen minutes later I am upstairs staring at a pile of clothes that desperately need to be washed. Being thrifty I decide the hostal sink would make for a fine washing machine. Two hours, a bag full of clothes, and a tiny sink later my clothes are hanging up all around my hostal room drying. They may not be sufficiently clean, but they smell a hell of a lot better than they did before.
I spent the rest of the day exploring and eating, as I do with an city or town I visit. I had a very nutritious breakfast of yogurt, fruit, granola, and honey at Lamanda. I then climbed to the top of the Virgen de Loja Statue which offered a great view of the whole city. From there I winded back down the road, across the river, and over to the futbol stadium. I wandered into the Church of San Sebastian and sat for a moment soaking in the heaviness of religion, incense, sin, God, forgiveness, and fear while two nuns prayed aloud in duet. For lunch I tried my luck at A lo Mero Mero and was pleasantly suprised with the vegetarian burrito. I visited the central market, sat in a park, and then came here to write to all of you. It´s now dark outside and my stomach is hankering for some grub. I think I´ll go see what else is out there....
Until next time!
Love you all to pieces.
me
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Gram
non-member comment
Hi Trish
Dear Trish, This is my second attempt to send you a note. So glad you are enjoying your "trip".... Was the bus ride sponsored by DisneyWorld? Thank you for the blog's.... Stay safe... love you sweet one, gram and pop