Backlog #1

Since I forgot that I even had a blog for the past year, I thought I'd start out for this new fiscal year by catching up with what has happened since my last real post.

After I returned from Hungary, I spent a little over a week at home before shipping out to Ecuador, where I was signed up to take a course in Spanish and Ethnobotany. I flew into George Bush international in Texas, and of course, since everything needs to be bigger in texas they have an enormous airport. There was an abandoned-looking section in it, and pieces from several decades. Probably miles and miles of corridors, but that's beside the point.


The abandoned section (in part)


It had an abandoned food court, too!

I had forgotten a few things going out to the rainforest. First among them was some spending cash. I lucked out on that- there were many ATMs from different banks in the terminals, and I found one that didn't charge withdrawl fees. One more item was on the list, though. I forgot an umbrella. I feel a little sheepish noting this, as I was, after all, going to the AMAZON RAINFOREST. Regardless, I sought out and found a place that sold umbrellas, and for $20 I got a compact multiple-fold umbrella. Not bad for airport-terminal Brookstone prices.

I should have taken it as an omen that the entire plane applauded when we touched down in Quito. Seems I took a few other things for granted. Take the customs line, for example. I waited half an hour before I found out that the line was closing because the fellow at the front was being deported. I finally make it out to the terminal and I discover that there is nobody at all from my group. I must have had the last flight or something, or they all got through security quicker, but the bus had left, and nobody had any idea who I was talking about when I went looking around.


Nobody met me, but the Greek pantheon had a good welcome group. I almost expected a limo for Poseidon.

The internet cafe at the airport was closed, so I figured that I'd make things easier and stay there for the night. I met a British girl who was setting out on a globetrotting adventure and was waiting to meet her friend, who was flying in the next morning. We chatted a bit and watched each other's things. I gave her some of my food, and she lent me some sanity.

The next morning I discovered that the computers at the internet cafe were broken, but they had working phones. Unfortunately, there were no contact numbers for my program anywhere, so I called my parents. Imagine getting a call that wakes you at five in the morning and goes something like this: "Hello, I'm in Quito at the airport, my group is nowhere to be found and I don't know where I need to go"

I called my parents back a little while later, when they had turned on the computer and found the program website (no contact info to be found). They did find driving directions, however, and so I found myself in a cab to the bus terminal in Quito.

Now for those of you who have never been to Quito, the bus terminal is like a big covered market, with stalls for transportation companies on either side. About $6 got me a ticket to Tena, and soon I was sitting on a bus, trundling out of the city.

That was when the bus pulled to the side of the road and we all were told to get out...