Up early and out of the'hostel'... a term I use very loosely, as I do have better words that I can think of... but we can go with'hostel'to keep it creditable (on my end, anyway.)
So the little midge/mosquitos bites that I got the other day... I think I probably have Malaria now. They started off as little bites... itchy... normal. They escalated to red bumps... itchy once again... then on to small blisters... ... oozing maybe Malaria?... and now they have turned into nasty little disfiguring lesions. And ONLY on my ankles. Perhaps some mosquito net socks might have done the trick.
Are stomach cramps a sign of having Malaria?
No... I think that's the ever-developing constipation again...
God... the things our bodies go through whenonetoilet breaks...
We stopped at a local restaurant while we were waiting for the car parking area to open. Pan con queso, cafe, jugo... heuvos... (bread with cheese, coffee, juice, eggs)the usual breakfast delights.
Grabbed the car and skedaddled out of Cuenca pronto. I was going to suggest a quick stop to Banos, but I think Mari was done with the tourist part of the weekend. I didn't want to push it.
The ride home wasn't as foggy as the ride there.
Don't get me wrong... there was fog... but it was nowhere near as hazardous as it had been a couple days prior.
There were definitely moments of alarming and pure hair-standing-on-end... Mari has a little bit of a heavy foot when it comes to the break pedal, and we followed a bus so closely for most of the trip, that I thought, for a time period, we might as well be ON the bus.
I spent a lot of the time, staring out the window and trying to capture some shots of the typical country life outside the city, as we zoomed by. Definitely not particularly professional shots, but I think I fared well considering I was sitting in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle.
When we finally arrived back home at La Joya in Guayaquil, most definitely , the largest lunch I've ever seen was awaiting me! A daily conversation here is how much I eat.... and believe me, I'm not starving, nor am I fading away at a rapid pace(as one would hope.) I honestly believe that Mami wants to double my portion to ensure that I don't mysteriously vanish... Between the sitting and the eating, no wonder I tower over everyone. Indisputably, I'm Brienne of Tar.
I have come to accept the fact that no matter how many times we cover a certain subject, no matter what I do or don't do, or how much I eat or don't eat, we are always going to discuss;
Eat more! Por favor!!! Eat!
When are you getting married?
Why don't you want children? WHY???
Please have a baby and give it to me. (Mami)
When are you coming back to Ecuador?
You like beer?
To these, I respond (daily)...
I'm full. Please don't make me eat anymore.
I'm never going to get married unless I'm desperate for a party, gifts and some money. So... maybe soon... who knows?
I'm too selfish for children. Potzy is my son.
Believe me, if I have a baby, you can have it.
Why don't we get this trip over with before I start planning to come back.? Aren't you sick of me yet?
Nope... I don't like beer much at all... I like wine. In fact, I'm addicted.
Usually I leave the 'addicted' part out...
After lunch, I was helping with the dishes, which is also a struggle, because I think that Mami feels she needs to wait on me hand and foot. I have to literally force myself in to the kitchen. I think I've really impressed everyone with my ability to carry many plates in one hand. Hospitality experience pulls through once again. I had asked Mari earlier what the plan was with the car rental when we returned to Guayaquil, and her exact words (and I quote) were,
"Probably I return the car and then take the bus back home."
That was the plan. Sounded good to me. Bueno. The part that I wasn't aware of... whether it be due to appalling miscommunication, my only selfish disregard or sudden change of plan.... was that I was also involved in the 'return the car/bus' arrangement... and going along for the ride... again... You can imagine the pure horror when I found out...
"Noooo... por favour! Noooo. En serio????" (translation- "No... please! No. Seriously?)
I didn't intend to be rude, it was just the initial reaction to having to return to the car again. But... yes, to be polite, and save face from my immature little outburst... I went along. I tried to take my computer along for the ride, so that I could, at the very least, catch up on a couple days written adventure, but Mami made me put it back in the house, for fear that someone might steal it while we were on the bus. Half an hour ride to the airport rental car location. Another 40 minutes for them to look the car over for damage, fill out rental return forms and rip up unused authorizations. Then the bus... We walked a little ways to the actual airport and caught the first bus from there. When I say 'first bus'... there were 3.
Half hour on this one, got off, walked a bit, missed the next bus, waited longer, boarded the second bus... rode another 20 minutes.... got off, walked a bit, got on a shuttle bus... got off, walked a bit. My question of the day was;
"Would a taxi not have been twice the price, yet 1/4 of the time and 100% less hassle?"
I was only met with laughter and "muy caro, Joanna!"
Home again, home again, jiggity jig... In total, it took us 2 & 1/2 round trip. Don't get me wrong, it was quite the experience being back on the local buses again. But I think it's less of a bus ride, and more of an experiment in human sardine packing, if you ask me. Tomorrow, come hell or high water, I refuse to get in a car. Wild horses couldn't drag me. I will be walking and standing the entire day away. Mark my words... Sitting here now, writing... there are dogs barking, alarms going off... Sometimes I think that this gated community is a cross between the dog pound and burglary planet.