Worlds Worst Surfer

I was so excited about surfing today! I can´t even tell you! After learning to surf in San Jan Del Sur, Nicoragua I was pumped about trying it again...until I actually got in the water. The bottom was not a nice sandy beach like before, it was filled with rocks. The nice waves that were in Nicaragua were not so nice in Peru! Can I tell you that I was so tired from swimming out into the ocean over these huge waves that I pretty much didn´t have it in me to even try to stand up on a wave! I need to do more push-ups! Despite not being able to surf, I still had fun. Chris had to give me a few pep talks to make sure I went back out in the water. I was not having fun some of the time because I was so frustrated, but you know what I changed my attitude and had a good time seeing the underside of the water! Good thing the water wasn´t too salty! Anyway, I got pummeled by a lot of waves, now I am sore, tired, and reday for bed. Can´t wait to see what I feel like tomorrow.

Maybe that is why God had me grow up in CO, he knew that I wouldn´t master surfing. Oh well, I will keep trying and having fun, but I don´t think that I will be in any pictures in surf magazines! Well...maybe the what not to do section!

Drooler!

Last night was a long night on my first Peruvian overnight cama-bus. Yes, they say cama (bed) bus, because they say the seats transform into beds. I would say it´s more like a semi-cama seat. Actually it doesn´t even recline as much as a good ol´lazy-boy, so I hardly consider it comfortable; however, I did manage to sleep for the last 12 hours on the first bus, and then continued my slumber on another bus for 3 hours. I made it to Huanchanco, Peru today. It´s a lovely rundown beach town (reminds me a lot of North Myrtle Beach), and just got settled. I took another 3 hour nap today, you would think that I would be over the whole sleeping gig after so many hours. I guess I was drooling, Chris told me I drooled everywhere! The bus ride was not that spectacular this time...minus the lady that told us the wrong thing.

We were on the chase again for the bus. The lady that bought and reserved out bus tickets from Chachapoyas told us that the bus left at 8p, and when we arrived at 745 guess what...the bus left at 730p! Great! I love that we were told the wrong time, but the good news is that the people in the office felt bad for us, so they called the bus and they made it stop. We took a taxi for 5 soles to catch the bus, and actually made it! I couldn´t believe it! I was so happy that we didn´t have to spend another night in Chacha, and the bus waited outside of town. It didn´t make it very far in 15 minutes, so I didn´t feel too bad, but I did feel bad enough when the guy yelled at us and told us we should have known. I didn´t feel like arguing, so I just let him yell and said sorry. I don´t think that he would have believed me when I told him the lady told us the wrong time! I think that is why they felt bad, they knew they told us the wrong time, but then again I looked at the ticket that was given to me and the time said 730 - hardly ledgable, but nonetheless it was an adventure with the taxi driver chasing the bus down so we would make our destination. I´m glad it stopped when we got there, and then we were able to relax until someone was in our seats! We just sat in some other seats, but 1 hour later we were told to move to our seats, so there was a reshuffle of a few seats on the bus since people were sittin gin the wrong ones! All in all, it turned out okay. Minus the fact that our bus experience to/in Peru so far has been more than interesting! I hope that this is not a sign!

Tomorrow I will surf and ride in a reed boat through the breaks! Should be interesting. I hope I can help make a boat, that would be really cool!!!

Ecuador to Peru: Part 2 - Gun to My Head

The bus... yes this was your average bus, with average seats. It was a great upgrade from the actual chicken buses that I was used to in Central America! You know it was nice to have a small child on the bus that spoke better spanish than me, and when talking to me he spoke a million miles an hour! Yes, that is good for the self-esteem! I love that I speak like a 2 year old! (Katy, Jenn, Becky, Kirsten...all you mom´s out there... your children could probably speak better spanish than me!). Anyway, my little amigo and I had a great time chatting for about 5 minutes, and then I wanted to read. I can only take so much when I have to concentrate really hard on what he´s saying....slow down and I´ll talk to you more, but he didn´t understand that concept.

I decided to just read, but before that I jumpped out of the bus and saw this man pushing a yogurt machine through the park. Yes, a frozen yogurt machine! I was so excited that I could hardly breathe. I didn´t know what kind of icecream it was going to be, but I honestly didn´t care. I wanted something cold and yummy in my tummy! So I went up to him and it was coco y chicle. Gum and coco icecream, sounds interesting. I´ll take two! No I didn´t have them both, but it was tempting! I really wanted to steal Chris´because it was that good. I didn´t think that I could find icecream that I loved as much at Baskin Robin´s Choc & Peanut Butter Icecream, but this is a close second favorite. I hope I enjoyed it because I surely will never have that soft serve deliciousness ever again! (I am an icecream conosour, so you better believe that I know good icecream! I mean I did work for an frozen yogurt shop throughout all high school!)

Anyway, about 15 minutes after the bus was headed out again to our final destination of the day, Zumba. (Which if you read part 1 you know why we only made it 7 hours instead of 10!) I was sitting on the bus reading, decided that was going to pass the next few hours (the book I was reading was really good, so I was quite excited about it anyway), next thing I know I have a gun to my head. Yes, I was ignoring the small child so I could read, he disappeared and returned with a gun. At first I didn´t know if it was real or not. It was black and next to my head, so I could only see with my periferial vision. Next thing I hear him say is ¨bang¨ (but in spanish of course). Then I heard a click! Great...so this kid is violent, has a gun, and just pointed it at my head and pulled the trigger. Good thing it was PLASTIC! But then again, he decided to show me how it worked after I started to give him attention again. Yep, he showed me where the plastic pellet bullets go, and continued to tell me that he knows how to take apart guns, and that he knows how to load them too. So...who is this kids mom? Seriously, plastic guns are cool with cops and robbers, and cowboys and indians, but when it comes to actually shotting someone ganster style for fun, I think that I have to draw the line there! Come on already - seriously??? So I could have died this day for the plastic gun!

....

Landed in Zumba, and it was about your most basic town. Actually I´m not even sure what they eat here. We had some ¨typical¨food, but other than that there were no snacks or anything for the next 12 to 15 hour day in the bus, taxi, and tricycle...so I don´t know what I´m going to do! We didn´t know what to eat for breakfast either, they didn´t really have anything, couldn´t even find a basic banana! Hmmm...

Anyway, apart from the room smelling like poop (I think that the drains were backed up or something gross), there was TV and we were able to watch the US win it´s World Cup game! That was exciting. However, I slept through most it because I was exhausted! I woke up, thanks to Chris, for the final goal! Go USA!!

Until tomorrow.... I am not excited about an early morning and a cold shower!

Ecuador to Peru: Part 1. Wrong Way

Two days ago I started out on an adventure to see the wild untamed edge between Ecuador and Peru. The ¨sheet of paper¨(love my map!) explained that it was 16 to 17 hours of travel, however I had no idea what I was up for.

A 520a wake up buzz to my wrist watch was more than I wanted this morning! I crawl out of the upper loft where my single bed is cozy with wool blankets. Off to sit on the side of the road until the 6a to 630a bus picks me up! I wonder how long I will actually have to sit out here! After 45 minutes a bus comes by, so I assume it´s the right one, but just in case I ask the ayudante if he is headed to Zumba, and he says ¨¡Si!¨ I was excited that I was on my way to Peru!

About 5 minutes after being on the bus we see another bus go by in the opposite direction, so I ask the guy next to me if the bus was going to Zumba, and he chuckled and said, ¨No, Va a Loja!¨(Hmm that is one hour in the WRONG direction!). Crap the bus I need just passed, there are only 2 buses a day to Zumba. ARG! I am now really mad! I asked the guy and he said yes, so I trusted him. I KNOW I said the right thing, and I know that he said Yes. Si is a very simple thing to understand in Spanish, so I am pretty sure that I didn´t mess up in understanding! So now ... what do I do. Jump off this bus and wait for another bus back in to Vilcabamba, and then spend the day there getting a $18 massage for 90 minutes, or head to Loja in hopes to get another bus to Zumba so I can get on my way to Peru! I decide the latter! I hope I made the right choice!

When we arrive at 7am in Loja, mind you one hour in the opposite direction of desired travel, I find out I have to wait 2 hours for the next friggin bus to Zumba! 9a! I will never make the border! It´s now a 7 hour bus ride (instead of the original 6), and the border closes. PLUS, I don´t know if the connecting forms of transportation will be there after the one bus that arrived there at 1p! No choice now, wait for 9a bus and see where I land. Good thing I have a tent, if all else fails I will make friends with a farmer and ask if I can camp on his land! Maybe then I would get some fresh milk from their dairy cows. Sounds like a fun adventure! (Guess I will use my spanish today!)

The bus...to be continued... part 2

Medio del Mundo

This was a VERY long day in the bus. We were going to do the teleferiqo, but dedcided that we waited to long to get up that day, since we really wanted to hike the top of the volcano that same day, so instead we decided to hit up the middle of the earth. I mean how hard could it be to get there since it is world famous? You would think everyone knows about how to get there...right?

WRONG!

We jumpped on the trolly line to head toward the bus station, we knew we had to get to the bus station, and it was at the end of the line. Guess what, we made it there in flying colors, only about 45 minutes later. I was thinking something was wrong because the book (which was back at the hostel - good place for it right? Back safe in the hostel room while I wonder around Quito, Ecuador´s capital city! Brilliant Mandi, just brilliant!) Anyway, I decided to start asking locals where I needed to go so that we could make it to the center of the earth. Everyone was pointing to this one bus, that didn´t have the right sign on it, but I decided to trust them anway. We got on the bus, and luckily we didn´t have to pay because it was a bus transfer. However, it did take me to another place where I had no idea where I was. Great, in the barrio of Quito somewhere far far away from where I think I need to be. How the heck do I get to where I need to go??

Finally, I found someone that said he knew that we were in the wrong place, and we needed to leave this terminal and walk about 4 blocks to the blue bus (great, there are only about 100000 blue buses in the area, so honestly which one! I guess I was that much closer to being there, so I decided to trust him. Plus I had my bodyguard, Chris, with me, so I was fine!). We get to the blue station (not blue bus, it was quite obvious when we got there), and took that to the end. Then a nice lady showed us the correct bus to get on to get there.

In a matter of hours, quite litterally hours, we finally made it to the center of the earth! I was expecting something grandios, and knock my socks off beautiful...however, you should honestly imagine a desserted Disney Land. I think Chris and I were the only people there, I thought this was supposed to be some sort of attraction, guess not! We did a few silly photos, and then looked around at the abandoned shops that probably were cool at one point. (Yeah, come to find out there was a cool thing next door to the place that we were at. See shouldn´t have left that stupid book behind! I suppose it´s my travel guide! Stupid me, you would think after 10 months of traveling I would have known better!).

Anyway, we saw it, enjoyed it, and left all in 1 hour time. The journey there was more spectacular than the actual sight! And by the way, I think that myth busters needs to do a show on the whole toliet flushing thing. I don´t think it´s true. I have not noticed any toliets flushing in the opposite direction here as they do in the US!

We jumped a bus to go back, of course not knowing what one to take, because really I don´t think we were ever on the right one! So we got on one that said ¨CENTRAL¨ hmm... where could that take me? Well guess what, 20 miutes later we were about 5 blocks walking distance from our hostel. Amazing. Next time, I think I´ll just guess and take random buses rather than think I know the way! It was better that way, and who knows we probably would have been less lost the first time had we done that.

So that is my story of discovering the center of the earth!