Last Week in Cuenca

My last week in Cuenca was realtively mellow, but I have a few interesting tales to tell. 
This past Wednesday, my Spanish teacher, Monica, and I went to the Panama Hat Factory as our weekly excursion outside of the classroom.

 Mi profesora, Monica

On our walk back, I noticed that we were really close to CDI San Francisco and asked Monica if she wanted to pop into the school with me for a minute. When we arrived, all of the kids were sitting in the common area engaged in some type of activity (although I couldn't quite tell what).  Two Norwegian girls from Simon Bolivar were working with the kids in the mornings and when I saw their faces as I walked through the door, I knew something was up.  They explained to me that minutes earlier, the teachers placed the only black child in the school up in front of the other kids so they could sing a hurtful and derogatory song about his hair.  I asked the girls if this little boy was misbehaving or anything before the incident and they assured me that he was not.  I was extremely angry to hear that the women at CDI SF would intentionally embarrass a child.  Even worse, is the fact that they choose to convey a message of intolerance and ignorance to the other children.  In the United States, they would have a lawsuit on their hands.  I was in a foul mood when I showed up for work that afternoon, but the kids were able to brighten my spirits a bit. 

That night, after seething at the incompetency of the CDI SF women, I decided to blow off some steam at my school's weekly salsa class.  I think I've mentioned already that the majority of the students at Simon Bolivar are in the 65 plus age bracket.  In case I haven't, you now can get a pretty clear picture of what my salsa class looked like!   A dozen retirees, two young Norwegian guys, and me...and I was still the worst dancer there.

That evening, I received an email from the Montana boys that they were back in Cuenca after a failed excursion to the Ecuadorian coast.  In addition, Tamara, one of the girls I went horseback riding with in Vilcabamba, had just arrived in Cuenca as well.  I looked forward to meeting up with all of them the next night.  When we did all get together on Thursday for happy hour, it was great to share stories about the last few weeks, throw back a few Pilseners, and listen to the live band at the Inca Bar.  The next day was my last in Cuenca and I found myself feeling sad to leave this great city but, at the same time, excited to move on to Trujillo.

During my last day at CDI SF, the kids had a dance party to send me off.  It was so adorable to watch them all dancing and singing.  As their parents began to arrive at the end of the day, one little boy, Fernando, asked me, "Por que tienes salir? Me duele el corazon"....Which means, "Why do you have to leave? My heart hurts".  I almost lost it right there...it was the cutest thing I've ever heard.

(From Left: Jose Luis, Andrea, Fernando, Erinzon)

On Friday night, I met up with Ryan, Cody, and Tamara again, and we tore up the town.  Actually, not really, I was in bed by 1AM, which by Soth American standards, is like going to bed at 8:30.  When I got home, my host mom let me in.  She looked upset, but I figured she was probably just tired and annoyed that their housekeeper had locked me out by accident. 

I found out the next morning that Mama's father had passed away the night before from a long battle with cancer.  The entire family was out and about dealing with funeral arrangements and other things so I accpeted the fact that I wouldn't get a chance to say good bye and thank them for their incredibile hospitality.  I was amazed when they all returned for lunch to bid me farewell.  I am so lucky to have been placed with such wonderful people during my time in Ecuador.  I will miss the Benitez clan immensely. 

(From left: Miri, Estafania, Mama, Me, Victor, Monica)

I left Cuenca on Saturday afternoon with Fernando, a family friend of the Benitez's, whom I hired to drive Tamara and me to the Peruvian border.  I anticipated a long and exhausting journey from the get go, but nothing could have prepared me for the next 36 hours.  From Cuenca to Tumbes, Peru it takes approximately 5 hours by car.  When we arrived at the border, it was total mayhem.  The one road that connects Ecuador to Peru is essentially a one way road that acts as a pedestrian thoroughfare and the main highway for every bus and car entering the country.  (Think Tiajuana, with less traffic and far more confusion.)  Weaving our way through fruit carts and whole families on motorcycles, I was convinced that we were going to take at least one person out with the car. 

Border Crossing

Once we arrived in Tumbes, my goal was to get on the next overnight bus to Trujillo.  I knew that there were close to a dozen bus companies that operate trips down the coast.  However, for some unknown reason, every bus company informed me that, while there were several buses leaving for Lima, there was nothing going to Trujillo that night.  I was pretty annoyed, especially since the whole point of my leaving Cuenca, when I did, was to sleep on the bus between Tumbes and Trujillo.  Luckily, Tamara wasn't scheduled to leave for Lima until the next morning, so the two of us split a room in a dark and musty hotel room. Tumbes is an armpit of a town, but it was fun to walk around the main square at night with all the kids out and about.  Tamara and I were the only gringos for miles and we stuck out like two giant, white beanstalks.

Downtown Tumbes

The next morning,  my bus left at 11am and was slated to arrive in Trujillo around 9pm.  I hunkered down for what was going to be a long day of sitting on my ass.  In comparison to my experiences with the Ecuadorian bus companies, I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the buses are here.  However, as we inched our way south through the Peruvian coastal dessert, I quickly realized that there was no way we were going to arrive in Trujillo by nine.  Five hours in a car to the border, an unanticipated overnight stay in Tumbes, and 12.5 hour bus ride later, I arrived in Trujillo at 11.45PM.  However, the bus company literally dropped me off on some random street corner, nowhere near the terminal where my escorts were planning to pick me up.  I walked into the police station nearby and the officer kindly invited me to sit down while I tracked down my new housemates.  (Elizabeth is a Stanford graduate who has been living and working in Peru since last summer.  Jean Paul is from Lugano, Switzerland and just arrived in Trujillo two weeks ago.)  Elizabeth and Jean Paul arrived a few minutes later to take me to the house that I will be sharing with them and few others for the next month.

As I entered the house, exhausted and completely braindead from all of my travels, I immediately noticed a pungent aroma wafting down the hall.  As he was saying goodnight, Jean Paul cheerfully said to me, "I hope that the cuyes let you sleep in tomorrow".  As I peered out my window, I realized that the central courtyard of the house doubles as a pen for fifteen guinea pigs, which if you recall my past dining experience, is most likely to be dinner tomorrow night.  And the adventure continues...