Today is my last day

Tuesday I went zip lining and survived!  It was so much fun!  I am so glad I did it they start you off small and gradually get higher and higher.  It was awesome!  The rest of the week I finished getting all of my souvenirs and hanging out with friends and family.  Thursday my host dad got really sick at lunch.  My mom and dad were searching through their pills to find one for him to take.  Then he took one and had to have another bite of the delicious chocolate cake.  It was hilarious.  My dad asked for less salad and rice and I asked for more salad and less meat.  It's great!  Well he has been really sick and yesterday he told me it was because I was leaving but who knows.  Friday I had my spanish final and I was done with classes.  After the test I bought my family a flower arrangement and a torta mojado!  So good.  My mom and I had lunch which was so filling and I went to get my last manicure!  For $3 I enjoyed everyone!  Last night I had a despedida with my group and some of the corrdinators.  I presented a speech to the group about each person and my personal experience.  Everyone loved it, it was quite emotional.  After our speeches Kim prepared a slideshow with baby pictures of everyone anf of course I was first so up on this huge screen is a fat naked baby sitting in a bathtub, oh well it was cute and funny.  It was nice to see everyone and then see everyone throughout the program.  It was a good meal as well and a good night.  I went home after to spend time with my family.  Woke up my last morning to the Maestro fixing the hot water hose or something.  I don't really know but there was a lot fo pounding and my mom came in and asked me what my plans were for today, of course they were going to be with her. Well time to go prepare for the rest of this sad day :(

I found another Angel

Last night was crazy!  I went to the group home and it was much better than what I expected for Ecuador.    After I went home for awhile and worked on some homework.  I decided to go to Casa de Mujer for the third time to see if I could find the guys shop.  I was starting to get paranoid that I had put a $20 deposit down and was unable to get my mom's gift.  The guy was open when I went in ans it was awesome.  He showed it to me and he did an excellent job!  I hope she likes it as much as I do or I guess I can always keep it for myself.  Then I thought I would stop in to the chocolate store and see if I could meet the family of the girl with prader-willi syndrome.  I was able to meet the mom immediately and her uncle.  We talked for about fifteen minutes and then I had to go get my backpack because I went to get the whole repaired.  The guy only charged me $1 to fix it and last time he charged me dad $2 guess I fit in more now lol.  Then I ran back to the chocolate store because the young girl and her dad were coming in.  I had no idea what I was going to be walking into.  I walked in and there was this beautiful young girl standing no more than 5ft tall and 200 pounds.  I knew that had to be her.  I immediately introduced myself and the mom and dad and young girl all talked with me for about 2 hours.  The young girl was so unique and yet she reminded me of Tyler so much!  This young girl just wants to fit in, in a culture that don't understand dissabilities and believe she is just obese.  The girl told me about her two friends she had but get this they are imaginary!  She goes to a "normal" high school because in Ecuador there is no special education.  The parents told me they are terminatoring her from school after this year, and all I could advice was I think that she should stay in school.  I struggled a lot last night because I understood what to tell them from my situation but they are living in a third world country where no Doctors have heard about this syndrome.  The fact that no Doctor in the whole country of Ecuador has heard of Prader-willi syndrome disgusts me.  The family told me there were four people diagnosed with Prader-willi syndrome in Ecuador, which one died at the age of 23 because there are no resources available.  This family went to Mexico six years ago to try and get a diagnosis.  The young girl is now on Generaltropin and only at 1.3 which I don't think is enough, but I do not know her situation.  The young girl begged for a normal life and to fit in.  She was begging for love and affection, she was sitting next to me and she would just stare at me and tell me how pretty I was, she also would rest her head on me and give me kisses and hugs.  This young girl made my heart ache.  I want to to whatever I can to help her and her family, which is difficult because I am only here until Saturday.  Her dad talked to me the most, it was hard talking to him because he wanted answers and wanted to know the secrets to success.  This family had lost all hope before meeting me and thought she would be another statistic with Prader-willi syndrome that dies at such a young age.  The dad would ask me what my family does about food a number of times. I told him cabinets and doors had to be locked and whatever my brother ate is what we ate because his health and life was more important.  This is where they struggle because they have a three year old who always wants pizza and snacks, but if the food is out the the girl wants food as well.  I think it was easier for me because I was only allowed the same portions as my brother so there was no drama.  That is how it was my whole life and I understand how difficult it must be for this family.  This young girl has broke through doors to get food and is always talking about food.  The family asked me what they should do and I replied with keeping her occupied and away from food.  It has to be difficult especially in a chocolate store buisness.  This girl also skin picks like my brother.  She would show me them all.  Her speech is difficult to understand but she writes absolutely beautifully.  She like to make these chains for cell phones or bookbags.  They are little angels and she gave me two of them.  She told me one was for my brother and the other for myself.  I told her thanks and asked her if she would like me to come in and we could play on my IPAD.  She was so excited she gave me the sweetest hug.  She now had a friend for the rest of her life.  This young girl has made an impact in my life.  The family gave me a box of chocolates as well.  They offered to take me home and stay for dinner, but I politely declined because it was my sister's birthday.  We exchanged emails and numbers.  I went home in tears and skyped my mom because I was not expecting to walk into a situation with someone asking me for help.  If this little girl has no hope what are the other two kids in this country doing?  They need hope, answers, love, and help!  I am willing to do my part and I emailed National when I got home.  This made me realize how lucky I am to have Tyler in my life and how lucky I am to live in a country that has answers, because I can not even begin to imagine the struggles this family has gone through.  This has changed my Studying Abroad experience tremendously.  I know believe I am in the wrong field for a major, why am I not going into something medical life genetics and majoring in Spanish as well?  There is such a  need out there it hurts me to know that there are families that are unable to get help.  Thanks, Jillian

The last week has come

Friday was a good day went for a run and then I had Spanish class.  After spanish we had a group meeting for cake for one of the girls Birthday's.  We had torta mojado which is this delicious chocolate cake that is drenched in chocolate.  After I went home for lunch, we had ceviche, which is not what I was hoping for.  I'll admit I have started to like shrimp a lot more than when I got her but it something about a soup being cold.  It reminds me of shrimp drenched in ketchup.  I was full from cake so I asked to save it for dinner.  After lunch I went to get my nails done again for 3 dollars!  So cheap and worth it.  After nails we had our last dance class.  It was a good dance class we learned dances to three or four different popular songs.  After dance class I went home for dinner, Yum ceviche was waiting for me.  I also got to have a cheese sandwhich.  After dinner I worked on homework and decided to go out for the last time in Ecuador with my friends.  We went to Gabbia and danced the whole night.  I had nothing to drink but one of my friends was doing a shot so I decided to do my first shot in Ecuador.  It was something cherry passion.  It tasted like cough syrup and I don't desire to do one of those again.  Saturday I woke up and was going to go for a run but my family wanted me to have breakfast with them and then go for a run, so I did.  I got back wrote another paper and my mom and I went to Lunch at Tutto Freddo.  We split a vegetarian pizza and got ice cream.  She talked to me about how much everyone in my family loves me and she mentioned my dad gets teary eyed when they talk about me leaving.  They said I was a calm student and didn't cause any problems, except I went through their ceiling and was sick for the first three weeks.  lol  She didn't mention any of those things.  I am really going to miss my family here just as much, they will always be in my heart as my momma says.  After I walked around the city with one of the girls and took pictures.  Of course we hit up happy hour and I got a screwdriver for $2.  Then I bought the Vow, which is not even out in the states until after I get home, so exciting!  Saturday night I watched that movie and balled.  Sunday morning my family all had breakfast together and we all did our own things.  Lunch was at three and my sister and brother n law came over to celebrate my sister's birthday and my despedida.  It was sad but the food was amazing.  Of course both desserts had nuts, so I got some chocolate wafer,  I guess my mom back home always makes something special for me, which I appreciate, it sucks watching everyone else eat their dessert in front of you.  After I took a little nap and went to meet Teresa's real family that lives in Cuenca.  They were so nice and funny.  I enjoyed talking with them.  They brought out pictures and everything.  They even served us all neopolitan ice cream, cheesecake with maracuya, sweet cinnamon sticks, and homemade potatoe chips.  It was a good night.  Monday mornign came way to fast and today has passed so quickly.  After Spanish I went home for lunch and took my bookbag to get fixed again.  Then I went to a nursing home to see what they were like in Ecuador, the one we went to was very nice.  I also bought Manjar for my family back home to try and to make alfores.  Well off to finish my last paper and work on Spanish chau! Feliz Cumpleanos to my sister Rosana :)

Reverse Cultural Shock

Monday was a normal day and nothing too exciting happened.  Tuesday I went for a run before class.  After lunch I met a group at CEDEI and we went to Eduardo Vega's studio and workshop.  It was so cool!  We got to see him himself and his workshop.  He had beautiful pieces, it was so hard for me no to buy something.  I really liked a lot of his things.  The view from his house is also amazing.  After everyone made their purchases, we went to Turi, the look out point of Cuenca.  It was gorgeous.  Then Doc showed us a German bakery.  Bad life decision.  I bought a mora filled bismark and some pinneaple danish thing.  After Teresa, Zoe, and I went to happy hour and walked home.  Wednesday, my mom made a potatoe soup and then our main course was like a hamburger patty but filled with onions and peppers and tasted more like meatloaf, with a spanish rice.  We even had dessert yesterday!  We had a chocolate vanilla moist cake with cream.  After lunch I took a three hour siesta.  It was needed!  Today I went out to the CEDEI school for kids and I observed speech pathology the whole day.  It was a blast!  It was also all in Spanish and I understood it all, I didn't want to leave.  I also found out the store the parents of a child with Prader-willi syndrome own.  Ironically it is Godika Chocolate Factory, how ironic, I only go there everyday.  So I went in after lunch and she was upstairs in the house, so I just told them I would return tomorrow and that they didn't need to call her.  I am really excited to meet this family and help them in anyway that I can!  So I bought a ice cream and left.  Then I had a meeting about reverse culture shock.  They taught us a lot of different skills and how people are going to react to us, and how we should handle situations.  Basically it is going to be difficult no matter what.  Then we hung around and went to Tiestos for dinner!  It was so good, I see why it is the best restaurant in Cuenca.  The chef came out and talked to us all.  First bread came out with like 12 different sauces.  Then the chef recommended 3 different kinds of beef with sauces.  We got two different kinds of juices, one naranjilla and the other was frutilla and maraculla.  Our meet came out, one was steak with a cheese and bacon and mushroom sauce, the other had no sauce and medium rare, and the last one was steak with a blue cheese sauce.  I normally don't eat steak but I managed to eat two steaks!  We also has a bazillion sides; a cucumber salad, couscous, motte, rice, mini potatoes, and a few other.  That wasn't enough for our group they all ordered dessert.  I could not eat them because they all had nuts, so the chef brings out one of his homemade chocolate ice creams and it was the best ice cream I have ever had, he apologized for the nuts and he gave it to me for free.  Needless to say I will never forget a man who gives me free homemade chocolate, fudge ice cream!  Time for bed Chau!

Less than two weeks?!

It is hard to believe that I have less than two weeks left in Cuenca.  Cuenca has been my home away from home for the past four months.  Well I registered for all my classes next semester.  Got in them all!  I will have only one class on Thuesdays and Thursdays and no classes on Fridays.  This will be good for work and observation hours.  Friday was Cuenca days so from Thursday night to Sunday night Cuenca is crazy!  It has been so much fun.  With only two weeks left its hard because you don't want to miss anything.  Friday morning I was told to sleep in by my mom so I did till 8.  I couldn't sleep in any longer.  Friday morning I met Erin and Teresa at CEDEI because we were going to Banos.  Banos is a town built on a valcano.  It was so bautiful is was only about a 30-40 minute ride on the public bus which only cost $0.25!  So worth it.  I was due for some relaxation as well as the other girls.  We walked around for a while to compare prices at different spas.  We found one that was absolutely beautiful.  It was like a resort from the states.  It reminded me a lot fo Arizona which I'm sure is why I enjoyed it so much.  I have never really done a spa day so I was glad I got to with my friends!  Check out where I went here... http://www.piedradeagua.com.ec/instalaciones  I did a package with the girls for $30.  First you change, then shower to rinse off, then sit in a sauna type thing with vicks smoke for fifteen minutes, then go to the red mud bath, which is good for skin, then you dry, wash off, and shower then you go to the blue mud bath and repeat.  After you sit in a hot pool for 10 minutes underground then you sit in the cold pool for 2 minutes.  By cold I mean freezing.  Then we went to the boxes.  The boxes are like a personal sauna, it was crazy!  After we had lunch.  We could have repeated the whole day but we were going to the soccer game at six.  I finally got to go to a soccer game!  It made me miss playing soccer.  I think I may have to play when I get back to Iowa.  Good workout.  Well before we went to happy hour I got two Vodka with limon drink for a $1.50 each.  Everyone else got a Pilsner grande but I'm allergic.  We arrived at the game and sat in the front row on the Cuenca side.  It was kinda boring at half time I was feeling my drink so Teresa and I went to get food.  Of course in line I met a guy named Alejandro, who happened to be a drummer for Loja, the team Cuenca was playing.  I guess it's a big deal for Cuenca fans to go in the other teams section but I payed the same price and I had a white jacket on, I blended right in!  He invited us over so I went to tell the other people and it ended up being Teresa, Erin, and I standing up next to the drummer on the bleachers.  I had so much fun!!! It was a blast.  Loja ended up winning so it was even better!  Well turns out the other three from our group were ready to go because they didn't win.  Unfortunately there are fights and it gets crazy so they don't let anyone from Loja out until Cuenca has left.  Well because we were three gringas and two of which were blonde they let us out.  Then Candy took us to an awesome hamburger restaurant.  the best hamburgers in Ecuador have ham on them with the burger.  This one had a special pinneapple sauce!  So good!  I have a feeling I will be using Jelly on everything when I get back home.  After, I went home because I was really tired.  I went straight to bed.  I had to wake up at 7 the next morning to be at CEDEI by 8am to go to Churute.  Yay the coast!  We were all hot because we had to wear pants becuase of mosquitos.  Well first we had a two hour boat ride through mangroves.  Yep we sat in a canoe and rode through this river and looked and trees.  Fun!  haha Well once we started scouting birds the whole group cheered up and we talked the rest of the trip.  My group is so different but yet we all get along so well!  Then we had our lunch and went for a 30 minute hike through the dry forest looking for monkeys.  I found the first ones mainly because I connect with animals. lol  We listened and watched these monkeys for awhile and went back on our trip.  We stopped and picked a cocoa bean off one of the trees and we ate the fruit of the cocoa bean!  It was so cool!  It tasted like a mango.  So you open up the shell and the meat of the small beans is what you suck off.  Then you roast the beans and you have chocolate!  So cool!  We went to a mini fruit market stand and bought fruit.  I bought two pinneapples for $1 each.  They were so good and juicy.  When we got back to Cuenca we went to Candy's house for a barbeque.  We had hotdogs, baked macaroni and cheese, pinneapple, and brownies.  It was so good.  We talked for awhile and we went back home.  I was exhausted again so I went straight to bed.  My family was out of town this weekend so I was home alone.  It was different, but I got to make an egg this morning for breakfast instead of just toast and fruit.  I cut my other pinneapple as well and enjoyed some of that.  I wrote a paper and watched the Iron Lady, terrific movie!  After I made easy mac for lunch since nothing else sounded better.  Then I met up with Zoe and Teresa to go visit some of the markets for Cuenca Day.  We got to see fireworks and different stands.  I bought cotton candy!  Yum!  It was spun and made right in front of me.  Then we headed back home.  My mom was waiting for me when I returned.  I missed my family!  It was so sad at dinner we were talking about how I only had two weeks left in Cuenca.  My dad said I couldn't leave and that I didn't pass and needed to take more classes.  I said I would take more spanish classes.  I am really going to miss my family the thought brings tears to my eyes.  My mom told me she is going to give me everyone's email and I have to keep in touch.  My mom said I am not aloud to leave without promising to stay in contact because they will always be my Ecuadorian family and family for four months.  No one can believe that it is almost over, especially me.  My family has been awesome and I'm not going to be able to leave them without crying.  I will never forget them and the experience they showed me.  Love, Jillian

Reality check

Monday was a normal day had Education and Spanish, and a group meeting.  For lunch my made like a macaroni and cheese potatoe soup and then we had little barbequed chicken legs and wings or ribs.  I don't really know but they only way to eat them was with your hands.  I was told to pick them up and not use my silverware and I had to.  It was quite the experience but they were really good!  Then I went back to class. After class we had handicrafts class.  I really enjoy crafts so I was excited!  We painted boxes and then we used recycled magazine articles and glued and painted them on the box.  Mine turned out quite interesting!  I have no idea what i am going to do with it, but i'll figure something out.  I went to get a chocolate bunny for easter from my favorite chocolate place and I paid $6 for a damn hollow bunny.  Here it was hollow it was gone faster than 6 seconds.  Oh well its a sign the chocolate ladies are cutting me off!  Then I went home and my mom was making We had tea and cookies for dinner!  How healthy.  This is what I have been struggling with this week!  Tuesday, my mom made fanesca for good friday and saved some for me.  It is a soup they eat on good friday here.  It has twelve grains for the 12 apostles and then it had fish or something for jesus.  It was really good my mom does not like a lot of salt or fishy flavor so she made her sauce and put it on fish and shrimp and put a scoop on top of the soup!  It was so good, I can't wait to make it for my mom back home.  Then my mom made steaks and rice and salad.  I was so full!!!!! It was just my mom and I home for lunch and it was hilarious, we got talking about congrejos which is red crabs.  I could not think of the word in english.  My mom thought it was red hawk but I think her pronunciation was just wrong.  She searched her cook books for a picture.  Found one and I remembered duh.  So the "b" sound in spanish is difficult.  It can sound like p, v, or b.  My mom said it all.  It was hilarious when she said crap and I laughed so much.  No no mommy crap is a bad word.  I told her it was similar to caca.  And she was so embarrassed.  Makes me think what I say to her lol.  So we finally got crab and we had a nice chat!  I love my mom!  After lunch I went shopping and got all of my souvenirs for people!  Then I had another handicrafts class, to finish our boxes.  Wednesday I had a spanish test,  I thought it was pretty easy.  I know I got messed up on a few verbs but they were silly mistakes.  Well I'm learning from them!  I went to lunch with the girls after.  We started at some hostel.  We all got empanadas and then ice cream but that didn't fill us up so we went and got hotdogs after!  I need an intervention!  After I had class and we talked about LGBTQ clubs, which is a hard subject for me to talk about.  This class makes me feel comfortable in voicing my opinions, because I shouldn't be judged. After class I picked up my ceramic pot.  Then two other girls and I went to happy hour.  $1.50 coctales!  I got vodka and lime.  It was good but I also got chocolate crepes.  What a combo.  Well the drink was good and didn't taste strong at all but it didn't take me a long time to feel it.  I had to get salchipapas in order to walk home because I needed to soak up the alcohol.  Well my dad greated me at the front door.  Of course I think he knows now that I had one drink.  My mom and sister were home and all ready to eat of course omg I was soo full.  Well of course my mom made the lentil filling, full of fiber soup and then she bought these huge, cheese filled empanadas.  What a day I have never ate so much.  I was winded form eating.  When we finished all the girls wanted to go out cuz a club was playing electronic music.  So I went out with them all.  I got home around 12:30 am.  At black their special was rum and coke so I got two rum and cokes with the other girls.  I have never had rum before, so I was feeling pretty confident.  Thursday, today I woke up early had breakfast with my dad and went to the migration of police to get a certification senso to leave the country.  After we went to a new cafe I found.  They are Americans who own this cafe and they have a discount for students and free WIFI and free refills on coffee.  Well I got a coffee and a cinnamon roll.  We had run into them another night as well and of course I'm the talker of the group so I needed to learn their life story.  We then went to find another girl and later we found mora cheescakes so we all got one.  So good and so healthy with fruit on lol.  I don't even want to know my weight.  We went shopping.  Finished my souvenirs and I found this really cool guys shop.  I bought a bracelet that is made out of a spoon and has a stone.  It reminded me of the spoon ring I have from my great grandma.  This place had stuff only from Ecuador so it was cool!  I ordered something to get costum made for my mom and I hope she likes it!  Later we went to an organic healthy smoothie place run by new americans in Ecuador!  It was so good.  Then I got mail at CEDEI.  I got an Easter card from my god-mother!  I really appreciate all the mail I am getting from her.  Well tonight I have to register for classes for next semester and possibly go to bed early! chau!

Playas!

Wednesday mom said we would have chocolate cake for dessert so instead of going with my friends, I went home.  Lunch was good but for dessert we got one pretzel stick with chocolate.  haha Gotta love mom.  Thursday morning at 5:30 we headed out to Playas!  We took a 3 hour bus ride to Guayaquil then got on a public bus from Guayaquil to Playas.   Everything worked out and when we arrived the weather was beautiful.  We went to our 9 person hotel room and changed into swimming suits and checked out the beach!  It was so nice outside.  It was kind of cloudy the first day and not many waves, so leave it up to me to think of something no toys?  There are always rocks, so we played catch with rocks!  Probably not such a smart idea but if someone were to get hurt it was going to be me.  Luckily, no injuries! It was about three o'clock so that meant the famous empanada shop was open!  I got a nepolitana empanada.  They have cheese, ham, oregano, and tomatoes, it is similar to a pizza.  We headed back to the beach and the sun was finally coming out.  Of course there had to be men in uniform nice white clean uniforms!  Men in uniform, why not be polite and say hi to everyone?  That was just me from our group though everyone else was scared or something.  Then we saw this guy taking pics of the "ocean" and we was wearing some nice tight swimming suit thing and a nice body to show it off.  So I waved to him, and the other girls with me got all embarrassed because sure enough he came over to talk to us.  Turns out he is a soldier and is 20 years old.  Yes! I keeping talking thinking I scored one but his friend who he calls Winnie the Pooh comes over and wants to take pictures.  We stand up and he is short!  So sad  :(  so much for that one.  Well we took pics and in the meantime we all had sand in our pants from sitting in the sand.  Well turned out to be an interesting afternoon and we headed back to shower before dinner.  We went to an interesting sandwhich shop.  I got a turkey sandwhich and iced tea!  So good!  Friday morning of course I was one of the first ones awake so I checked my email and hopefully I will be living in the international dorm next year with some other people!  Best news of the week!  Well everyone eventually woke up and we headed downstairs for breakfast.  We had eggs and toast.  We were shortly off to the beach.  Thursday was all sun and crazy waves!  It was a good day.  For lunch we went to another Empanda place and then back to the beach.  It was about 6 and we went to all the different little stores, most people bought a new dress.  I didn't see any I would ever wear besides on the beach so I saved my money.  We went to get dinner and we had empanadas again.  We showered and got ready to go to a discotecca.  It was fun!   I had to dance salsa with someone as old as my dad so that was awkward and then reggeaton came on so Laura and I were dancing when we got asked by brothers to dance.  So okay they looked more our age.  Well I was wrong.  She got the 25 year old brother and I got the yep 16 year old brother.  Well good thing was that he was tall, bad thing he has never danced really ever before.  He would ask me if we could dance like that, ha you just feel the music and dance.  He was nice and funny so I guess it was okay, I got to be his first gringa dancing partner!  Saturday rolled around and I was burnt and I used SPF 100 haha the sun is crazy here.  So we went to breakfast and got fruit juice and a sandwhich.  Went to the beach.  Saturday I got smart and wore my tankini.  The waves were hard and huge Saturday.  They knocked you down faster than you could stand up.  It was a good day to just enjoy the sun.  The sell watermellon and mangos with salt all over the beach so I got my fill of fruit.  For lunch, Kim and I went to this Jamaican restaurant and got the best hamburger I have ever had.  It had the meat and ham and cheese and tomatoe and lettuce and potatoe chips, so good.  The we had a natural homemade limonade!  Best $3 ever spent.  We decided to go back to the hotel to swim in the pool and relax in the air conditioning.  Good choice.  We showered and by 930 we were going to dinner.  We went to the sandwhich place again.  I had mango juice, turkey sandwhich and french fries!  There is a cookie on the coast called Alfores con manjar.  They are so good.  My mom is giving me a recipe and making them this week.  They are kind of like a sugar cookie with majar filling.  Manjar is like caramel and peanut butter but no nuts.  So good!  Sunday everyone cept for me slept in.  I woke up skyped my mom and Tyler and went to a bakery to meet a nice couple.  I figured I wouldn't get a chocolate bunny, so I got pinneapple upside down cake and chocolate milk!  They had Alfores for $.50 so I bought five of them as well.  They all slowly got up and we went to breakfast.  It was like 1130 so I had a chicken taco.  And we were off to the bus station and back to Cuenca.  When I got home I was greeted by my mom and sister.  They were just preparring my dinner.  My mom made her famous apple sauce kind of drink!  And we had really good meat, rice, and french fries.  For dessert we had 3 leche cake.  Its really good.  Last night I got to skype my mom and Reed and my friend Tyler.  I really miss them!  Well off to class, another 3 day week because of Cuenca days, Yay Parties!

Time flies

My eye is finally not swollen and I can put my contacts in!  What an interesting week.  Wednesday I had my education classes and spanish.  Spanish was a rough class because my teacher's mom died on Monday.  I felt really bad for her, becuase her mom lived with her and she talked about her a lot.  In the education classes we watched a movie about a class bringing awareness to racism and stereotypes.  The other class we talked about the philosophies of education.  Dr. R knew which theories I would fall into immediately and he was right for the most part.  I like a lot of structure, student discipline, portfolio assessments and there are personalities I have that fall into different categories.  For lunch I went with the girls.  They have done a weekly lunch every week but I just love my family and know the food would be good at home, so I haven't gone with them.  There is only 4 more Wednesdays left so I figured I should go with them.  We went to an authentic Ecuadorian restaurant.  We had a really good soup, then we had fried chicken, lentils, and rice.  Jugo de Pina and strawberries with sugar for dessert.  For $2 I thought it was a good meal!  After we went to a wooden market, which I will be returning to because it is so cool and a good idea for souvenirs.  Immediately I found these hand carved and designed pig salt and pepper shakers!  I had to get them!  They were perfect.  I don't know who will get those yet but I knew they would be perfect for someone.  I also bought these crayons that are made from a tree branch of Ecuador.  I have be waiting to get them for 1.50 or under but everywhere is 2.50 and more.  I finally found them for 1.50!  I was so excited.  After we went to get ice cream at a place very similar to Cold Stone.  They also have like 24 flavors of different alcohol flavors.  It was like a bar but with ice cream!  I got a banana split flavor.  I had real bananas and coconut in, so good!  Thursday I went out to the CEDEI school.  I loved the kindergartners and preschoolers!  It was awesome!  Thursday we also had a charla on Andean music.  It was very interesting all the different instruments they use and how they are made.  Friday I went for a run and was off to class.  Spanish class was very frustrating for me Friday because I wanted to move past the easy things and review more of the things I need when talking to my family.  Friday night we had dance class! After dance class we went to a little family restaurant it was like I was sitting in the kitchen at my great grandma's house.  We ordered a humita and seco de pollo.  So good!  So much food and only 2.50.  After we met up with the group that's here from Ohio University.  We went to a bar with them and then out to dance with them!  It was so much fun!  There was one guy I talked to most of the night about random things and of course baseball.  It was an early night I was home by 12.  Saturday morning we had ceramics class!  We hand waxed our pots and designed them.  I'm not kidding I had to use a rock to wax my bowl and then a utensil to design it.  I drew a flower in the inside of my little bowl.  After ceramics class my stomach was really upset again so I slept and read all day on Saturday.  My mom made me more cream of asparagus and mushroom soup with saltines and she left to go eat at the mall.  I was to sick to go.  Sunday we had horseback riding!  I was really excited until I saw my horse.  I looked bigger than my horse but I was willing to ride her.  The guide told me she doesn't like being kicked, she has a mind of her own, and she likes to keep her head down and pull the reins out of your hands.  Okay what could go wrong.  afterall I had my helmet ready.  I got on her with no problem and led her into the pen to go in circles. 
while  every other horse was waiting in the center for everyone. My horse had to walk I guess. She galloped into the pen and around in circles we went.  Well so enough we were off on our 2 and half hour trot.  My horse would go fast when I wanted her to slow and slow when I wanted her to go fast.  My horse took off.  She didn't like being in the back of the pack either and she would catch up if she started slowing down.  Also my horse just wanted to snack the whol ride.  Finally I let her have some grass.  Dr. R's horse was walking next to me and all of a sudden he jerked the reins or somethings and his horse turned its head, hit me and Almost knocked me off my horse.  Luckily my horse and I had this special connection and I grabbed around its neck and was hanging on for dear life.  In the meantime my horse started to get scared.  I was grabbing everything I could.  All I could think about was being dragged down the path with one leg hooked in the saddle and hanging upside down.  Thankfully that diddn't happen and I survived.  Later my horse had to catch up again and I think horses should have seatbelts on the saddles.  I was flying in the air off my saddle.  The girl behind me thought it was hilarious.  After horseback riding my horse got to eat as well as myself.  I had salchipapas, which is french fries and hotdogs, really good.  Then we milked cows.  I got to milk a cows utter.  That was interesting.  We headed back to Cuenca after that.  I finished homework and went to bed.  Monday morning I participated in equine therapy for the student with special needs.  It was really cool!  After we talked to the director about the special needs program in Ecuador and at the school.  As we were talking she knew a family who just found out their 10 year old daughter weighs 200 pounds has prader willi syndrome.  Lauri had never heard about it and they had to get a diagnosis in Mexico.  The family still thinks that it is just a mental problem.  I told her that my brother ahs that disability, told her some more information and she was going to do research.  I also told her I would like to meet the family and help out anyway I could.  I'm really excited especially when Lauri said that it would give the family hope that their daughter is okay and will be able to live!  I started to cry and I really hope the family agrees to meet me.  I wish I would have known about them sooner.  I went home and worked on homework.  My mom helped me with a little spanish and we had lunch.  Lunch was hilarious today becasue we had brocoli and only my mom and I eat it, but I don't think I have a choice.  After lunch I had spanish class.  After spanish I went home and relaxed.  I hope this week all works out because Wednesday night or Thursday I could possibly be going to the beach:) Chau amigos!

1 month left with my Family in Cuenca:(

I cannot believe I haven't updated this in over a week!  So little time with this new semester.  Tuesday was my Dad's birthday and he turned 60, it was a good day!  I had cooking class, so for lunch we made ensebollada, a warm fishy soup, and we made some plaintain and egg mixture, for dessert we had sweet plaintains.  This meal turned out well!  After cooking class I had to go to my teacher's condo to watch our movie and have class.  I liked having class there!  After class I went for a quick walk with Andres and back home.  I had to finish my homework that night.  Wednesday was a normal day we watched a movie about white and black priveledge and it is really oping my eyes to how Americans live.  Wednesday night we went to a concert with Calle Trece and Manu Chau!  It was very interesting!  It was a mix between reggeaton and rap and lots of hippies.  It was a crazy experience.  Thursdays are when we go out to the CEDEI school to observe and help teach.  We had to take a bus out there.  We got on what we thought was the correct bus, it was the correct line but we caught it in the wrong direction.  We took the bus to another town and the driver made us get off and on the bus going back into town.  So we eventually made it there after about an hour and fifteen minutes.  I love the teacher I am observing she is so full of energy.  The teacher I am working with in from the United States and is an Early childhood major.  I love being around the preschoolers, they are just different than the kinders.  After the CEDEI school I went home and worked on homework.  Kim came over later in the day to help me make a video for cheerleading tryouts.  I found out yesterday I will be cheerleading for Ambrose in the Fall!! I am so excited :)  Friday came slow because I thought last week took forever.  Friday I went for a run in the morning and then had spanish class.  We had a test and it was easy especially because we are just starting past tense regular verbs.  After spanish I went home for lunch, we had fish and shrimp mixture with some sauce.  I am starting to love shrimp!  I ate all the shrimp and couldn't eat the fish because they had tiny bones in.  It was good though.  I went to Supermaxi with Kim and Teresa later to get some alcohol and various goodies, I even bought apples!  After Teresa came home with me to get ready for the night and we were off to dance class.  We did salsa and reggeaton at dance!  My favorite!  After dance class we walked to Pizza Hut and later went to Zoe's house to hangout before going to the discotecca.  We got to Gabbia and immediately started dancing!  I was asked to dance by a guy and when I turned to look it was Leo!  Leo was the first guy I danced with in Ecuador!  He is awesome!  Even my friends said they would look over and I would just always be smiling and laughing because I feel comfortable dancing goofy with him.  We left around 1am because we had camping in Cajas, Saturday morning.  I had set my alarm for 6:30am, but instead of getting up, I turned it off.  Luckily Kim called me at 8 to make sure I was up and my mom came in because she thought I had to leave at 8am.  I had about 20 minutes to eat breakfast and pack for camping!  I was already dreading it before I left my house.  We get to school and we had to go pick up all of our camping equipment.  We loaded the van and had about a 30minute drive through the curvey Andes mountains.  We arrived at our location!  We got our boots on and we had to help carry all this equipment down to the camp site.  It was about a twenty minute walk and it wasn't straight and flat either.  We got to where we would be spending the night and we were taught how to put up the tents.  That was easy I could have handled ours by myself.  After setting up camp we were headed on our hike.  We were told our hike was going to be about 2-3hrs.  We just had to climb a mountain and circle it.  It was beautiful to see Cajas from different heights and being able to push myself.  However our guides got lost while hiking and we had to take a completely different route which was very dangerous!  I have never been so scared for my life.  We had mud from head to toe!  We had to grab onto plants so we wouldn't fall off the mountain.  Some plants were really sharp and my hands got all cut up. I just wanted to be back at camp!  We finally made it down our mountain and then we had to cross the lakes and go through a quicksand area and through a forest.  It was crazy what I had to do, but I did it!  We finally made it back to our camp site.  I was exhausted!  Luckily they had hot soup and tea waiting for us.  Oh yeah did I mention Cajas is in the Paramo and it is freezing.  On our hike it sleeted and hailed!  After tea we changed into dry and warm clothes for the night.  We had pasta and some canned beef soup thing.  Of course it wouldn't be camping without marshmallows and smores.  We enjoyed them and in Ecuador there is a famous warm alcoholic drink.  It is made with Zhumir a sugar cane alcohol and cinnamon and water and sugar!  It is so good and warms you right up.  I couldn't take it any longer.  I had to force myself to go to the bathroom for the first time in nature.  I was so scared an animal would attack me or I would pee on myself.  It was so weird but I had my friends with me to help me along.  Luckily I only had to go once while camping.  It was 830 and we were all tired so we went to bed.  I guess the other three girls in my tent couldn't sleep well and would wake up every hour.  I slept like a rock until 430 am rolled in!  I woke up with my eye swollen shut and puffed up the size of a golf ball.  I had the other girls look at it.  I took two benedryl and went back to sleep hoping it was just a nightmare and would get better.  Woke up again around 8am when everyone else was getting up and the guides were making breakfast.  My eye had gotton worse.  I could even see and I looked horrible!  The guides didn't seem to care that I had a slight problem.  We were suppose to go for an hour hike but because I had an emergency we packed up and left.  My depth perception was really bad.  I would take a step and fall over.  I would think a step was shorter than it really was and vice versa.  Needless to say I was struggling.  I had no option but to go to the doctor, I had homework I needed to do.  We got back and I walked into my house and my dad thought I got mugged or beaten up,  he was freaking out, which made hysterical I couldn't even talk, so he called down my sister who speaks english and asked what was going on.  I just said I woke up from camping like this.  I HATE CAMPING!  MY mom made me put ice on it and then I took a shower and brushed my teeth.  I had to go to the doctor with one of the coordinators.  I got ot meet a new Doctor in Ecuador, Dr. Martinez, luckily he spoke fluent english.  He was shocked when he saw me!  He examined my head and in the mean time the swelling had moved to my right eye as well.  He thinks that a spider had bite me and I had an allergic reaction to it or it was poisonous.  I have many little bumps on my left temple which feel like I have little rocks under my skin.  I looked like I had a bad plastic surgery.  The Doctor prescribed me some medicine and then I had to go to the ER to get a cortozon shot.  After all of this hassle I am so exhausted from the medicine, not being able to see and looking scary!  I get home and my dad is having his 60th birthday party not only is my family here the whole extended family on both sides were over.  Some I have only met once and others I have never met.  I told my mom I was sorry for the interuption and I just wanted to sleep.  Right outside my room were all these people and I could hear them talking about what had happened to me.  My family know I understand what they are saying but I don't think the rest knew how much I understood because I could hear and understand everything.  Luckily the shot kicked in and I passed out.  I woke up and my mom brought dinner into me.  No wine for me today.  My dad came in with her to make sure I was okay, which I wasn't.  I finished my plate and my dad came in with my mom's brother who is a cardiologist.  I didn't have anything wrong with my heart?  But my mom wanted to make sure the medicine was okay and to see if I needed to do anything else.  He was as shocked as I was I think.  I went into the house to get more water and all the old ladies looked a me with disbelief and said they felt sorry for me.  My mom gave me more ice and I fell asleep again.  Monday morning sure came fast.  I had already done my assignment for Monday so I had no reason not to go to class other than I only had one eye.  I was so tired mentally and physically.  I didn't want to have this happen to me but there is a postive that came with it.  Walking to school, I never got so many stares.  Usually it is cat calls and Monday people looked at me like I was deformed and looked like this my whole life.  I seriously got to live the life of how some people have to live everyday.  It made me realize they are normal too and not defined by their appearance.  I made it to class and could barely read my homework.  We had a group meeting and I was off to my house.  I slept more until I was called in for lunch.  My eye seemed top improve the most with ice.  I woke up from the nap exhausted and knew I was unable to walk back to my next class.  I hate missing class but I had to miss it because I needed my eye to walk.  I slept more and more.  I couldn't even look in the mirror without crying because I was so embarrassed because of what I looked like.  My eye started to open a little Monday night and I woke up this morning with my eye mostly open and almost back to normal.  The doctor told me it would be up and down for five to ten days.  I struggled a lot without my eye, I fell trying to put pants on, I couldn't do my hair, wear contacts, or makeup, I couldn't tell when there was a slope in the sidewalk and instead I would just trip over myself.  I learned a lot about myself and others throughout this experience.  Today I woke up with a lot of pain.  I ate breakfast took my pills and went back to bed until I had to get ready for class.  I only had a two minute walk to the Condo to watch a movie.  we watch Evida a movie on Eva a first lady married to Perron of Argentina.  It was interesitng.  I went home for lunch and then met up with Teresa and went to scope out some more souvenirs.  I am trying to decide what is perfect for each person.  After we went and got ice cream and I bought some movies and went home.  I worked on homwork the rest of the night and had dinner with my family.  I don't think anything else could go wrong, especially now that I took off that darn bracelet that was suppose to ward off evil spirits.  It just made things worse.  So it is now in the trash.  I hope everything is uphill form here and I am able to enjoy my last month in Cuenca.  Chau for now :)

Friday was a normal friday, got up went for a run by the river, had breakfast, showered, and went to class.  I only had Spanish class on Friday.  I was the first student in class and the teacher discussed with me why I wasn't taking the class for credit.  I would take the class for credit but I don't need it, but I have to take a spanish class while in Ecuador.  She then told me that I should minor or major in spanish because I show such a strong interest in spanish.  That made me proud hearing that.  She boosted my confidence a lot.  I went home for lunch, it's lent so we had fish.  After lunch I had time for a quick siesta and time to work on some homework.  Then I had dance class at 6pm, it was fun!  We learned an arabian/belly dance then we reviewed salsa, and finished with a popular dance to a popular reggeaton song.  After dance class we went to Chiplote, the best place to get burgers in Cuenca, I believe.  After dinner we went to Kim's house.  We were going to watch Tangled but that turned into dancing on her roof because she has a good view of Cuenca.  Some of the girls left to go buy Rum, which personally I don't like so I stayed with Kim and Andres.  Of course her brother needed to talk to me but that 5 minute chat turned into two hours, because he got nervous.  He ended up asking me to be his girlfriend.  So I guess I could say I have an Ecuadorian boyfriend, whether that is good or bad.  Well eventually the night ended well and I went back home.  I woke up Saturday morning early because I had a ceramics class.  We all learned how to make ceramics and not on an automatic wheel, might I add.  It was indeed a workout for my leg.  I went back home took a siesta and worked on homework.  For lunch my mom and sister and I all went to the mall to eat.  My mom ordered me a chicken and steak combo with papas fritas.  I ate so much, but my mom and sister ate just as much, but then we all got ice cream and a cookie, talk about filling!  Needless to say I didn't eat dinner Saturday night and was fine with just tea.  Then I went over to Zoe's house and then we went to try out a new Discotecca, Gabbia.  It was different then we were used to.  But since it was a girls night, we had a lot of fun, plus since we are gringas, we get in free!  We stayed there until the club closed at 2am.   I slept till 11am Sunday because I was exhausted!  I got up had breakfast and went for a run!  When I returned I told my mom that I wanted to die in the kitchen instead of I wanted to watch her in the kitchen.  So that was funny for her.  I love watching my mom cook, she just loves being in the kitchen so much!  It's not like a chore for her, it's like a hobbie.  We had shrimp, chicken, carne de res, cebollas, peppers, mushrooms, and eggs to make on this grill we put in the middle of the table.  It was a lot of fun just talking and eating.  I was full immediately but my mom thought I was scared to get more food so she kept pillin it on my plate finally I said I was full.  My dad asked if I wanted wine and I said sure, but that one glass turned into three, because he doesn't ask, he just kind of poures.  For dessert my mom made apple cinnamon muffins!  They were so good!  I was falling asleep at the table because of the wine, so my dad told me to go take a siesta.  I think he planned this lol.  No but that little nap turned into four hours and I still had homework to do.  I was up till 11pm finishing it.  Monday morning came way to fast.  I had an education class, then spanish, then lunch break, then another education class.  After I went to buy a 70cent ice cream cone from the chocolate place and buy my dad some chocolates for his birthday tomorrow!  My dad is going to be 60 tomorrow!  That is crazy to me because he has so much energy!  Well the rest of my night is going to be spent reading Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper and I suggest everyone read this book!  It is excellent and I don't want to put it down!  Oh yeah, today I got a birthday card in the mail from my god-mother, Linda.  Not going to lie it made me cry, because I haven't talked to them in so long!  Linda if your reading this, Thanks for the card and picture of Taylor, I hope to see her eventually!  Chau!  Buenas Noches :)

Lucky Me!

I try so hard not to focus on the days I have left until I have to return to the U.S.  When I first came here and was miserably sick I took out my calendar and wrote how many days I have left here.  I wish I would have never done that because now it makes me sad.  Well a little about my week so far...Monday night was quite interesting I got to catch up with my mom a lot about what has been going on.  My mom is one of those people you can talk hours to and not even notice the time.  She warmed me up some soup and made me a grilled cheese!  While I was eating she had this antique grinder hooked up to the table and she was grinding up soybeans!  I thought oh no I'm sitting here and you could kill me.  Luckily she didn't and she got to explain to me about the machine and why she prefers to buy the natural beans and grind them herself.  She also puts them in a beverage she drinks every morning, apparently it's suppose to help with metapause.  Interesting.  Tuesday I got to sleep in a little but I did a lot of organizing my stuff for my new classes.  Then I had ecuador Experience.  We talked about our book and watched a movie on Mexico.  After class we started cooking class today.  I wasn't really to thrilled because I knew if I was involved with anything in the kitchen it wouldn't turn out.  Our instructor made each one of us help cut everything and mix things.  First thing I had to get over was cutting the pork.  That was tough.  We ended up making loca papas soup and I foget the name of the main dish but it had pork, motte potta, ensalada of onion and tomatoes, it was so filling, and out dessert was boca (fruit) that we cooked in cinnamon water.  After cooking class I went home, my mom was still clearing up from lunch and she had left over juice, so I got to drink good juice and not nastey tomatoe de arbol.  My dad went to get my backpack fixed because it had a huge hole by the zipper, and it only cost $2!  then I went for a run down by the river!  It was beautiful I'd go there everyday, I have a free weekend so I'm going to do a little exploring and taking pictures!  When I got back I had to shower quick and look professional because the president of St. Ambrose was coming to meet my host family and then take the Ambrose girls out for dinner!  Of course I was the only one who really dressed up, but I want to leave an impression, and I think I did.  The maestro was here fixing my ceiling when Sister Joan came over.  We saved the tour for the end of the conversation because  it was still being fixed.  We talked a lot, actually sister Joan and my mom talked a lot; Dunia, my sister, and myself did the translating.  One question Sister Joan asked me was if I enjoyed my host family and how it is to come into another family.  That was easy!  My family here treats me like their own daughter, we all eat, watch movies, talk, do chores, and everything else as a family.  We never have meals where anyone is alone, and we are just very close as a family.  I told Sister Joan that I love my family here almost more than back home because here I have a "real family" by meaning we are all together, helping eachother, and never complaining; well just my dad when he wants more dessert. lol.  But then she made me translate it to my mom and it was interesting, I started crying especially when I told her about my dad walking me to school the first days of classes!  Sister Joan said I probably feel this way because I have only known them as an adult and don't have a past, It's the person I want to be.  After talking for easily two hours, she got a tour of where I live and then we were off to La Vina.  It's our favorite restaurant!  There we met Kim and Erin.  We all ordered and it was a good time.  It was really nice getting to know Sister Joan and listening to all her advice and stories, and even wanting me to be in this political group, which I am so excited for!  After we took pictures and said our goodbyes we got in a cab and took everyone home.  I went with Kim home to see Andres!  So exciting because I really missed him, when I was in the Galapagos.  I only stayed about an hour because I wanted to get home and see my family.  Then it was time for bed.  Wednesday already?  My busy day I had an education class at 8am, espanol at 10:30, and another education class at 3pm.  In between I went home to eat lunch with my family.  Our lunch was really good!  We had vegetable beef soup and really good chicken and cheesey potatoes, and vegetables.  After class I worked on homework. One of our books is called Out of my Mind and I suggest everyone who wants to be a teacher or anyone with a special needs chil, friend, or sibling to read this book!  It is about a little girl named Melody who has cerebral Palsey and a photgraphic memory.  We were only aloud to read the first quarter of the book and that was simple, now I want to finish it, but I have to wait a month.  Its okay because I have observation and four other books to read for his classes!  For dinner we had soup and salchi papas, which are frech fries and hotdogs covered in a mayonaise and ketchup mixture.  I did some more homework and went to bed.  Thursday, today we went to the CEDEI school for little kids.  I got to be with the kindergarteners, but usually I will be with preschoolers and kindergartners.  I will probably go an extra day to be with the Speech Pathologist.  After Erin and I went to a Salon to get our hair done.  Well I let Erin go first and she only wanted highlights, but the woman was doing a full color with brown!  It was horrible luckily we caught it in time, got it washed out and left!  Needless to say we aren't returning there, I told my mom and she said she would go with me sometime to her salon.  But after today, I think I can wait for Tammy to do my hair in May!  It was just my mom and myself at lunch today, we had my favorite, filling Pea Soup!  We also had a new pasta dish with chicken and mushrooms,  I really liked it!  The rest of the afternoon has been spent doing homework and catching up on rest.  Don't get me wrong I do really miss my mom back home, I'm just growing as a person and anxious to see how it will be when I get back to the real world.  Chau mis amigas!

Galapagos... A whole another world!

Tuesday started off a terrific day!  It was my last day of biology and all we had to do was present our final papers.  Mine was based on organic chocolate and coffee and shade grown rather than sun grown.  So our teacher brought in chocolate and coffee.  This shade grown organic coffee was so good I didn't even have to add cream or sugar!  After biology class I went for a walk with Andres and we went to sit and talk in the park before I left.  He got me a really neat red feather earing!  Me and my feathers, he knows me to well!  I was surprised!  After I had Ecuador Experience, we watched a movie on Bolivia and discussed our reading and various political things.  After Ecuador Experience we had a birthday celebration for me and CEDEI had bought strawberry and vanilla ice cream!  Soy and Nut Free!  After enjoying our ice cream we were on our way to Guayaquil!  When we got to Guayaquil we dropped off our things at the hotel and we were off for our city tour!  First off I love Guayaquil and would totally move there permantely if it weren't for my family including my cat!  First off in the improved section of Guayaquil, they don't have wires hanging in the air anymore and they moved them underground, which I thought was very cool!  Then we walked over to the Cathedral and toured how it was set up!  They installed tv's at each pew because the alter was all the way in the back from when the sermons used to be in lating and the priest wouldn't face the crowd.  Also people are buried under the alter, which is pretty cool!  Then we continued on with our tour and I don't want to bore you or give away to much information because everyone needs to go to Ecuador in their life!  After we toured various building and talked a lot about the archecture and made our way to the pier!  It reminded me a lot of the Navy Pier!  We even got to see a pirate ship like one that used to come to Guayaquil!  So cool!  I learned a lot about the different important people of Ecuador and what made them so influencial!  After we were set free to go have dinner on our own.  Myself and four other girls stayed at the hotel and ordered at one of their restaurants.  We all wanted a hanburger so we all ordered a different kind.  After dinner we met up the other girls who got Chinese and went for ice cream.  Then we all hung out in our room and talked and chilled!  We had a buffet for breakfast the next morning which is scary to think about!  Now that I'm twenty I should probably start watching what I'm putting into my body more closely.  Ahh anyways we all pigged out that morning becasue we knew we wouldn't be eating again until around 3pm.  After breakfast I met up with on of my professors who brought some things from my mom!  Inside were two cards, one was a birthday card from my mom which made me cry and the other was from my brothers with a cat on the card and they both personally wrote me a letter and it really made me cry!  I really miss my brothers!  Everyday something else happens that I wish I could be experiencing with them or could laugh at with them, actually I'm tearing up a little just writing about it!  We departed for the airport and had to go through special screenings multiple times because you can't bring certain items to the Galapagos in order to preserve the natural areas!  It was a two hour plane ride and we had finally arrived in the airport.  first of all the airport is not like American airports we had to walk down these stairs and the airport was pretty much all outside and the first thing I noticed was the heat!  I loved it!  We got through the airport and rode a bus to the dock where we had about a two minute boat ride to transfer to a different island.  Then we had about a two hour bus ride.  Halfway through we stopped at place to see turtles int their natural habitat!  It was pretty cool to experience how tame they were.  And for those of you (mom) who think turtles are slow, wrong if you go near them while they are trying to eat you better run the other way fast!  The turtles were more concerned about their food then us!  After seeing the turtles we got to our hotel for a quick drop off our things and go to lunch.  We had fresh tuna for lunch with a chocolate covered banana.  After lunch we got to watch some sea lions and pelicans.  Then we had about a fifteen minute walk to go see some mangroves and Lonesome George.  for those of you who don't know anything about Lonesome George he is really old and they discovered him the 70's and he is the only one left of his species.  They have been trying to get him to mate and reproduce so we can keep his species alive.  They even have women come and try to rub George to make him cum so they can try to reproduce him!  Personally I find that disturbing and wouldn't want that job!  After seeing Lonesome George we saw another turtle who has five wives!  Crazy they call him super something, I can't remember because we had Dr. Robertson with us and his first name is Dick and our guide from then on called him super Dick, sure and I have to remember that while he is teaching education.  No it was a good time and our guide thought it was hilarious!  After Lonesome George, we headed back and a few of us stopped and looked in store and this is where I got my brothers covered!  You just can't pass up an I love boobies shirt and matching shot glass! Hope they like them!  After we sat by our hotel pool and chatted until dinner.  For dinner I had spaghetti because I didn't want shrimp on my birthday!  Luckily it was a good spaghetti!  After dinner we went for more ice cream because the heat just called for ice cream!  After we all sat by the pool and girls came to our room again to chat and do our lately gossip on life.  Of course I was sleeping when everyone was still in the room.  What can I say, I'm getting old.  We woke up Thursday morning, had breakfast at our hotel of eggs and hot chocolate.  Weird!  Then we were on our way to the next island.  We took a taxi, which in Galapagos the main and only cars are white trucks because they pollute less or something so that was a change.  Then we took a little boat to the big boat which was already filled with french people.  I was seated towards the front of the boat, the hottest location and not able to see anything, just feel it all.  It was a long two hours of feeling sea sick!  I felt like one of those girls from the movies who was just green in the face and sweating mucho!  Well I made it without puking!  Then we got to the island where we toured the area of the Witdmers.  The views were absolutely breathtaking, it's nice to just sit there for awhile and take in the view and think about life.  After we had lunch but I was still feeling a little sick so I just ate my rice and passed on more tuna, of course I ate two chocolate covered bananas!  After we took a walk down to the dock to admire some sea lions and take in the beautiful ocean.  Our boat arrived and I was definetely sitting in the back this time!  We got our snorkle gear and we were instructed to jump off our boat into the huge ocean to snorkle with giant sea turtles, sea lions, penguins, sting ray, and various fish!  It was the coolest experience of my life and the best workout!  I couldn't believe we were in the water for an hour and a half!  We got back in our boat and headed to the island of our residence for the rest of our trip Isabella, the biggest island in Galapagos!  We docked and on the dock waiting to welcome us were sea lions.  Then we got in a taxi to our hotel!  The first thing we did was head to the beach!  We couldn't go snorkeling again because of high tide.  So we went to the beach and watched sea lions, the sunset, and played in the ocean.  We came back for dinner but I was still not feeling well so I just had soup, which was really good!  Then we had strawberry jello!  After dinner we went up to our room and attempted to watch finding nemo, but kim gave me the best back massage ever and I was passed out in minutes!  We woke up Friday morning, had breakfast, lots of pinneapple and we were off to the volcanos.  We hiked about 9miles total visiting the different volcano craters and lava tunnels, they were really neat!  The hike was hot and very marvelous! We got to the side of Volcan Chico and we saw the whole island and surrounding islands and the ocean!  We sat up there for about 15minutes and I had a lot to think about since I was too tired and hot to pay attention at that point to whatever the guide was talking about.  I think everyone in our group was zoned out. We headed back to a tree to eat lunch and rehydrate.  And we continued our hike back down the volcanos.  We got back to our bus and headed back to the hotel, some of us went to see some flamingos in their natural habitat.  After the flamingos, we headed to the beach to watch pelicans and iguanas hanging out on the beach.  We even found a sea lions and for some reason everytime I would sing do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight, the seal lion would go crazy...then again it is mating season for them.  On the beach there were these guys surfing right in front of us, so of course me pulling (Melody) I told the girls we were going to get free surfing lessons.  So as one came in I used my best spanish and said muy bien...diez, and clapped!  Must have been, I got their attention and a smile and they even talked to me, but the other girls were just to shy and we had to go to dinner. Well they told us to go to the discotecca that night so we did.  We ate dinner and we got ready and headed out with a guide from our hotel.  We got there and we were the only girls there, well needless to say we were going to have dance partners that night.  It was really hot inside the open club but I would have rather spent it dancing with Andres outside on the pier.   Oh well!  So salsa music came on and I was outside with some of the other girls and the owner came out and asked me to dance, I really didn't want to but I guess I had calories to sweat off.  So we danced and that was interesting.  After we all jumped in the ocean, thankfully no one skinny dipped in the galapagos that night.  We got back to our rooms and passed out.  Saturday morning we went snorkeling in two different locations for a total of about 3 and half hours!  It was incredible!  I snorkeled with sharks, colorful fish, starfish, huge stingray like the teacher from finding nemo, giant turtles.  I was literally in finding nemo!  It was so cool! We also saw an iguana stomping ground and then we had lunch!  After lunch we went to the wall of tears and saw many more turtles and iguanas. We went to the beach to watch the sunset and then head back for a famous barbeque of the hotels!  We got first in line for a good night!  We had salad, some vegetable potatoe salad, barbequed tuna which tasted like steak, chicken, baked potatoes, rice, vegetable, banana, and shrimp kabobs, soup, and some kind of pudding...it was a meal to remember!  We all pretty much headed upstairs to bed because we had a 5am wake up call.  We had to ride for two hours on this boat!  It was miserable, luckily I was sitting next to sister joan, who was praying for me not to get sick.  I have never sweated so much in my life though, I wasn't really hot but I head sweat coming out of places I didn't know existed!  Thankfully we made it safe to land and I kissed the ground!  Then we had a two hour bus ride to the airport.  We stopped halfway and saw some more lava tunnels.  As we were almost there our driver started playing bon jovi and we all started singing.  It was a good day but I think waiting in the airport, we all wanted to kill eachother!  It was hot and there were lots of flies and we were tired.  We arrived in Quayaquil late and we had about a half hour in the mall to eat dinner.  I got mcdonalds and I was so hungry, okay Im allergic, but it was okay I took a benedryl.  I ordered a quarter pounder hamburger!  Im so embarrassed, when in my life do I even like Mcdonalds, let alone something my brother would order!  Then we went to dunkin donuts to fill up on donuts for breakfast and a chocolate shake!  Then we were off.  On the way back we were all talking about our families and what our siblings are like and I got to thinking how much I really love my younger brother, I don't know if I'm maturing but I really do miss him and wish we could be a lot closer when I get back!  I slept the rest of the way back to cuenca even through the turns of cajas.  It was about 10pm when I arrived back home!  I unpacked, showered, and went to bed.  Which I can only sleep on stomach because my butt got burned from snorkeling, who would have guessed?  Well Last night I had a nighmare that I was stuck in the coral reef and I was under water trapped!  I remember struggeling and trying to get out!  Well I woke up covered in cement!  I guess I must have thought my ceiling was the top of the water because there is now a huge hole punched through the ceiling!  Its pretty thick cement, which I can't even move or lift when I'm awake!  I have no idea what happened last night but I had to tell my parents because I had a mess everywhere and a huge hole in my ceiling!  My mom came in first because I just told them I had a problem in my bedroom!  She couldn't believe her eyes she just kept repeating, this is rare and said I must have had a nighmare!  Well then she got my dad and sure enough he said there was no way I could have done that!  It has never happened before and I have no marks on my hands but I had a lot of cement in my hair.  So weird I had no idea because I would have had to stand up in bed and I just don't understand!  Well the maestro is coming tomorrow to fix it I guess, I am just so embarrassed!  My first education class started today and we went to the Cedei school for kids.  By third grade they are all trilingual, which is awesome!  I spent a lot of time with the kids age 1 and half to age 6 and fell in love with the kids playing with blocks, good thing I get to go every week!  Then we saw the special education room and the speech therapy room!  So cool in the speech therapy room was a kid with down syndrome and he was doing a bubble activity like one my brother does!  The boy talked to me in perfect spanish and english and I was blown away as well as the speech therapist!  In the special ed. room there is a second grader who is blind and they had no idea because he has really good internal memory and can walk down stairs without help but when asked how many stairs he don't know!  He is even bilingual!  I want to be in this school everyday of the week!  On Monday they even have equine therapy!  So excited!  Today I cried because seeing those kids in special education and the boy with down syndrome made me miss my older brother and realize how special he is!  After class I had spanish and then was off the rest of the afternoon, but I had a lot to work on!  For lunch my mom made a meal I didn't like, it was rice and vegetables with a variety or fish, personally it smelled and tasted like the fish hatchery, no thank you!  Well time for bed and hopefully no more nightmares!  Chau!  Hasta luego

Birthday week!

Monday began with a bang!  I got really sick Sunday night into Monday morning and literally thought I was going to die in the bathroom.  Well, luckily I didn't!  Monday I had biology and we talked about this program called REDD+  This program is very frustrating because it funds projects in conservation with their money, but they get their money from huge companies that emit carbon emisions.  These companies basically pay REDD to keep running their companies with all of the carbon emissions, but yet this program is suppose to be about helping conserve the plants and animals and help prevent deforestation.  So of course the other two girls in my class were sleeping while the teacher and I went back and forth on this subject.  After biology I had my spanish final, which was super easy.  It was suppose to take two hours and I was done in a half hour but then again, Present tense verbs?...Hello Freshman year spanish.  After spanish I went with a few girls to the ATM to get money out for the Galapagos!!!  Then I walked home.  At home there was a huge chocholate covered cake waiting for me and my mom with a kiss on the cheek and a huge hug.  We were celebrating my birthday today!  Because Tuesday I leave for Quayaquil and Wednesday Galapagos.  So we had a really good potatoe soup and some really good chicken or pork and rice and mixed vegetables.  Then of course postre!  It was a chocolate cake with manajar filling and mora filling, talk about a dream cake.  Then we had coco and mora ice cream, it was perfect!  the cake had two sparkly pink candles (20)  My sister and mom sang to me in spanish and made me blow out my candles and make a wish in spanish and then they sang to me in english and made me blow out my candles again and make a wish in english.  IT was by far an experience and birthday I will NEVER forget.  I never heard my mom talk in english, so I was impressed!  My mom gave me and alpaca scarf for my birthday that's aqua and black!  I really felt at home and my family does a really good job of making me feel like I fit in.  For dinner we had soup and two pieces of cake and my other sister and her husband came over to celebrate and my dad had just got home from work.  Overall it was a good night that ended in packing for the Galapagos!  Chau!

Where is the time going?...

I'm sorry I haven't wrote in a very long time.  This has just been one crazy week!  It was stressful but it was worth it in the end!  This week I have noticed how I used to react to things and how I should be acting.  I don't know if it's just because I am growing up or because I'm in a different place and my family is a great role model for me!  Monday was a Monday I had biology and we had Ernesto come and give us a presentation about amphibians.  Personally I'm not a huge amphibian person, especially when the first question he asked was how many of us used to catch them and play with frogs.  I was the only one who didn't raise my hand and then he said I was the girl he used to chase around with them.  By the end of the presentation he had me wanting to know more.  Did you know that the frogs are being eating in Cajas by the trout and that we lose species everyday.  Also frogs are helpful with filtering water.  When most of Ecuador gets their water supply from Cajas, people should be a little more concerned because without the frogs we are going to lose what water we have left.  Well thats enough of my biology lecture.  After biology we had our group meeting which went okay.  Then I had Spanish, this class is just a review for me so I try and make my conversations with the professor as interesting as possible.  Jeeze I sound more like my mom everyday, but if I end up anything as good of a person as my mom, I'll be pleased!  Tuesday we went to breakfast with my biology teacher and then we went to the zoo.  The zoo was nothing like the zoos in America.  I guess this one is recently opened.  First we had to walk up this mountain of gravel to even get to the entrance.  Then we had to go uphile the whole zoo and the path was not paved!  It was a muddy mess.  I was climbing up this mountain of mud grasping onto every tree I could find.  Our first stop was the spectacled bears, which my teacher had housed while they were in the process of building the zoo.  It was funny because she would call the bears by their name.  Our next animals were the llamas and the alpacas.  They were quite interesting animals.  Then we went into a door and there was another door separating us between peacocks and other birds.  The lady told me to go through the door and I thought she was kiding, there was no way that was safe.  I went through the door and the next thing you know I'm in the cage with peacoks and other birds.  I thought that was so cool!  Then we saw some deer, these were whitetail deer and I can obviously see them in the states but I got so much amusement out of watching bambi eat his grass.  The mail deer was in the process of creating new skin or more antlers or both I don't know didn't really understand that.  Then we made our way to the ducks and turtle.  They have a galapagos turtle in their zoo because it was rescued from Quayaquil.  They think it was hit by a car because the shell is all bent up and from the XRAYs.  The turtle is just a little disabled but is still able to function day to day.  Then we went in the cages with the monkeys and toucans.  It was so cool I was so close to the prettiest monkeys in the world.  The toucans were literally on top of us and were very friendly.  The last animal we saw was the lions.  We went up to where big daddy was and his name is simba, we found him laying on his back sunning and legs spread wide apart.  Then we saw his little cubs!  Well we were an hour later than when class should have got out and a half hour late to our next class.  It was okay I think because we just watched a movie about Brazil.  We got out of class a little early and went home for lunch, I had to be back at school at 3pm in order to go get our migration thing for our visas.  We were working on our Visa stuff this week which is why it has been crazy!  Not only had it been pouring we got a taxi with a driver who got lost and had no idea where it was, he was on the opposite side of the city.  Our coordinator was calling and trying to tell him where it was at.  An hour later we finally made it.  It took about five minutes for us to be finished.  Then I finally had received a letter saying I had a package ready to pick up.  It was the package from my mom!  I go there and they tell me there is some Ecuador law that a package can't be more than 4kilograms and worth less than $400, which I don't understand but I didn't want to get arrested in a foreign country so I listened to what I had to do.  I had to leave a copy of my passport and my phone number and they were going to call me in 48 hours because they had to check the codes.  The old couple behind me laughed and said oh I hope your sister didn't send you anything too important!  I was about ready to turn around and jack him one!  but what good would that do?  So I left peacefully :)  I walked home sadly and took a nap and watched the help and cried!  Wednesday was a new day!  I had biology and we got into an arguement because my teacher didn't understand why people hated Obamacare and there is another girl in my class who really likes obama and obamacare, boy was I arguing that day, they just don't think the same way I do.  After biology I had a little break and then I had spanish again.  We reviewed more verbs!  After biology I went home for lunch.  Of course it was a great week so far and a great week also has to have great food so for lunch we had yummy soup and shrimp on lettuce with rice.  This shrimp was a little different, it still had its head and tail on.  My parents told me to eat the whole thing last time but I couldn't.  So I cut off the ends and watched my parents put the whole shrimp in their mouth.  Luckily we had dessert.  I had to go back to school in the afternoon because we had a visit to the museo de Las Conceptas, which is basically a really strict convenant and none of the nuns are allowed to see the outside world, they never leave that building, what a life?  It was pouring so hard in Cuenca that day I had water up to my knees on my jeans.  After the museum visit, I had to go get an HIV test for my visa application.  I had to go to the red cross with a coordinator and two other girls.  The red cross was very third world country, at least when I had to do blood tests in the hospital it was a little cleaner and more United States standards.  Oh well after I went to SuperMaxi with some of the girls to stock up on treats.  After supermaxi I went home to work on homework and then was called in for dinner.  Thursday biology class was interesting especially because we only had two classes left after this one.  After Biology I went for a run by the river and it was beautiful!  Then I went home to watch bridesmaids and fell asleep while watching it.  then I was called in for lasagna!  My mom makes some really good lasagna, I told her I needed the receipe.  After lunch, I had to go back to the school because we had to go and get two of out passport copies notarized.  After the notary visit I went to Kims new house with Teresea.  Where she lives now, she has an awesome view of the entire city of Cuenca.  She also has a little balconony off her room and I got to play a little with these little kids,obviously I'm an early childhood major.  I went home to skype my mom about the insuranse problem.  So from my hospital bills of about $700, My insurance here cover only about 80% not including meals (which I didn't even eat) or anything like that.  So they will pay about $200.  So my mom had to call my stepmom and ask if my insurance back home would cover, because the coordinator told me if its over $500 most of the time insurance back home will cover it all.  But of course my dad has the cheapest crappiest insurance possible on me so it wont cover any of it.  Well that was my week.  It was finally friday and I workout in the morning and had a spanish test on friday, it was really easy.  After spanish I went home for lunch and then went to see if I could get my package since I didn't get a call Thursday.  My package was finally ready I had to go to a bank and pay $60 for fines because of the law and then I had to just pay $5 for taxes for the post office.  Then I got my package and was running home!  I got home and opened it up to find Birthday card, which cards are my favorite, and then brthday clothes, easy mac, microwave popcorn, and skittles! My mom had also bought splenda for my host mom for taking such good care of me while I was in the hospital etc.  I showed my mom all my stuff, she loved the clothes and she looked at the candy and said see thats why you think your fat.  Hahaha you have to know my family, I love them!   I think my moms are jealous of eachother.  After I had to take a quick shower before going back to CEDEI.  We had our Galapagos meeting about whats on our itenary.  I would tell you now but I'm going to wait till I actually do each activity.  After galapagos meeting we had dance class again with Danny!  We did belly dancing and salsa!  After dance class we were all relaxing and cooling down before going to dinner.  All of sudden three girls came in carry three platters of rice krispie formed sculptures and singing happy birthday!  It was so cool, one said los hombres and the other one was shapped like a cat!  MEOW!!! Damn those girls know me to well, It made me cry, I really misses my kitty!  After we went to La Vina, a really goood italiana restaurant.  I ordered this amazing ravioli fillef with spinach and ricotta covered in a cheese sauce.  Then we went to Fly a really cool bar and I split a Jar with Erin and we had a scredriver.  Then we went to a discotecca.  It was an early night.  Saturday we had to be at CEDEI at 8am for our trip to the Battle of Tarqui and Giron.  In Giron we got to see these beautiful waterfalls.  It was kinda scary because my Dad's nephew died last year falling off the path and it was very devasting for the community and my family.  I didn't want to get to close.  It was really cool though.  Then we went back down to eat lunch and this place makes the best hot chocolate ever and we all ordered one!  Then we went to where some of the girls were spending the night and swam there for awhile because it was warmer there than in Cuenca.  another girl and I arrived back to Cuenca and I was so tired.  I worked on my biology paper and my mom called and told me tol make my own dinner.  That was a first, so I warmed up some chicken and rice and cut up a tomatoe.  Then I was in bed around 10.  I woke up this morning and went for a run.  Then had breakfast with the family worked on my biology paper, took a nap, showered, and lunch was ready.  We had a traditional Cuenca meal, We had choclo (corn) pig ribs and some pasta with ham and chicken, we also had so really non salty soft cheese and some other cheese which had to be goat cheese, but I didn't care for it.  Then we had mangos and ice cream with some nasty steryofoam cookie thing.  I didn't eat it and my mom immediately knew I was sick.  I took a nap and woke up with terrible stomach pains.  I had a light dinner and tea with my mom and sister and then got sick.  My mom gave me so tea to try.  And now I am ready for bed hopefully I make it throught the night without getting sick again.  Chau!

I've got sand in places that I don't want sand

Friday I had spanish class.  It was really easy we had a text and then we went over more verbs.  After spanish class we all met up to get Taxis to the travel agency.  We arived at the travel agency and got on our bus.  It was a good trip!  We went through Cajas the National Park.  It was a very wavy but beautiful drive.  There were even signs that said Alpaca/ llama crossing.  There are places along the road by Cajas that you can fish for your own fish and they cook it for you.  Fresh Fish!  We made it to the tropics and we got ice cream at a gas station.  It was really hot!  It went quickly from freezing in the Andes to loving the heat of the tropics.  In the tropics its very flat and there were lots of banana, chocolate, and coffee plantations.  the trees surprised me a little because I imagined them being tall but they reminded me of corn fields.  Because its wet season there is some kind of insect that will kill the bananas so they have these bananas conncted to the trees and covered in plastic bags.  We finally got to Guayaquil where we had to take a taxi to a different travel agency to get a bus from there to Portoviejo.  I personally got a really good feeling about Guayaquil.  Most of the other girls were very scared and worried.  you just have to be safe and smart and you will be fine but you can still have fun!  We got a really interesting taxi driver, he talked a lot about Guayaquil and explained various things along our way.  We were on the hyway and we were in downtown and all of a sudden there are funeral processions walking over this overpass.  Personally I wouldn't want my body carried over a hyway for the world to see.  the church was on one side of the hyway and the cemetary on the other side.  It was very odd and different.  We arrived at our travel agency and we had no idea if it was correct or not because there was no sign and it was in a semi sketchy area but thats were it was.  We had about 3 hours to wait so we went to a sandwich shop and I had a tuna sandwich.  It was so good and so fresh and a fruit salad!  Other girls ordered and we just bonded and talked while we waited.  Out bus finally arrived and we were off to Portoviejo.  Leaving Guayaquil was absolutely beautiful by then it was dark and we went past the ocean/ river and they had it all lit up beautifully like Las Vegas.  About an hour into our trip we saw a a huge semi tipped over and a few other vehicles.  We were all sleeping and we arrived in Portoviejo.  It was very hot and rainy.  We arrived around 9:30 so we just stayed in and talked.  We decided to get up early and go to the beach.  We woke up early Saturday morning to the three girls who slept on the airmatress all at different angles and they were just laughing.  We had oatmeal and papaya for breakfast.  We got dressed and were off for the beach.  We walked to the bus station about 15minutes in the rain.  It wasn't so bad because it was so hot.  We got on our bus and rode about an hour to the beach we were going to.  We arrived at the beach and it was absolutely beautiful.  We hung out on the beach for quite awhile.  Two of the other girls and myself were finding sand dollars and we would have races with them to see who could get to the other side faster.  It was a good time!  Then it was time for lunch, we went to a nice place and had Fish!  It was so fresh and very tasty.  They said usually you can see dolphins swimming in the ocean from where we were.  After eating we went to find ice cream and we found some that was homemade and very good for $0.25!  Of course we had two each.  Then it was back to the beach for pictures and having a blast.  It was a good experience for all of us!  We had to go catch a bus then!  We were running to our bus because we had to stop and get another ice cream.  We got on the bus and about 5minutes later we had to switch busses because the other one was the last one to Portoviejo.  We got on the bus and there were all these Ecuadorians on the bus and only standing room left.  We had to hole on to the railings and stand for about 30 minutes untill enough people got off the bus.  We arrived back at Portoviejo and it was still raining and we walked home.  We got home and all helped cooked dinner.  We made some fiber and very healthy meal and it was very good.  Then we all got ready to go out that night.  We first went to a Kareokee bar called the Voice.  At the voice our group sang the song Your beautiful by James Blunt.  Me and three other girls ordered drinks and 3 of us had ordered their house special, Sex on the Voice.  It was very good and by then it didn't take us long to figure out that we were not at the discotecca we planned on going to.  It was next door. So we went next door and no one was dancing there.  So leave it to the gringas to get the room going.  So we headed out to the dance floor and it took only one song for the dance floor to be crowded.  The clubs in Portoviejo were very different then in Cuenca because there it was very coupley and the people didn't dance as well.  We showed them how to have fun.  We left the club around 2am and went to bed.  We were all really sore from our sunburns but we survived.  We woke the next morning and we had all our stuff ready to go.  Then we went to get lunch and we had encebollada.  It a hot soup and ours had onions, fish, and yuka in.  It was really good but it was really hot.  Some of the girls and myself needed ice cream to cool down but we couldn't find any.  We found a pice of chocolate cake though and demolished it in about 30 seconds.  We walked back to the house to say our goodbyes and thanks.  Our driver to Guayaquil was awesome!  He stopped at a gas station first and we all got ice cream!  Then we were back on route.  Going through a toll he had bought us this fruit called mame which tastes a lot like a mango without the hairs, so of course it was delicious.  He was also telling us about the different trees and fruits on them!  We arrived back to Quayaquil and was soon to do damage.  It was like the mall of america of Ecuador!  We were all in love!  We went there to eat int he food court because they had a variety for everyone.  They had Mcdonalds, Taco-Bell, mexican, typical Ecuadorian food, Dunkin Donuts, and many more!  Rachel and I had went to get Taco Bell.  and we couldnt just get one taco because it was cheaper to get the meal which is Crunch wrap supreme, a taco, and nachos.  As I'm sitting there eating and thinking omg this has over 2000 calories easily and after I am never eating again.  Until the group all went to get donuts.  I was going to buy four donut holes but that would $2 and if I bought ten its 2.50 so of course I bought ten.  I am starting my diet tomorrow for sure.  On our way out we went to the candy store and had to stock up.  It was so embarrassing a group of gringas spending 3 hours in the food court of the mall.  Sounds good in theory but I got to get my body looking good again!  Then we tokk taxis back to the travel agency and were off to Cuenca!  We were doing good on time until near Cajas we ran in a landslide!  There was a lot of traffic anc cars pulled over.  Our driver got out to go check it out and came back and told us it would take three hours to clear it.  I had no idea what to expect but I was going to sleep.  Then after three hours he told us to get out of the bus and that there would be another one waiting on the other side of the ladslide.  So it had been three hours and I thought that the landslide was cleared. No!  We get to where we need to cross and literally a whole mountain was in the road!  It was not a good situation!  We had to walk across all these sharp rocks with all of our things and the rocks were huge and sharp.  I had sandals on because I wasn't planning on it.  Then if you had looked to the left it was a straight drop off the cliff we were walking on in the dark.  The whole time I was frustrated because I was cold and thinking this could fall on us at any moment.  The we got to the road again where there was huge bolders that would come up to my knees but I couldn't see anything because it was dark.  We got to the safe area and our bus wasn't  there, so we were freezing and waiting in the middle of the road for a new bus and then it began to rain!  Lovely, that is just what I needed.  About 15 minutes later our bus came and we still had about an hour till Cuenca.  Then we had to take Taxis home.  When I got home none of us had showered, so that is the first thing I wanted to do!  It was miserable because I look like a tomatoe.  I got so sunburnt I can barely move my back.  So much for sun screen.  Overall it was a great weekend and I'm glad I got to spend it with my girls!  Chau!