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!