Si

Traveling alone. Some people avoid eye contact and some people are so friendly and reach out for connection, going out of their way to help you. I am definitely practicing way more spanish this way and it´s good to be alone because I feel like you are less occupied with your group and more free to observe your surroundings. Ready, generalization... South American women are unfriendly and have no interest in helping you or answering your question, the men on the other hand, are delighted with the opportunity to lend a hand, or entertain you with a ridiculous spanglish conversation. Though many lent me their opinions, universally it was thought to be bad that I was traveling alone, which just made me feel that much safe and more secure... syke. I didn´t plan on returning alone from Peru, or like the idea of it at all, I was quite nervous for the 30 plus hours of busing. But the others of my group wanted to continue further South and I had had enough, and I needed to get back to the farm by Monday morning to finish up my spanish lessons that were already paid in full for. They left my back pack in Trujillo when I bussed to Piura, so I had to stay over night and wait to pick it up in the morning. I understand traveling can be tricky and many things go wrong, and I have happily excluded any of the messier details of my trip, but this story has a happy ending so I will share. Entonces, I arrived in Piura, no back pack, so no change of clothes or contact solution, and unlike my plan to immediately catch a night bus over the border to Guayaquil I had to find a hostel and stay the night so I could pick up my bag at the bus station in morning, but I didn´t have enough Soles for both a bus ticket and a hostel. And I was sure my debit card would not work in the atm machines because I had been very clear with my bank that I would only be traveling in Ecuador and no other countries, and when I arrived in Piura and called the bank they were already closed and the next day was Sunday. So for a moment, I was panicked...I had no money, or any momentary access to money... and I also became aware that my ipod had ceased to function (a moment of silence por favor... no ipod. Porque!? Probably my most valued possession here in Ecuador. On the positive side I am proud of myself for not breaking or loosing this piece of technology, and that I have actually retained it until it´s end of life, unlike many a cell phone that has come my way). But, never fear, thanks Salal Credit Union, for not keeping too close of tabs on my account, the atm card worked, no problem, and I got out enough money for a bus ticket and hostel. And in the end it was probably good for me to take one night´s good sleep in a bed instead of a bus seat. And I was still able to get back to the farm in time for my monday morning lesson arriving a whole half an hour early by 12 hour night bus from Guayaquil through Quito to Ibarra. Plus while hanging out in Piura I had some friendly encounters with travelers and locals. In the morning after I had retrieved my back pack I was walking around, killing time, trying to find any kind of healthy food I could bring on the bus for snacking. I was flagged down by three gentleman hanging around one of the many juice stands, I got to practice some silly spanish for an hour, have fresh squeezed orange juice for the road and was given un poco regalito. One of the chicos became mi novio (don´t worry Alex, por sola una hora until my bus departed) and he bought me a necklace from one of the other chicos selling jewelry. They really cheered me up and put me in good spirits for my next 11 hour journey across the border. I was a bit unnerved about crossing the border, the first German who left and went back early alone was robbed by his taxi driver crossing the border. Ecuador and Peru really need to work on that border, the other German who came back alone after me, who I was originally gonna travel back with also got hassled at the border by his taxi drivers, and somehow he talked them out of robbery. The immigration and emigration offices are like 10 km apart, and I guess it´s a heavy traffic area for drugs...it´s just poorly organized and the locals take advantage of us naive travelers trying to get across.  So I made sure to be on a bus for the entire crossing, instead of bus to Tumbes, then taxi across then another bus on the other side. Thankfully for me it went muy suave, I got my stamps and all, necessary as they stopped us twice to check our passports for stamps, and then again on my last bus from Guayaquil, they even had us all get off the bus at 11:30 at night, search our bags and check our passports again. The security here is so hit or miss, with little consistency. Some buses would make me give a finger print, some would take a video of the passengers once seated on the bus before taking off...

I am happy being back on the farm. I feel like I moved 500 pounds of dirt on Tuesday. Formed new beds, and Friday we will get to plant all four after the Germans make a trip tomorrow into Quito to buy new seeds. We plant on the lunar cycle, for reasons i do not fully understand yet. I cooked lunch today at the Volunteer house for everyone con guacamole. I miss my Mexican food. i want a taco from Barracuda.

 this is Ouflouf, actually I have no idea how it´s spelled, but it´s the germans FAVORITE thing in the world. That part there without cheese is for me, still trying to do my vegan thing!


I often think about all the things that have been said to me during my time here which I haven´t understood. Seriously, probably 90% of the total spanish spoken to me has been over my head. From conversations with Taxi drivers to clerks in haciendas, asking for directions to the lavandaria, random encounters with people on the busses even instructions from my spanish teachers. I feel like my trip would be so much richer if I were able to understand more! So must keep practicing. And make more flash cards for verbs.

Okay well I am safe and happy, and sad to miss thanksgiving tomorrow, but looking forward to family/friend time at Christmas that much more.

XO