Oh my goodness, I have a TON of homework tonight. A TON. I cant get over it. Plus, I have my exam this afternoon to show how much I have learned.....I am stressed about that, because I don´t know that I will do good on it, and I don´t feel prepared! please pray today!
It´s really weird that this is my last full day in Cuenca and tomorrow I start the long journey home! It has flown and crawled by....
I hope everyone is happy to be back at Union! I miss you guys. See you Monday!
Facebook gave me a link to let people not on it look at my photos. I hope it works for you!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009177&l=80ed2&id=181100039 First photo album
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2009346&l=5488e&id=181100039 Second photo album
This was actually written Sunday night, but as blogger has not be letting me post, it´s a bit dated!
Well, I just got back from the beach at Jambeli, and it was a good weekend! We left Friday at 1¨:30 from school, and caught the 2 o´clock bus to Machala, the big city near the island. From there, we took a cab to Puerto Bolivar, which is the banana export capital of Ecuador (banana are commmonly known here as oro verde, green gold). From Puerto Bolivar, we took a dinky little boat out to Jambeli, which is a dinky little island. On on side its all mangrove trees and looks like the Everglades, and on the other side is the beach and some little restauarants.
So we get there Friday evening, and not havign a hotel booked, we set off down the street looking for one. Mind you, there are 2 street on the island (streets, but not cars). We found one hotel recommended b Lonely Planet and booked 4 rooms. They were crap. Haha. Really hot, one sheet on the beds, no toilet seat cover or toilet seat, no shower head, just a hose out of the wall, and definately no shower curtain. But hey, it was $5 a night, so I didnt expect much better.
After we dropped off our stuff, we went for dinner, where I ordered ceviche, a local specialty. Its kind of like a cold coup with conch meat or shrimp or fish in it. I had it in Guatemala and liked it....here it was disgusting. So I ended up eating someone else meal that she didnt like, and all was well. The rest of the weekend was spent hanging out, eating, laying in the sun, talking, playing volleyball, etc. It was fun.
The island had a very different feel than any beach I´ve ever been to, more liek Jamaica or something. But it definately had a personality all its own!The people in Machala and Jambeli are a lot more lecherous and crude than the Cuencanos. In Cuenca, I normally only get 6 or 7 rude whistles and noises in a 15 minute walk. On the island, I got about 15 crude whistles every 5 minutes. Yuck. Also, the water in the Pacific is a lot saltier than the Atlantic or the Gulf of Mexico! The Spanish on the island is harder to understand. It´s almost like what I imagine Spain spanish to be like, where they drop their ¨s¨ from their words and slur everything. Maybe its because everone on the island seemed drunk. Ha. Anyways, just a few differences I noticed.
I´m not as tan as I´d like, but oh well. It was still fun! I talked to my parents tonight when I got back, and I am looking forward to Friday, when I get home. I have 2 intense days of classes, followed by an exam, and one more random day of class, then a flight to Quito, a trip to the Ecuator, a trip to a big market, and then my trip home! Hooray!! I´d love to come back here when I don´t have the pressure of learning spanish for credit hanging over me, and when I have a friend too. I miss you guys :(
One week from tonight I´ll be back at Union! Cant wait to see everyone! Love to you all.
I am off to the little island of Jambeli!! There is a group of 8 of us that is going to spend the weekend laying in the sun at the beach, and just enjoying (for me, my last) weekend here!!
Yesterday I was sick sick sick. I left classes early to go home and sleep, where I slept an extra 7 hours, in addition to going to bed at 10. Haha. I dont know what had me, but something did!!
This morning we went to the panama hat factory, which ironically enough, are actually originally from Ecuador, not Panama. Who would have thought?? I learned a lot about the process though, and took some photos. Maybe I'll pu some up on Monday if I have time. I have to make up 2 classes (one on one) and start studying for my credit test I have to take!! So, if I have time, I will post some new pics after the weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend off from classes, or a great last week before classes begin again! I'll be thinking of you all as I lay in the sun!! haha. Love!
Thanks to those of you who continue to encourage me while I am here, both with your words to me and to our Lord! I appreciate both so much.Today has been a bit better. I havent been as down in the dumps, and I havent cried at all! Yes! haha.
I just got done with my last dance class (sad....) and am getting ready to go to a fondue restaurant with denise, raban and jamie. Fun times.
This weekend is the beach at Jambeli, a small fishing village and bird-watching beach. I am just excited to get a tan before I go home :) HaWell, off to eat (something new and different!!) Love to all
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