back in cuenca, pt 126

we got back to cuenca last week after logging a good 22 hours on a bus. but, we split the bus time up so it wasnt that bad. we left the jungle at about 530 in the morning, which was not too hard to leave because of the vast amounts of huge cockroaches that were crawling around everywhere in our room. we enjoyed the jungle and our vacation in general to such a degree that it would have had to have taken something like an invasion of waterbugs (seriously too many to count) to make us agree to come back to cuenca. the bus from our river to lago agria was fine because it was early and i got a seat in the front where i could stretch my legs. i went to sleep, and apparently the bus driver did too. luckily i slept for more time than the busdriver did. anna, who didnt sleep, told me that the bus driver dozed off and the bus rolled off the road at one point. oh well, an adventure i missed...

we got to lago agria at 830 and our next bus to quito left at 10 or so, so we sat and then ate a breakfast of coffee and chicken with rice. yum. the next bus was not so bad either even though it was a 7 and a half hour ride. the ride took us from sea level well into the andes and the weather changed. secretly i was happy to have the cool mountain air. secretly only because i had made a huge effort at not wanting to come back to the mountains. it had been the rainy season and while we were at sea level, be it the coast or the jungle, it didnt rain once. still, the cool air was nice. ther ewere the usual arguments with the ecuadorian bus riding public insofar as their not wanting the window opened is concerned. i dont understand it. i have to overcompensate just to prove my point and throw the window wide open even when it is cold so i normally ride the bus wearing a sweater tied around my neck. very classy.

we got into quito and immidiately went to the internet shop from where i posted my previous post. then, went to watch football at one of the overpriced bars with an american theme that have taken over the mariscal area of quito. unfortunately the colts won, and we had to leave midway through the cowboys-seahawks game to go catch a night bus to cuenca. its a 9 hour ride and featured teh regular cast of crying babies, men with tuberculosis or some other juicy coughing disease, closed windows and fights over opening the windows. one guy reached around my head when he though i was sleeping in order to close my window. i was awake, reopened the window and we had a bit of a staredown. i was right though and the window stayed open.

we got into cuenca at about 730am and it was drizzling a bit, which was disappointing, but this was the last time ive seen rain. apparently this is bad because rain means that we have electricity because everything is hydro powered. my personal belief is that this reliance on torrntially downpouring weather only breeds more of it. perhaps if ecuador changed its electrical policy, the rain would feel unwanted and only come at regular intervals. i should be in charge of energy and stuff.

ive started working again and classes are going fine. a few new cafes opened up so ive been sitting in them. it has been nice to see people i know, the cats are bigger. we have a couple of different roomates, which has taken some getting used to, but we will survive i guess. and, we have a brand new $8 per day budget which has been weirdly easy to follow. things couldnt be better. so thats that.