Atacamas adventure cont...

So, little did we know when Kelly last wrote that our Atacamas adventure was only half over. After leaving the internet cafe we went to the bus stop to check with a bus driver that there was a bus leaving Atacamas going home to Estero at six, like everyone had said already. The bus driver agreed, the next and last bus going where we wanted was at 6. So, we walked around a bit more, I bought some clothes detergent, we drank some Batidos, and then we returned to the bus stop at a quarter to 6. An hour passed and we came to realize that there were no more busses going home that day. We didn´t really want to stay in Atacamas, it was saturday night, where ever we stayed would have been expensive and filled with loud drunk people all night. So we took a bus to a town about halfway home. We were tired, it was dark and the bus was packed and hot. We got to Tonchigue and lo and behold, the town hadn´t had electricity for 2 days, and we had no idea where the hotels were. We asked a nice young man and he took us to one of the two hotels. No vacancy...at least not for us at that hour. So we went to the next one and woke the owner, who was on the couch in the front room. Also no vacancy. Luckily there was a couple who were staying there who spoke english and convinced him to give us the two rooms he had left...hmmm...thought he said no vacancy...the rooms were a bit dingy, but a bed´s a bed. We then got the owner to sell us three warm beers and sat in front, watched fisherman put away a net, and listened to the loud crashing of the waves on the beach.

A half day trip to use the internet and go to the bank turned into a day and a half. We have yet to successfully, without kinks, take a bus.

Steffen, Kelly and I have been by ourselves in the little hut since saturday. None of us speak spanish that well, the two ecuadorians, Leo and Milton, left to run errands in other towns. We thought one of them would be back on Sunday, but now it seems maybe not until tomorrow. Either way we feel a bit strange living in this hut. It is now basically a gringo zoo exhibit, because the hut is located directly between the two very intertwined families houses. I think all three of us are ready to head back to Mindo soon, where most likely we will not have to battle chickens, dogs, and bugs during the day, and rats at night...well at least not as much.