We stayed at La Hosteria Mandala, a gem in the rather
hum-drum, dumpy Puerto Lopez. I suppose the town is a typical beach town in
Ecuador: impromptu soccer games in the sand, a coastline brimming with bars and
seafood shacks, and the local residents lounging in hammocks 24/7. There seemed
to be no work ethic, apart from the crew manning the hostel we briefly called
home. The Mandala was wonderful. The food, the staff, the 5 resident (huge)
dogs, the building itself; everything was top-notch. We stayed in the Tortuga
(turtle) room, which was very comfortable and nestled in the garden area that
houses the other rooms. The hostel has a nice restaurant, a game room, music
room, book exchange, and beautiful artwork all throughout the premises. Owned
by a Swiss/Italian couple, the hostel has bits of their essence sprinkled
around the place: the music room houses exotic instruments from their travels,
the restaurant includes charming accent salt/pepper shakers and the paintings
and art projects that abound are a delight. The Mandala also works for a Save
the Whales foundation, and tries to inform the public about the massive sea
creatures and the danger they’re in. Clearly, the Mandala was our home away
from home during our stay on the coast. Also, the receptionist, Jill, became a
good friend as she helped us out with anything we needed. She was a blast to be
around, and she spoke 8 (!) languages.
One of our days in Puerto Lopez took us to Isla de la Plata
(also known as The Poor Man’s Galapagos.) For $40 a person, we took a boat ride
to the island, were provided lunch, and hiked the island, observing some of the
wildlife. Isla de la Plata is of course no Galapagos (no giant tortoises here)
but it’s a nice and affordable alternative. Our excursion was a nice getaway
from the mainland. The boat ride to Isla de la Plata lasts about an hour and a
half (in motorboat) and the hikes last 2 or more hours, depending on which
trail you take. Each trail gives you a different view of the island, and
exposure to varying wildlife. On our hike, we saw the famous blue-footed
boobies, which despite their lackluster lifestyle were a highlight for most of
us. We were joined by 3 French women, a German family, another CEDEI teacher
and her good friend, and a graduate student from St. Louis and her boyfriend
from Guayaquil. Those two were doing research on a fly found in the Galapagos
Islands that may be parasitic to the fauna there. Wow! Our tour guides were
fabulous; very sociable and knowledgeable of the Isla. At times I got to work as
a Spanish-English translator, which was kind of cool.
Back on the mainland, we spent our final day visiting Los
Frailes, a pristine beach about 15 minutes away in motor taxi. We got a bad
taste of super laid-back island life when we got overcharged for a ride in a
taxi (which is basically a cart attached to a motorcycle) which was hauling
some trays of fish (stinky!) and making unnecessary pit stops along the way to
Los Frailes. Eh, what are you gonna do? When in Ecuador…
Sunday morning, we had to wake up at 3:30am to catch a cab
to Olón (40 minutes away) where we could catch a bus to Guayaquil. From
Guayaquil, another bus would take us to Cuenca. Total trip time was about 8 ½ hours.
We had to be back in Cuenca for a 3:00pm mandatory meeting to receive our new
teaching schedules. Bus rides can be hit-or-miss. On the way to Puerto Lopez,
we had a nice luxury bus from Cuenca to Guayaquil…lots of leg room, A/C, clean
and efficient. Our change-over in Guayaquil was a different story. The man at
the ticket counter swindled us (but what could we do when he wouldn’t give us
our bus tickets and just kept yelling at us in an indecipherable coastal
accent?) We rode from Guayaquil to Puerto Lopez on the JipiJapa bus, which had
no ventilation and brakes that were smoking. Quite an adventure; I was seated
next to a young guy with a 20-day-old puppy in a cardboard box. If I thought I
was sweating, I can’t imagine how the poor animal felt. Our bus trip coming
back to Cuenca was better, although once we got into El Cajas (about 45 minutes
outside of Cuenca) we came across a few landslides from saturated mountains. If
it weren’t for a restaurant with a parking lot that was miraculously situated
right next to a huge pile of debris, we would’ve had to dig ourselves out of
the mess!
Safely back in Cuenca, we had about an hour and a half to
rest up before heading to our teachers meeting at the CEDEI. This cycle I made
out with 4 classes: a regular 302, 104, and 101, and a Saturday 101. I was
initially a little bummed to receive so many 100-level classes (I think they’re
a bit dull) but it all turned out to be okay. I enjoy all of my classes, and I
don’t have a single troublemaker! Also, I’m actually deciding to be a teacher
this cycle, and my housemates are amazed at the amount of time I spend
lesson-planning. I must admit, last cycle was crummy due to the fact that I was
so lazy. Teaching is much more enjoyable now that I know exactly what I’m going
to do when I walk into the classroom. Teacher life: If only we got paid for the
time we spend working outside the
classroom. My respect for (decent) teachers has gone up considerably. I taught
my first Saturday class of the cycle yesterday, and it went great. 10 students,
adults, kids, and teens, but they work well with each other. It’s a bit hard to
make the alphabet and numbers 1-10 exciting, but with some extra prep, it’s
possible. It’s nice having students who actually want to learn.
Here in Cuenca, we’re in the rainy season. I wonder what’s
going on back home…I suppose everyone’s starting to get spring fever. I love
this time of year back home; the first day of Spring when everyone gets free
water ice, the opening day of baseball season, the 2-week window when my Dad’s
pink bushes in the front yard bloom. They’re so beautiful for those 14 brief
days; only to wither and spend the next year on hiatus. Makes you appreciate
their exquisiteness even more. That’s what I’m trying to do with my life here
in Ecuador. Sure, there are times when I just shake my head, and groan “only in
Ecuador.” Yet, every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, experience…to
appreciate this phase of my life where I’m developing into my own in so many
ways. Maybe I have days where it’s as if I’ve taken a hiatus from life, but
there are also those days when I blossom into the young woman I’m becoming. 
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