III. Thoughts on Roosters.

South American 2003, email III
AHhhh, yet another week concluded south of the border. And what a week it has been. I last left off in Chile, and I now find myself in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It is someplace alright....someplace.
So we arrived here earlier in the week and as usual fought through the gaunlet of taxi drivers offering their services. So aggressive. But we made it to our hostel. And I don't say that in passing. Making it to our hostel was an accomplishment. I swear to god, lane lines in Ecuador mean straddle them and don't look for any other cars around. Really, it is best for me to just close my eyes. Although that is when the nausea sets in. Also. They use the dollar here and things are so cheap! Food, internet, everything cheap! Good for us.
So we decided Guayaquil was a little to crazy for the likes of us gringas, so we set off to the beach. We took a bus to Jipijapa (pronounced hippie hapa) and then changed buses to Puerto Lopez. We checked into a lovely hostel on the beach, made some plans for the next couple of days and relaxed.
The next morn, we went whale watching. We took a boat out to Isla de la Plata, which is called such because either A.) Francis Drake hid some treasure there, or B.) In the moonlight, the coating of bird shit makes it look like silver. I believe the later because bird shit there was. We saw some pretty impressive whales on the way out, took a tour which included sun burn (even though it was overcast!), birds and the aforementioned shit and then had lunch,. On the return, I took a little snorkel. When we arrived back to the mainland, about 40 kids came running to the beach. They brought chairs and water with them...they wanted to wash our feet. Then I feel a little hand on my shirt. I turn and this little boy says "JENNY!" I had spoken with him earlier and apparently, unbeknownst to me, promised he could wash my feet. His name was Julio. He clung to me, I said, I hadn't understood him, he said I promised. And he was just so sweet... "Jennny, Por favor....sientate...." Other kids would latch to me asking the same thing and he'd push them off saying,"shes mine!" All the while Tina had been stung by something and I was trying to give her the key to our room. As I took the key out of my pocket, 10 cents fell out. Julio ran to it, grabbed it, handed it me, I said, "Keep it," and with that he scampered off onto the beach, never to be seen again.
The next day, we went horseback riding. Oh so beautiful, though I must say after three hours, there were certain unmentionable areas that were relatively sore. But I guess thats what you get. But we went by the beach, up into the mountains and along the river. Then we stopped at this gorgeous hotel for lunch. It was a fabulous day.
So I have never had many thoughts on roosters and foul in general. I was pretty indifferent, though I liked to eat them. I never knew much about them or wished them any ill will. After this trip, I can see how slaughtering chickens would be an easy thing to do. Every fucking morning at 4am, 5am, 6am, 7am, 8am, 9am...and all the interminant minutes, they would crow. Right outside our bedrrom. Its like going insane I imagine...they just never stop, and just when you think they have and you are begining to sleep...more crowing. If I had any kind of weapon on me, I would have killed them. Easliy. I thought when I left the hostel this morning, I would be rid of chickens and roosters for the rest of my life...at least for the next few months. But as I get on the bus to go to Guayaquil (a three hour ride) I hear clucking behind me. Then a child walks past me and there is more clucking. There were chickens on the bus with me. At first I thought, "How charming, I am really getting a slice of life in Ecuador...this is the real thing." But after we had a flat tire, there was rooster clucking in the seat behind me and a man spit orange seeds on my sandal clad feet (which is really what did it for me), I thought, I'm not sure I was cut out for the real life of Ecuador. It was something to see. But that's enough for me.

Aside from foul and bus rides, Ecuador has been good to me (and my wallet). The people are generally friendly and the food is good. The fruit is incredible. It was a week well spent.

I have written more than enough. This should be in installments. I head to Peru next. We go to Machu Picchu, Cuzco and Puno (Lake titicaca (insert joke about titi or caca here)). On Monday we pick up tina's man, kevin who is arriving from the states. I officially become third wheel.
Take Care buddies,
Jenny