Day 22: 13 May – The bus to Guayaquil

I pack my last things and ask Bernardo to call a taxi for me. At 10.00 my bus leaves.

Bye Quito
Bye wild partying people
Bye café Kallari
Bye mountains all around
Bye friends
Bye Mariela
Bye nice walks through town
Bye slow Spanish speaking people
Bye weekend trips to rainy places
Bye new home

That is a bit how it is, it feels like leaving home again. Off into the unknown again. Quito has become a part of me now, a part of my home. And I hope things will not get lonely again in Guayaquil for the first weeks. Added to that, more people and more places to miss.
The bus ride is a long one. It takes about 10 hours and although the seats are comfortable, I am getting less comfortable towards the end. The scenery outside, with the palm trees and the poor houses, reminds me of India, but then I really miss the trains and the chai-wallahs. Sure, once in a while some vendors come in and sell their products, but I need my coffee! During the ride, they show two Hollywood films, dubbed in Spanish. It’s a nice change, seeing Bruce Willis speak another language, but his one-liners aren’t nearly as funny.

At 8pm I finally reach Guayaquil. Ingrid, the girl I’m going to stay with tells me to take a taxi to the Hilton Colón hotel. Once there, the taxi driver seems not to have enough change, and I’m not interested in getting change, so I let him get off with a dollar extra. These taxi drivers never have change... When I turn around, I see my bags are not there anymore. A employee of the hotel is wearing them and asks me whether I need a room. When I tell him I’m just waiting for someone, he brings me and my bags inside anyway and tells me I can wait in the lobby. Just so I can say I’ve been in a Hilton hotel: wow, what a luxurious place!
Later Ingrid shows up with Miguel and we take a car to her place. It’s a nice apartment in a safe section of the city. She’s given me her room for the time being and is sleeping with one of her housemates. I’m now living here with 3 girls and a dog called vaquita (vaca = cow, boeuf!). I don’t have much in my room, but there’s a bathroom for my own use, there’s a kitchen and practically everything I need. I think I will manage to survive in this place. And I already have some people to chat with. The people I’m staying with are nice and helpful.