Welcome to the jungle!--Day 2

CHRISTY:It has been a crazy few days. The flight here was long because we had to fly to Miami first and then fly to Ecuador. It also didn’t help that our flight from L.A. was delayed which made us almost miss our flight. We literally ran through the airport terminals past 60 plus gates. They actually held the plane for us! It was only a 4 hour flight from Miami and we arrived in Ecuador at 12:30 a.m. and found our shuttle bus to the hotel. Once in our hotel it was around 1:30 a.m. and we were starving so we ordered room service. I had a beef tenderloin pita sandwich and Scott had an Italian sub. I’m not sure if I was just starving or what, but that was the best $7.50 sandwich I have ever had! At about 3 a.m.I was awoken by a loud siren that can only be described as the purge commencing. Scott was sound asleep so I didn’t want to wake him but I was pretty scared for about 1 minute until I fell asleep again.

Day 2 was quite an adventure. We started the day with a wonderful Ecuador buffet breakfast
and then on to the bus for our city tour. We saw some of the most beautiful churches. Ecuador reminds me of Mexico but the weather is like L.A. The culture here is similar and the houses look the same. There was something I saw that I have never seen before, people drinking goat milk straight out of the teat! Well they put it straight in a little cup first but still it was quite a site. 

After seeing a lot of the city we boarded the bus for a four hour ride that somehow turned into 7 hours. The only way I can describe that bus ride is an episode from Worlds Most Dangerous Roads! We were dodging chickens, kids, pot holes, dogs, people and kids! It was crazy! After the 7 hour bus trip we arrived at the river and our guide said from here we take a boat. I thought how cool is that but then Scott and everyone else on the tour said. “I don’t remember that part in the itinerary ….I’m sorry WHAT?? Are we being kidnapped? Saw some of the local wildlife bathing on the banks of the river on the way.

Luckily all was good and we arrived at our beautiful hotel along the river. There is very little electricity but they are the cutest bungalow type rooms I’ve ever stayed in. The only hard part was having no air conditioning, well I’m not counting the hot breeze from the screened windows. We were able to rest for a little bit and then off to another wonderful meal. 

Later that night we went on our night hike through the Amazon. We saw the most amazing creatures in the night, poisonous dart frogs, poisonous wolf spiders, tarantulas, grasshoppers and a scorpion spider (which Scott allowed to crawl on him!) After we get back from the hike we take off our borrowed boots and go get back into our own shoes. Well I got my shoes, but someone took Scotts! We waited until everyone grabbed their shoes and one pair that almost looked exactly like scott but were Sketchers (his were Columbia’s), were left over. We decided to take them and bring them to breakfast the next day. So the next day rolls around and we are walking to breakfast and Scott notices a guy wearing them to breakfast! Scott says hey did you happen to notice you have the wrong shoes?? I was dying, these things only happen to Scott.

SCOTT: Well, I think Christy hit the highlights but neglected a few details. First, we had to fly
down a night early and spend the night at the LAX Fairfield, because they changed our flights 4
days before departure. Of COURSE Christy availed herself to the free breakfast on the morning
of our departure to Ecuador but I hardly ever eat breakfast so it was just coffee for me. Then the flights, then the running like OJ (pre-murder) through the airport to our gate two terminals away, then back on the next flight. All that to say that by the time we got in the room at about 1:30 am, I had only had airplane kibble all day. Although since we were in the first row behind first class, we DID get to see the great food first class had!.. But do you think it was ME who couldn't’ wait for five more hours until we had to get up to eat breakfast? Nope, mama was hungry and vacation mama is a different animal entirely.. A couple sandwiches and an hour later, we got our four hours sleep.

The next day, the “four hour bus ride” turned into seven. Now I'm used to ‘Mexico time’, but

apparently Ecuador time takes this concept to the next level. A wild ride on crazy roads.  And it didn't help that every time we stopped for a restroom break, our driver was reaching into the engine compartment or under the bus!

  

The Quito tour was great (we post a lot more pics on our Instagram page with the same name), and we saw some cool volcanoes on our trip. The lodge is really out of a movie, set right smack in the Amazon rainforest. The night walk was out of a horror movie, and I think it was sheer exhaustion that made me decide to let a scorpion spider crawl all over my face. It’s all fun and games until I find out that it laid eggs in my eye socket! 

Fortunately, despite the heat, we were able to pass out.  Of course, Christy didn’t wake me up when the purge siren went off, but I DID wake up to her urgently asking me, “are you talking to me?”. Uh, no dear, I was sound asleep. So now she thinks we have an Amazonian ghost in our room that was whispering to her..

There is no internet or phone signal (except by the pool), so this day’s blog was late, but we’ll try

and get them posted end-of-day so you can keep up. So far, I have to say, this is an incredible trip. Not too many people on our tour, and they’ve all been really nice.. Even the shoe-stealer!