La Costa - que la extraño!

So it´s been a while since I´ve written. Sorry to my loyal fans, hahahaha. Between work and a little stint of sickness I haven´t had the time to sit, reflect and write about my adventures ecuatoriano style.
We are in recruitment right now for new members which is a busy busy time. Making class roon presentations, postering AIESEC all over the university, booking classrooms for information sessions...the works. It´s intresesting, because tacits to get people to join AIESEC are quite different in Ecuador. In Canada you can talk about all the lovely benefits and that usually catches people´s attention. Aquí, not so much. I still have yet to figure out what exactly turns the crank, I´ll let you know when I find out. However, I get to be the key marketing tool. It´s the marketing game of getting the gringa to stand and smile while people talk about AIESEC....seems to be working.
I went off to the lovely surfing/party town of Montañita this weekend. Had one night in Guayaquil where I got to catch up with my friend Diana and feast on some of the best tacos in the world. Get this pork, chicken, beef, sausage, shrimp, beans and cheese all in one taco, what more can someone ask for in life? I honestly do not know. Early next morning caught the bus to Montañita. Driving up the Ruta del Sol, my old stomping grounds of last year made me incredibly nostalgic. How I wanted to stay on the bus all the way to López. I warned people that on Sunday afternoon they´d have to drag me back onto the bus away from la costa. The people, the climate, the food, the all round way of life is so peaceful ¨tranquila no más¨. We had a fabulous day on the beach full of seafood, sun and surfers. I enjoyed some currey that night, unfortunately the yogurt was bad and poor little ole me had food poisoning. Couldn´t go out dancing. No, I spent that whole night hugging the toilet. Así es la vida. The next day, still in pain and somewhat afriad of food, I slept on the beach. There was an incident that afternoon, some guy starting drowning. Montañita only has lifeguards during high season (december - february) so one of the surf teachers ran out to save the poor guy. What I love about ecuador is that everyone runs to the scene, yet no one helps, or no one knows how. I mustered up some of my old red cross knowledge (thanks swimming lessons at GBC) and told got one of my friends some tips and he went over and instruct people about what to do. My español is definately not at that stage where I can give fast, clear orders.
At 5:00pm I boarded a bus to guayaquil and then another back to Cuenca. I had the most frustrating bus ride. I already have a hard time with the leg room in the buses here. The asshole infront of my reclined his seat the whole way. Even when I would ask him nicely he refused to move it up even a little. Since I was in such a great mood being still somewhat sick form the night before. I decided that if I wasn´t going to sleep than niether was he and spent the 5 hour bus ride kneeing and sometimes kicking the back of his seat. I know, not my finest nor maturest moment.
I believe I will get to be trying cuy (ginea pig) this weekend. I´ll let you know how that goes! :)

until next time,
Steph

p.s. yes, I do somewhat have a tan now, yay!