Ok I suck

I realize I left you all hanging some place after Ecuador...well b-c I loved it so much I’m actually back. Some highlights you missed.

Peruvian Amazon - actually cold. I am among a few people in the world to have traveled to the Amazon and froze their ass off....me and the 19 other people I was trip leading. The other freakish thing that happened was our crazy plane flight. As we were landing in Puerto Maldonado (Amazon jumping off point) we hit a TON of turbulence and we were losing altitude at a rate I don’t think they allow in the States. As we hit the ground we are going at a speed twice of which I have ever landed at and I’m thinking ¨shit we’re going to run out of runway¨. Well needless to day we didn’t but we were close. I said to the Peruvian tour guide next to me after we had confirmed we weren’t going to crash ¨they do NOT make runways that long in the US¨

Costa Rica - I spend 23 of 48 hours in the mountains sleeping....got back to the ship and did more of the same...I had a cold.

Nicaragua - laid on the beach in a hammock and lounged in a chair with some of the best friends a girl could ask for. And did the best boogie boarding ever. Then on the way home we decided boat was better and boy oh boy we were right. It was though the mangroves (of sorts), ducking branches...and at one point all of us hitting the decks as we ducked below the boat’s edge to avoid decapitation.

Guatemala - I was pooped but I had a lovely time traipsing around Antigua with Doug and some other small excursions.

And a rocking b-day on the ship!!!!

OKIE DOKIE

I’m staying at the Secret Garden in Quito www.secretgardenquito.com I am working 8 hour shifts, 6 days a week. There are presently 2 other volunteers from Sweden, one from Australia, one from Switzerland, one manager from Canada and one from Switzerland and an assistant manager from England. Myself and the Swedes are brand new and everyone else has been here from 2 weeks to 2 years.

I mainly hang out on the terrace (photo on the website), check in guests, set up for and serve meals and drinks and other random customer service. When I’m not working I am free to do whatever I want. I currently live with 3 other people in a flat across the street..it´s quaint and I described it to my SAS friends as one part Ecuador, one part European colonial, and one part frat house. I’m working on cleaning it b-c it hasn’t been cleaned in a bit. EH I’ve seen worse...ummm let me think GUINEA!

Not much to it really...but it’s been fun meeting all sorts of people and hearing about their adventures. I’ll keep you updated as I have more to report. For not I’m off to dodge the raindrops in one of the biggest rains I’ve seen since leaving Africa.

Much love,
Rasa