Well I’m Southbound, baby, lord I’m comin’ home to you. (Part II)

View the rest of the week, my last days in Colombia.
 

• Thu – 29 May:
• Border & Tulcán: The Ecuador side was not as quick and it was somehow relevant to the woman deciding whether to let me in or not if I was married or had children. “Don’t worry, lady, I don’t plan to steal your (hopelessly unfaithful) Latinos for my own.” Ugh. But I got my 90 days. After the quick shuttle to Tulcán I discovered that I was still on the trail with The Angriest USA Man Who Ever Lived. By the way, he grew up in Philadelphia. Those of you who know me know I was not at all surprised to learn this.
• Otavalo: People have told me multiple times that Ecuadorians are not as “nice” as Colombians – and I will admit that I had hoped that meant I wouldn’t have to chit-chat with strangers in Spanish as much. This is not true. I cannot stop them from being nice. =) The town is cute and the famous markets happen Saturday morning, so I decided to stay. After a disappointing burger and a redeeming brownie, I retired to my $12 private room with balcony and hot-water shower. Ballin’!

• Fri – 30 May:
• Otavalo: There are an exorbitant number of musical instruments for sale in Otavalo and I seriously considered buying a ukelele. Screw you; it would have been great! But where would I pack it? Today was spent procrastinating by having breakfast, buying postcards, composing messages on the back of said postcards, reorganizing my big bag, trying to mail the postcards, having ice cream, and finally successfully mailing the postcards. Then I worked.

• Sat – 31 May:
• Otavalo: No one can resist the power of the Saturday markets in Otavalo. Except perhaps the cows and pigs they drag screaming (literally) past my window at 5 a.m. Personally, I find myself with yet another sweater (the hunt for the perfect sweater continues) and a purse. I did not bargain hard enough for either item, but I’m not disappointed. I have been living off of 25-cent enrollados con queso. Also the garbage truck has the same route every day – and it plays childish xylophone music as though it wants to be the ice cream truck.

• Sun – 1 Jun:
• Otavalo: I luckily chose the rainiest day to walk to the waterfall at Peguche (which is not actually at Peguche nor even relatively close to it). I must remember not to go see “stuff” on Sundays. 😉 I could not part with my fake llama sweater and I think I’ll end up mailing it home before I’ll leave it somewhere – I really like it.
• Quito: I ate $1 worth of strawberries (and one enrollado con queso) on the bus – turns out that is close to a pound. I may never eat another strawberry again. The people in Hostel Revolution appear to really know how to pack; there are a ton of 55L bags here. I am shamed, but not really. Quito is cold and rainy today and has way too many stairs in the streets for me to fall in love with it.