Other planets and the kindness of strangers

So... I feel like I'm in a time...and space warp. I'm now at my parents farm...a loooong way from Ecuador. I've been helping them clean out Auntie's house and other assorted chores after the funeral. I've also been indulging in all my favorites foods and beverages like Havarti cheese, good coffee, wine that is not from a box, fresh salads and of course Dad's gluten free muffins that he has served to me all warmed up and on a plate. Despite the fatigue of travel and the initial confusion involved with going from Puyo, Ecuador to Gomer, Ohio...I have found myself falling back into the comfortable routine of being at home on the farm. But getting here did have its own adventure story...of course!

So, last Sunday I booked a ticket back home to be with my family. It had been a rough night. My mom had called the night before to tell me the news of Auntie's passing. I was flooded with a million different memories...mixed in with the indecision of whether or not to return home. So I didn't get much sleep. Before walking out the door to walk into town to run some errands, the other Peace Corps volunteer in town called to ask to borrow some cash, because the bank machines were out of cash or out of order or something. I said we could probably spare a couple bucks, but we were actually hoping to get some money out, too, for my trip because there is a $30 exit fee or tax. Thankfully I had taken out $60 a few days before and had most of it left.

So, I took the last San Fransisco bus out of Puyo to Quito. These long haul buses are pretty modern and when you buy your ticket at the bus station (versus just hopping on en route) you get a seat assignment. My ticket said seat 40...which is in the very back row. The back of the bus was packed, but the front was empty, so I decide to take my chances and sit in an empty seat closer to the front area of the bus. But of course, the guy whose seat I was sitting in came along and kicked me out, forcing me to lumber back to the back of the bus to kick some guy out of my seat. It was an awkward process both verbally and physically but I eventually found a seat in the very back row...the bumpiest and most crowded part of the bus for sure. I called my Emergency Contact person and my counterpart to let them know my travel plans, then settled in for the five hour ride. Although I wasn't at a window seat, I was able to get a decent view of the scenery which was no less than stunning. In addition to the beautiful Puyo - Banos waterfall and tunnel route, we got a spectacular sunset and pretty closeup viewing of one of the snowcapped volcanoes (either Chimborazo or Pichincha...I think. I need to consult a map.) The setting sun cast a beautiful pink hue to the snow capping the volcano. The angle of the sun also cast incredible shadows across the deep ridges carved into the sides of the volcano. Everyone on the bus was mesmerized by the scenery.

So, I get to Quito, and catch a cab to the hostal. It is a nice, clean, friendly place that we always stay at. It was $12 including tax. I handed the guy a ten and a five...and of course he doesn't have change. Sliding him the ten, I tell him I had to make some phone calls and wanted to catch part of the basketball game (which the hostal tv channels didn't carry) at Sports Planet, so I'd bring him the two singles I owed him later. I walked to the phone calling place, but it was closed, as was everything else it seemed. I walked to the crazy Americanized Sports Bar, to try to catch the game. I asked the staff if they would look for the game on one of the two dozen large flat screen televisions around the bar. I decided to have one small beer to break my ten and wait while they figured out the channels. ESPN en espanol was showing the Cubs vs. Braves game. I like the Cubs and all, but I really wanted to watch the Cavs in the finals. I get halfay done with my beer and the dude tells me that they don't have the game. So, Sports Planet is really not the cornicopia of sports viewing options that it professes to be. It is really just a place to watch the random sports games of the day, and not to show, oh, let's say the NBA finals. Truly another planet. So, I pay $2.11 for my ber (pretty steep compared to what we pay in Puyo) and head back to the hotel with my change. I give the guy the two bucks, then retire for the evening.

At 3:45 a.m. I get up, pack what little i brought and then went to the lobby to wake up the hostal employee, who was sleeping soundly on the couch. He was clearly not happy to see me. I don't blame him. It was 4 a.m. afterall. He called a couple places to get me a cab...and then charged me $0.85 for the calls. I guess it was his way of punishing me for waking him up. The cabbie who came charged me $4 to get to the airport. I tried to talk him down, but he said that since it was before dawn it was $4. During the day it is $3... So, I get to the aiport and the Continental desk wasn't even open yet. I see the desk for the exit taxes...it says it costs $37.90 to exit. Hum. That's more than I thought it would b. I had dispursed my money in several different places, so I dig out the money from my purse, my pocket and my passport pouch. I add it up. I add it up again. I only had $36.51. I look at the money in my hand with disbelief. Okay, so there's got to be a store I can buy something at with my credit card and maybe get some cash back, right. Wrong. Nothing was open. And that probably wouldn't fly anyway. So I go ask these security guards if there is an ATM in the airport. The one guy was super nice and took me back outside the airport to where there were three bank machines. Whew. There was even one from my bank. I stuck my Ecuadorian-based bank card into the machine...only to be told that my bank was offline. I tried my U.S. bank card. No dice. I tried the other two machines. No dice. Okay, now I was starting to panic. I really don't have enough money to get out of the country!!! I count my money again. I look through my bag for loose change. Nada. By this point, the Continental line has opened and there is a huge line. I decide to just get in line and hope I can sweet talk some naive soul into giving me some money. Yes, I was going to have to panhandle to get out of the country. As I am standing in line, the woman in front of me motions to me and my half empty backpack, and remarks to the woman in front of her, "Look. She's doing it right. She packed light." I took this small opening to explain why...and to mention that I was a Peace Corps volunteer...and my whole sob story about the ATMs in Puyo AND the airport being broken...and that I was a little less than $2 short in paying the exit tax. Without hesitating, she reached into her wallet and handed me a ten. I looked at her outstreched hand, then at her face. "Oh, I could give you some change. I only need two dollar....Oh, this is terribly embarrassing." She would have nothing of it. "Just keep it," she said, "I have a lot of respect for you serving in the Peace Corps. I'm glad people are still doing that." It turns out her daughter is volunteering for an organization in Quito that works with kids and she was there to visit her. We talked the whole time we were in line and again while waiting to board the plane. So, here's a public shoutout of thanks to Andrea from Oregon who took pity in my plight and helped pay my way out of the country.

Once in Houston, I ran into quandry numero dos. I needed to call my brother in law Greg to tell him my flight info so he could pick me up. My Ecuadorian phone of course does not work in the States, so I started to look for a pay phone. Did they even exist anymore now that cellphones are ubiquitous??? I found a bank of phones and had to stop and read the directions on how to use it...since I didn't have much cash, and no calling card, I read the options for collect calls. I dialed the collect number and chose the option to learn how much it would cost. $16 for the first minute! I hung up in disgust. There was NO WAY I would subject Greg and Stacey to that fee. How rediculous!!! I decide to keep panhandling...this time to scam for someone who would let me use their cell phone. I scoped out the waiting area to try to figure out who would be most sympathetic to my plight. Two middle aged ladies were sitting near me chatting, and i waited until a break in their conversation to ask...except they never shut up. They just kept jabbering on about their jobs...so I felt rude iterrupting. No, needed a different target. I saw a young 20-something couple that I pegged as OSU students. I started to go ask them, but they put their ipod headphones in and tuned out the rest of the world. Ok...who now? I spotted this older lady I recognized. But from where? Oh, she was on my flight from Quito. We recognized each other and I asked her where she was from. "Oh, from a really small town in Northwest Ohio," she said meekly. "Really! What town?" I ask. "Oh, it is a little town called Kalida." "You're kidding. I'm headed to Gomer!" (Note: Kalida and Gomer are two super-small towns about 12 minutes apart. I went to Gomer Elementary which is part of the Elida school system. When announcing school closings and delays, the radio announcers would always say, 'Kalida with a K' and 'Elida with an E' so kids like us wouldn't be confused...) It turns out she is a missionary that has lived in Ecuador for 20+ years. And of course, she didn't have a cell phone I could use. by this point, they were boarding the plane. As soon as the guy next to me took his headphones off, I sheepishly asked him, "Is there any chance I could use your phone for a quick 30 second call? My phone doesn't work in the U.S." He said 'sure' and handed it to me.

When we touched down in Columbus, he handed me his phone, saying, "Feel free to use my phone again." I was again blessed by the kindness of strangers.