Red Toyota

Good thing I had packed everything for the trip the night before.  I definitely wouldn't have had time this morning. Yonseili called a taxi and when it got here we headed to school. 

Yonseili and I asked Raquel, our professor, to let us leave as soon as we finished our oral and written tests so that we could leave to the bus station La Ofelia.  Of course she said yes.  I finished mine first and looked for Brian to get him out of his Spanish class.  As we waited for Yonseili, Brian went to the internet and then Chen met up with us at the school.  But then Chen had to talk with the director of the school and needed to get some paperwork done; he told me that we should go ahead and that he'd meet us at the bus station.  When this happened, Yonseili and Brian had left to get money from the ATM.  So I walked to the ATM and let Yonseili and Brian know. Wait... let me get some air... okay...I think I'm good.

So we went ahead.  We decided to get breakfast and ended up at some place that was good and cheap by the bus terminal.  We walked over to the station and Yonseili noticed some guys stared us down and then one mentioned to his buds that we had Nike tennis shoes.  Hmmm... yeah... that concerned me a bit.

Chen met us there, we bought our tickets and left to Junin Cloud Forest.  the seats we got were 13, 14, 15 and 16.  Last time we had gotten 14, 15 and 16.  I got the same window seat, 16.  Crazy, huh?

Good pic.  Pic by me.

I had to call Rosario Piedra, whom we did the reservations with, so that she can have a truck wait for us at Chontal.  She let me know that a red truck would be waiting for us there.  We tried to guess what kind of truck it would be.  Yonseili guessed correctly when she said Toyota.  When I saw the truck, I knew I would enjoy the one-hour ride, but I had no clue it would be one of the coolest rides of my life. I l.o.v.e.d. it.

Bad*ss ride.  Yonseili burst out laughing as soon as we got
out of the bus not knowing the driver was right in front of her.

Our shtuff all over the place

Brian. Chen. Moi.

deniSe. Yonseili.

Sign

It was amazing to ride in the back of that truck and feel the wind and see the beautiful landscapes.  It wasn't safe but I just couldn't let that chance go.  I sat on top of the trailer until it started to rain a bit.  Then we arrived to some place where the driver had to pick up our food to take to the cabin.  It was an overall amazing experience that ride.

Yeeeaaa

Animals

Beautiful green everywhere

When we got there, Rosario welcomed us and she showed us around real quick.  We put our stuff down and just began to relax.  Brian and Chen got a room across ours.  We were served lunch a bit after we arrived.  We ate with two other girls who were there until Saturday evening.  They were interesting.  When Yonseili mentioned that we should have brought snacks, one of the girls was going to say something (that they had snacks) but the other girl just looked at her briefly, gave her a look, and shook her head.  She was so conspicuous we noticed.  I didn't mind; I thought it was funny.  For lunch we had rice and meat and water, well, at least Yonseili, Brian and I who were coincidently sitting on the same side and opposite of Chen and the two other girls who didn't want meat.  The girls were vegetarian and Chen is Jewish.  I enjoyed having lunch out in the middle of the forest.

It was humid.

There was a "green" restroom in which you don't flush, but instead you scoop up a cup of humus (dirt) located next to the toilet and put it into the toilet after you do your business.  I used it once.  The sink was right outside, out in the open.

Green toilet

Sink

There were three showers and only one had warm water.  The two outside, detached from the cabin were similar looking to the restroom. 

The hammocks were great.  I couldn't remember the last time I had laid down in one.

It was really cool to listen to all the insects, birds, and animals throughout the day but especially at night.  After dinner all four of us, plus one of the girls, walked about 15 minutes to the community.  It wasn't too safe to walk because it was really dark, nonetheless it was fresh.  The community has two volleyball nets and older male adults were playing on one of them, and three kids were playing on the other.  There were women cleaning beans on the side.  Other folks were just watching the volleyball game.  Volleyball nets can be found in pretty much every village.  They play with soccer balls, though.  I have yet to see them play with a real deal volleyball.  I then asked the kids if I could play and the little girl in jeans, a blue blouse, and a cap replied, "¡Claro!"  So I joined in and then Brian and then Chen.  Of course Chen made it all funner by entertaining the kids running after them and simply being his crazy self.


Chen became a spectacle.  The adults that played volleyball finished their game so all the community folk who stuck around just watched Chen and Brian play with the kids.  Chen was making everyone laugh.

We walked back and showered.  Wow, Yonseili and I couldn't stop laughing.  The shower is basically a little wooden shack in which bugs can easily get in through the cracks and, oh yeah, the huge "window" it has.  We had to take turns.  As I showered she made sure no one, who ever that no one would be, could look in.  Then she showered and I did the same for her.  The water was in fact warm.  Rosario had to turn on the gas for us so that we can have that.  It gave off a funky smell.


Then we went to sleep. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Highlight of the day:  RIDING THE TOYOTA!!!