Todo Está Mujado

The adventure continues...

While writing a blog entry and calling the airline to check on our bags it had begun to rain. A torrential downpour that made the streets into creeks. It was about 8:30 and we decided to take a cab to the Mariscal Sucre to eat instead of walking to a place nearby that we had been planning to go. We only had one outfit which we were wearing and no umbrellas since they were in our checked luggage, so we really didn't want to get soaking wet. We did do a little research before starting off to find the restaurant but when we arrived at the destination the place was closed... for good. Guide books can only be so up to date. I suppose we could have called the number but... we didn't.


After walking back and forth, jumping over ponds, we walked into a place that had a name familiar to Brian because of our research in the guide book. Mama Clorinda - it was the epitomy of touristy. All the Ecuadorians were the staff and all the clientele were obviously foreigners like us. Mariscal Sucre is nicknamed “gringolandia.” We were told there was a ten minute wait. Diez minutos. It was still raining so we waited. The Germans at a nearby table had a table for their beer and the part of them that didn't fit at the larger table with their companions. No disrespect intended... just an observation that I thought was amusing. Many people smiled at the two wet foreigners waiting for a table.

Eventually we got a table which we shared with two other guys. It was large enough for six to squeeze in. They sat in the corner. I trapped the poor young Cuban man (they were friendly but not too friendly) in the corner when I sat down. The other man, who was more talkative, sat on Brian's side of the table and was another Canadian.

I am an involuntary eavesdropper. If two people are sitting close to you and one is very loud (and Brian and I were not in a talkative mood), it is hard to ignore the conversations around you. I couldn't understand anyone else. Brian kicked me under the table. I really did try to ignore the conversation. I was taking it all in and getting distracted by many sights, sounds, and smells.

Ordering food was also an adventure. It took them awhile to get to us and then when they did come over they told us they were out of everything we planned on ordering at first. It sounds like we were having a lot of bad luck, but I told myself that this is part of the adventure. We ended up ordering corvina frita (fried sea bass) and a really good soup made out of potato and avocado with cheese. Brian was slightly cranky, which he blamed on the rain and altitude sickness. He was apologetic and I was sympathetic. Está bien.

After returning to our hotel because we both were exhausted by our first day, we waited for our luggage, which arrived at midnight. We went to bed soon after very glad and both wishing that we didn't have to experience that again. It is definitely a buzz kill to arrive someplace without your luggage. If only we could have packed lighter for a five month journey.