Adios Cuenca

Cuenca, Ecuador

Latitude: S 2° 53' 56.9497"

Longitude: W 79° 0' 49.2188"

Elevation: 2461 Meters/8074

Population: 276,964

Dec. 6, 2011

It was bittersweet saying good-bye to Cuenca, our school and the friends we had made over the past two years; but

because we are living the "contemporary nomadic" life of TEFL (teaching english as a foreign language) teachers it was time to go. And so, at 7:40 AM we boarded the Ruta Oriental bus with our 9 large bags, forgot the sandwichs we made and headed for the coast to rest for four days. Rest and wait before crossing the border into Peru where the President had just declared a state of emergency because a Colorado gold mine was poisoning the high altitude lakes of the indigenous people who were protesting by blocking all the roads.

Ayampe, Ecuador

Latitude: S 1° 37' 47.5557"

Longitude: W 80° 49' 0.4907"

Elevation: Sea Level

Literally, a curve in the road away from the late-night, throbbing discos of most beach towns.

To a quiet place tucked away behind the lonely, one-man police station;

hidden amongst other hippie-surfer lodges;

down the Spanish Bayonet guarded;

behind the open-air, cemetary;

and corrals of beach-riding livestock;

to the Cabanas La Iguana

and Room Number # 1.

Time for a little relaxing,

wave-shredding,

sun bathing,

hammock swinging,

beer drinking,

and friend making.

Or, grocery shopping to the next, bigger town

Puerto Lopez, so Corinne could pose

for Facebook material.