last nights in Tonsupa

Buying the ticket to leave Tonsupa and head to my next destination early felt good. I leave tomorrow evening to Manta on an overnight bus ride, and can´t wait. Until then, I am trying to have some fun here by going out in the evening and playing some sports with the locals. Well, you have already read about the dirty volleyball experience, so I kind of gave up on the sport thing. But, we did go to a neighboring village called Altecames, where I am now in the internet cafe. There is a bit more life here but the constant rain and wet environment sometimes thwarts my efforts to do some things outside. Still, went to the clubs on the beach where I drank and bit and danced last night. I went with another volunteer from Germany who has been here for 10 months and dating a local Ecuadorian guy. There are a couple of volunteer girls who have found Ecuadorian boyfriends, and sad to say that they have consistently been ugly guys, baffeling.
Anyway, it was fun to be around some life on the beach. To get there we took a motortaxi and hitched a ride in the back of a truck and did the same to return. Oh, and did I mention it was pouring most of time?! UGH!

volleyball in Gonzalo Pizzaro

Went to play volleyball Ecuadorian style in a small section of earth in Tonsupa called Gonzalo Pizzaro. I actually was supposed to volunteer here on the outset of this trip, but due to lack of organization that didn´t happen. Anyway, the rain actually held off long enough to play, but the mud was ever prevelent. It was actually the dirtiest game I have ever played! And, sad to mention that I think it wasn´t only dirt and water in that mud mixture...
My team didn´t win, however, I did not care. I never even knew the score and was happy for it to be over. We trenched our way home through muddy street battleing moquitoes along the way as has been the steady trend. The shower afterward, although cold as usual, felt refreshing. OH! I learned afterward that I was supposed to pay 50cents because they always play for money. I didn´t pay on principal because, one, no one told me up front, and I would not have agreed to play for anything on that mud.

Living in Tonsupa

Tonsupa is a poor beach town. Me, two other volunteers, and and a native helper, were to come here and help teach kids English. When we arrived on Monday we learned that our school had planned seminars for the teachers, so there is no class this whole week. That means I am not doing what I have set out to do, an in turn has put a thorn in my spirit to help. I suppose it is indicative of the disoragnization that I have whitnessed first hand within the poor schools here in Ecuador.
To add to the lack of continuity, the rany season has progressed later thatn usual here. It is either raining or cloudy every day. However, I try to stay positive and have enjoyed both my host families and the other volunteers whom I´ve met, here in Tonsupa and in Cumbaya. Although the families are of different financial scales, they have both been extremely hospitable. They also both have toddlers who really took to me and vice versa.
OH! I almost forgot to mention! I have been cooking for everyone here. Including 50 people at the guarderia(nursery), the whole volunteer group(20), family in Cumbaya(10), and here in Tonsupa(8). So, I suppose above all other things I have illuminated my love for food and cooking here in Ecuador. I know there is one person above all others I know that will appreciate that...