De Republiek

Bien Ecuador, middle of nowhere. I was warned that the road between Portoviejo and Quivedo nog particulary good was. After a few hours of winding road, halfway asphalt and nice views we arrive at above point.

I’m pretty happy about the change because it give me a chance to escape the sweaty old guy sitting next to me muttering in some incoherent Spanish (from Puerto Lopez to Ambato is about 4 or 5 different accents which I can make something of in various modes of succes ).

When I cross the ditch where road construction is going on I reach the other bus and sit myself next to a girl. She immediately begins to look at me and pinches my legs, says ‘que flaco’ ( thin ). And sometimes about smoking being bad for ya ( no kidding ). After a brief introduction (where from-where to, etc) in accent which is not much clearer, she continues to stare at me for a hour or so. Everytime when I look left, she stares quicly outside the window. At some point she jumps out without saying a word and is gone.

I arrive in a hot, humid town with lot’s of air pollution where absolutely nothing is going on. Welcome to Quevedo.