Papallacta

So, the last couple of days have been pretty boring.  We started classes on Wednesday, so the last three days have pretty much been going to class and eating lunch on campus with everyone.  I have two classes.  One is Techniques of Marine Research with Luis Vinueza.  He is really cool and very laid back.  He lives on Galapagos, so he has told us much about the islands already.  I have also sort of been taking a free Spanish class in the afternoons, but the class is being taught at a much lower level than I think will help me.  We are pretty much back at the very beginning, although moving quickly.  I may or may not stick with it. 
Anyway, the fun returned today when all the marine ecology kids decided to go to Papallacta (a town with thermal springs) after class.  All ten of us caught the bus into the Oriente (the western area of Ecuador).  Eventually, we got off the bus and realized we had no clue where we were going.  There were signs to Papallacta, but no indication of how to get there.  So, a couple of the guys went to ask some people at a tire shop.  We ended up hiring one of them to drive us to Papallacta in his pick-up truck.  And yes, there were ten of us, so six people rode in the bed of the truck.  I did so on our return trip to Cumbaya (Carlos took us the entire way in his truck).  So, we made it to the hotsprings, but not before it had started raining.  Rain here is freezing cold, so we were all shivering by the time we got into the warm water.  It felt amazing!  On our way out, we met the other GAIAS kids coming in.  They went on a field trip today to an alpine forest and hot springs, which apparently meant they ended up at Papallacta.  We eventually made it safely back to Cumbaya after our impromptu trip across the country. 

Oh, and on a sidenote: we had soup and tomales tonight for dinner and it was amazing!  The tomales are pretty much corn and chicken cooked together inside a giant leaf.  Yum!