The Long Journey Home

It all started last Thursday. It was a bitter-sweet day. I was sad to leave this beautiful place and even sadder to say goodbye to all the amazing people I have become friends with along the way. I was trying to override that sadness with excitement to come home and see my family and friends. I said my goodbyes, it was not as hard as I had imagined (I know it won’t be long before I see them again), and then I was off on a three-hour journey from Montanita to the airport in Guayaquil. Carlos, Tito’s cousin was visiting in town the night before from Guayaquil. He was kind enough to give me a ride to the airport so I did not have to take a bus. It is a beautiful ride from Montinita to Guayaquil; most of it is along Ecuador’s coastline.

I arrive at the airport with just enough time to purchase my 76-dollar one-way ticket to Quito. The gentleman at the ticket counter swiped my card over and over again, every time producing the same result: “DECLINED.” I knew I had the appropriate funds, I had checked my bank statement that morning. I had messaged my friends back home and family members about the situation. Some of them tried to purchase a ticket for me online, but not one of the Ecuadorian airline websites were working. The clock was ticking down, and eventually I look out the window and watched as the last flight out of Guayaquil took off into the sky. I had already booked a flight from Quito bound for the United States at 12:45 am. My options looked bleak. I had no access to my money, I had 8 dollars in my pocket, and I was going to miss my flight back home. I was hungry. The cheapest thing I could fine in the airport was KFC (and I hate KFC), but at this point I did not care. The cheapest menu item was $8.25. Now my frustration is getting the best of me, so I posted something about US Bank on my face book page. I can’t remember what exactly I said; it was something along the line of thanking them for being such assholes. I am so grateful that I created that post. Out of some stroke of good luck for me, moments after I posted it, my friend Ben asked Tito if he could run him back real quick to the Bromilia hostel so he could check his messages before they went out. Ben saw what I had posted. They sent me a message telling me to get a cab back to Montanita and they will take care of the cost when I arrive. My friends were so happy to see me return to Montanita. I had two more amazing days there. I was upset with you US Bank, but you unknowingly gave me an amazing gift.

It is Saturday now. I have been relisted on a standby flight from Quito to the US. The flights look decent; it looks like I am coming home. I said goodbye for the second time and now I am on a bus again to Guayaquil. Upon arrival, I purchased my ticket from Guayaquil to Quito. When I arrive at Quito, the flight begins to fill up. They begin to board. I watch as the airport empties out and they still have not called my name. My hopes are begging to slowly fade away and acceptance is starting to take over. Now there are only two of us left waiting. I go to the ticket counter; I hand them my passport. The ticket agent says, “I am sorry we have no room for you on this flight.” I could see it in her eyes and the way she spoke that she had compassion for me. I told her that it’s fine; it’s all part of the game. She explained to me that I could not leave. I had to wait for her to escort me to immigration so they could stamp my passport. It is after 1:00 am at this point. She escorts me to immigration. I stand there for nearly two hours waiting. I am not sure why it takes two hours to press a stamp down on a piece of paper, but I really didn’t care, it’s not like I had anywhere to go. Eventually I get my freshly stamped passport and they send me on my way. I wander around the airport for a while in exhaustion. It’s 4 am now. I find myself an airport chair to try and get a few hours of sleep. I am convinced that they intentionally design airport chairs so there is no way a human being can comfortably sleep in one, in any position. Not only could I not sleep I was very uncomfortable just sitting there. So now I am back to wandering. I find a bench outside of a coffee shop that is not occupied. Score! I quickly fall asleep…but not for long. About an hour later a man poking me with a stick wakes me up; yes he woke me up with a stick. He tells me I cannot sleep there. If anything, this experience has given me a whole new respect for the homeless and the humility they must feel when they are woken up daily with some prick poking them with a stick. They act as if we are sleeping in their living room. The benches are for everyone! Anyways, I am back to wandering in a sleep deprived coma. I spend the day in the airport. There is only one flight to the US every morning that leaves at 12:45 am. So I wait. Then I check in. Sunday’s flight does not look good, or Mon, or Tue, or Wed, or Thur, or, Fri, etc. Flying standby; I have the option of finding another country to fly out of. The trick is finding a way to that country. With help, I find out that on this coming Wed, there is a flight to the US from Bogota, Columbia that has a few open seats on it. I immediately go to the ticketing counter in the Quito airport to buy my one-way ticket to Columbia. I am excited, until the ticket agent rings me up and says, “that will be 826 dollars please.” I decline. I look around at other options. I find there is a flight leaving from Guayaquil Tue night for $336, and the ticket from Quito to Guayaquil is only $76. Done and done! Now this is the interesting part; I have an 8 hour layover in the Quito airport!! None of this makes any sense to me. The good news is, I know of a comfy couch outside of a coffee shop where I am guaranteed to get around an hours worth of sleep. It’s Sunday eve and I am on my way to Guayaquil again.

I met Anabella about a week and a half ago at the beach bar in Montanita. She is amazing. Her and her friend were visiting from Guayaquil. She and I talked for a while. She told me if I ever found myself in Guayaquil to look her up and she would show me her around town. So that is exactly what I did. She got me set up at a friend of hers hostel. It’s called the Dream Kapture Hostel. It is a beautiful spot. There are tropical birds everywhere, exotic plants, and of course, dream catchers.

Last night, she takes me around town. She is very proud of her city, and she has a lot to be proud of. It is amazing. She takes me out for some wonderful authentic Ecuadorian cuisine. At dinner I ask the waiter for a beer. Anabella explains to me that it is illegal to sell and drink beer or any kind of alcohol on Sundays. I order a water. Then she leans over to me and says, “but I know a guy at a tienda that will sell us beer on Sunday. We will go there after dinner.”

We arrive at the tienda and Anabella orders three beers; one for me, one for her, and one for the driver. It is a torrential downpour; the streets are flooded. Our only option is to enjoy our adult beverages in the car, outside the tienda. We must stay close incase we want another round. As we are drinking, Anabella explains to me that if the police see us the driver will go to jail for this, so we must be careful. As she is telling me this, a police cruiser turns on his lights and sirens. He speeds past us, and then he slams on his breaks and puts his vehicle in reverse. He stops right in front of us blocking us in! One of the officers jumps out and runs to the man who illegally sold us the beer. You can only imagine what is going through my mind; “Am I in trouble? Is the man who sold us the beers the one going to jail? Maybe I am selfish, but I really hope it’s the bad man who sold us the beers. He should be the one to go to jail! Or take the driver, he's a bad man, not me!” Maybe I am the bad man for having all these thoughts. Anyways, the three of us slowly lower our beers to our feet as we watch the officer. Anabella says to me; “I think it’s ok, he seems like a nice cop. Look he is smiling and laughing. Then we watch as the guy at the window hands the officer a bag…filled with beer! The cop ducks down between the cars, jumps back in his cruiser, and they speed off! I guess even police officers feel some laws are ridiculous and meant to be broken.

Tomorrow is my last day here in Ecuador. I fly to Columbia tomorrow evening and then my flight leaves for the US Wed morning.