ECUADOR - My June/July 2003 Trip Journal -- by Donna R. Carter
Page Twenty-one
~^~ Calderón & The Marriott ~^~ Thursday ~^~ July 17, 2003
I thought today was going to be my one free day, but Sonya and I decided to go to Calderón after almuerzo of cauliflower soup, hot cabbage salad, fritada and tostados.
We caught a bus going out to Calderón and stopped at a place that Sonya does some survey work for. From there, we were going to go to the mazapan shops, but they were further up. No buses were going by our way - only back out the other way. We walked the entire way into town and down the main street to the shops.
I only found two shops, and I really have tons of mazapan stuff, so I got some maizena things instead. I got four different nativity scenes made in the style of 4 different Indian tribes, and one made of eucalyptus nuts. I found some cute parrot earrings made of maizena, and a few sets of Indian couple figures from different tribes as well. I got that stuff and we went out to wait for the bus back into Quito.
Sonya had to get to work at 6:00 at the Marriott downtown. She wanted me to go with her. Wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, I wasn't dressed up like she was for work - but she said come anyway. We bought some Salcedo ice cream and picked up a pirated CD before we boarded the bus bound to Quito. She convinced me to go to the hotel with her instead of get off at the house stop.
We got off the bus before it turned to circuit back to Calderon, and we took a taxi to the hotel, arriving about 6:15. None of the interviewees were there yet. Three of her co-workers were up at arms about nobody being there. Eventually they managed to get 8 out of the 12 expected and the survey started at about 6:45. The next group was supposed to come in around 7:00. They managed to get 6 out of the 10 expected.
While they were conducting the surveys, I was walking around this beautiful resort hotel, peeking into store windows, and ... I ended up buying some stuff. Of course exorbitantly expensive being in a place like that, but I liked what I got anyway.
I bought some wall plaques with the snowcap against the night sky and some buildings in front and a lamp post, lit up... and I got a silver ring that was inspired by the lava flow in the Galapagos... that was pretty cool looking.
I called the Howards about what time I needed to be there for the trip to Shell in the morning and they said they wanted to leave by 8:00.
The girl who was serving at the survey suite looked like someone familiar, but I had no idea who. I took her picture in case some day the light clicked and I remembered. They had soda pop, coffee, tea, and at the food table they had the most delightfully delicious delicacies: coffee pastry, carrot cake, humitas, empanadas, fresh fruit... all of it was awesome. Okay, so I pigged out. I walked a long way that day, I worked it off before I ate it.
We got home to the Moncayo's by about 10 and I packed everything to go the next day. It was my last day with the Moncayo's. It was a very nice stay, and they are a wonderful family. I hope we can get together again - here or there - and share some more memories.
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