We're here!

This doesn't really show just how many people were at the
border crossing - it was the safest place I could find to pull
out my camera - it kind of gives you an
 idea though how crazy it was!

Ok heres what happened on our trip back from Peru. It started off a very leisurly morning because we had asked the Hotel reception to call our friend Washington to -pick us up, Had a nice breakfast, one final peek at the beach and then when we went outside to get into the car - what do we find but another guy waiting for us! Apparently they had tried to ring Washington but he didn't answer his phone - yeah right, whatever, I could tell they were making that one up and were using their own favorite! Ok well it was too late to do anything about it, so we explained to Jorge where we needed to go. First of all he tried to drop us off at a bus station - he must have been thinking that this was the easiest $40 he had made, but we insisted he take us to the immigration in Peru. When we got near to the border town, low and behold the streets we shut off for a parade to some saint or other, so we had to drag our baggage through the streets (and I meant literally drag one of our bags because the wheels had collapsed in protest by this stage). When we had covered quite a distance, we realized that we were nearly over the border and had not exited Peru as yet. Stop! Jorge had no idea and even argued with us that we were going the right way. Thankfully there was a bunch of taxi drivers standing there and they joined in and backed us up. One of them, although he looked really dodgy, suggested he take us and we dubiously said ok as there was really no other option. Well looks can be deceiving, its true, because, this young fellow turned out to be a gem. He looked after us a treat, even carrying the sad suitcase for me (which believe me was very heavy - remember we were moving house as well). So now we got across the border and had to go to the Ecuadorian Office to be let back in the country - no problems there and after another taxi ride back into town (because we had been told we could get a van service to Guayaquil, which was quicker, but it turned out there was only one seat available) we finally got on a bus. Not the end of the story because back at the border - the guards wanted to check through one of our suitcases - Mark had to open it up for him, while I sat in the bus a little worried because in that bag was a container of rice flour - I was sure they would think it was cocaine or something and we would be detained in a seedy prision until they tested it!

We arrived in Guayaquil at around 5.30pm - thankful that we had booked into the Bed and Breakfast for the night, I really couldn't have faced more bus travel without a good sleep under my belt - however that wasn't to  be as the neighbors decided to karaoke all night and one particular lady thought she was a great singer so hogged the microphone, but let me tell you she would have been booed off Ecuadors got talent in a heartbeat! Anyway we had no choice - we had to tackle the bus ride to Puerto Cayo and so to the Bus terminal we went - bought the tickets and made our way to where it was leaving from. The conductor of the bus said that our bus was the next one leaving, which we knew was not right and insisted he read our ticket and let us on. Then we had a fight with him because our seat numbers were 24,25 and he was trying to put us on 44,45 - we realized later that was why he didn't want us on the bus at all because he had let someone else have our seats. Well we finally sat down in 44 and 45 grumbling because it was at the back of the bus, and not very comfortable etc - when of course the person that was assigned to those seats comes along and wants us out. Time to play the - we don't speak spanish card - because by hook or by crook, I was not getting out of that seat and standing all the way to Jipijapa (2 1/2 hours) - so we let her fight it out with the conductor and it ended up with a young fellow standing (for just part of the way) - phew!

Gary met us at the bus stop and took us back to the house, but on the way showed us a property that we could buy. We met with the owner today and tomorrow we are going to the Municipilidad to see if it's value can be raised. It is just a little piece of land, not anything like the Paute property, but it is on the beachfront and so it could increase in value over time. Of course all we want it for at the moment is to get our residency so lets hope it works this time.