Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - Friday, February 28, 2014

We were supposed to go out on the ocean on a boat. The boat was acting up and the engine wouldn't start. Most of is just have up and went back to the shore. A couple stayed on and eventually they got the boat started. While they were on the boat ride those of us who stayed on the shore had fun. I rode a banana tube. Those things are lame. Normal tubes are way more fun. You fall off of the banana tube too easily. They had a normal tube there too that some people took a ride on. I just wanted to try the banana because it was something I had never done. It was weird to see the kids so excited about the tube ride. I guess they didn't grow up with a boat and lake haha. Then when everyone got back to the beach we saw the henna man!  He have tami and Colin I henna tattoo of the rotary symbol. I've always wanted a henna tattoo. I got a big one on my side. No one else got one that day. The next day a couple more people did though. Tuesday night we headed back to the Guayaquill. Then to the border. Then to Tumbus.  Then to Zorritos. In all it took 11 hours. We left at 8 o'clock on Tuesday and arrived in torritos on Wednesday morning at 7. We spent the next 3 days in Zorritos at the beach. It was amazing. The weather was perfect. It was so relaxing. The first morning I got there and fell asleep on a bed on the beach for a couple hours. They were the hotel's next to us bed. But we used them the entire time. Irene's mom passed away on our viaje so we had a campfire in Irene's departure back homes honor. We all said something nice about her and have her something from Peru. The first night we had a campfire just for fun though. We roasted marshmallows and made make do s'mores with the supplies we could find here. We also had hot dogs. The quitar was brought out and we say around the campfire for hours just singing.  We went to bed the first night at 11:30. Irene's party was the second night. Days were spent at the beach. Nights were spent at the beach. It was amazing. Needless to say there was sand everywhere.   The hotel didn't have hot water or clean rooms. But it was still the best place we stayed because it was on the beach. The foundation was in the sand. It was paradise. It was amazing. We spent hours playing in the big waves. They were so powerful. We spent hours sleeping on the beautiful beach. It was awesome. On Friday I woke up and took a shower and packed. I spent the rest of my time at the beach just laying there. We are lunch at 11:30. Boarded the bus at 12. Drove 4 hours to an airport.  We got stopped by police and searched for drugs and bombs. Then we continued our journey to the airport. I boarded an airplane at 7. Flew home. Arrived at 8:30. My family got there to pick me up at about 8:45. I slept the whole way home. I slept most of the day Saturday. It was an amazing trip. I was glad to be home at the same time too though. I don't know why I was so tired. I guess the nights of bus ride sleeping (which wasn't much) had added up. It was such an amazing trip though. 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Guayaquil, Ecuador-

We rode in a bus all night and then arrived in Ecuador. We had to cross the border to Ecuador. It was fun to get another passport stamp. It is so easy to get into other countries. I don't picture it being that simple to get into the states, but I guess we'll see. On Sunday we woke up and had a tour first by walking. We went around the city. We saw the iguana  park and a really pretty Catholic Church. I guess since it was Sunday we spent about 10 minutes sitting in the church. It was really pretty. 

The iguanas were just kept in front of the building. All over the landscape. 

After walking around the city for a few minutes we were able to take a bus tour. 

We had fun on the bus tour listening to music and dancing on top of the bus. Now that I think about it. We did not so the bus your on Sunday. I do not remember what day we did it on though. So I will leave it in this post. After the city tour and the iguanas we went on a boat tour. Not a bus tour. The boat your was fun. Me and Tami became friends on the boat tour. We sat next to eachother and talked the whole time. We danced some on the boat too because I asked the driver to turn the music up.  

Tami is the red head 

After the boat ride we went to a square full of turtles. They keep a lot of animals in the middle of the city there. It is weird. I don't know why they do it.

After the turtles we went and ate lunch. It was at a pretty spot near a river. We stayed there for hours. I took a nap on a bench near the river and fell asleep. I also read a bunch of chapters from the Book of Mormon and listened to music. Others went shopping around the area. It was just a lazy afternoon. 

That night we had free time when we returned to the hotel. Me and tami ate a mcdonalds and played in one of those inflatable balls that goes on water.  It was the Election Day of their mayor so there were big celebrations that night. Everything was closed and mcdonalds was the only place we could find open. There were fireworks for awhile though. So that was cool.  That was all we did Sunday. 

I don't have a picture of my in that floating ball. Only a video. You can see part of it in the first firework picture though. It was really really fun. I have wanted to do that my whole life. 

Monday, February 24, 2014

Okay. It was Monday morning that we had the bus tour. After that tour we took a bus to Las Salinas, Ecuador. I think we just went to the beach this day and hung out. 

I swam really far out to those Clark signs.  I think I got stung by a really small jelly fish. That is me standing up out there. 

The water was really clear here. This is where we could see for about 5 feet. That's pretty deep for me. I've never been able to see that far in water. We had another free night at this beach. Me and tami went and got ice cream. We walked along the beach and talked. We had to be in the hotel kind of early this day. Then I went to sleep. 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

We travelled all Friday night to Tumbus Peru. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It was so lush and green. We got a hotel room to shower in when we got to Tumbus.  We then took a city tour. We went to the square of course and looked at other things before we boarded little boats.

We were taken out on these boats to the most beautiful surroundings I've ever seen, like I said. I was really enjoying myself. We ended jumping into the water. Later we found out that was not a good idea. Charo was pissed. She drove up next to us in another boat. She told us "there are tons of animals in this area that could kill you if you're in the water!!!"  Apparently there are tons of sting rays where we were. Oops. Oh well. We all lived. We took the boats to the side. We all got off and started hiking through vegetation. We looked for large crabs as we went. It was day time though and we didn't see any. We ended up in a place full of crocodiles. 

We then took the boats to a little island with a restaurant. It was a joke with me and one of the other exchange students that I never get fed. They just always forgot my food and I would have to ask. At this restaurant I never did get my food. I asked once everyone had already finished. 

This is Romi, Stephanie, and Emily. 

Romi is the sweetest girl I think I have met in my entire life. I was in a hotel room with her the entire time except one night. Stephanie is the most beautiful person on the planet. Her hair is incredible when it is down. Emily was the girl I hung out with the most on my trip. I grew to resent her by the end though. Exchange students have tons of drama and I can't take it. This girl is insecure and I just can't be around her. You know how insecure people are. We had fun together though. But by the end I was glad to be away from her and not have to spend anymore time with her. Of course, she will never know that. I none of the other exchange students will either. This was the first of many AMAZING days spent at the beach. The water at this beach was actually warm. Most beaches are cold because it is the Pacific Ocean. The further north we go though the warmer the water. We all spent the entire day in the water playing. By the end it was hard to get out because it had become overcast and chilly outside though. I remember I had been sick this day. A stomach virus was passed around the exchange students. Luckily it only lasted 24 hours. One kid got sent home to Lima and it is still under debate if he will be returning to France because he got drunk and puked all over the bus station. 2 other kids had to return to Lima because their passports had been stolen. They had left all their stuff on the bus while we were looking at the birds the other day. When we came back everything was gone.  So the 3 of them got on a bus while we were at the beach and sent back to Lima. 

My fear of the ocean disappeared this day. I had the best time ever.