4:23 AM-- Aeropuerto

[Well, guys, this is almost it. I wrote this last entry in the airport terminal. It is pages and pages of reflections in Spanish that may be too complex and laborious to try to translate. I'll include the part about the end of our beach trip.]

Our days at the beach were undeniably tropical. Remember the strange man on the sofa? Well, he turned out to be a medical student friend of Gabriel's family who is currently doing his rounds at a hospital nearby Gabriel's house (I think). He told us that he has a friend living in this spacious, luxury-seeming beach-side apartment right on the beach, so we all got to stay for free right on the beach (instead of taking a taxi 20 minutes every morning from Gabriel's house). We ate fried fish and ceviche, and drank fresh-made coconut shakes. Under a thatched roof on the sand, I slurped rum raisin and strawberry ice cream, chunks of pineapple, and a rich berry syrup out of a fresh pineapple shell. We danced salsa and reggaton and merengue in a similar hut on the sand while a hot rain fell on the steamy kabob vendors outside. All the food was a little richer- a little more spice to make me sweat. We laughed and talked voraciously- mostly us girls. I truly loved Julia and Lisa. Julia got stung rather artistically by a jellyfish and we smeared fresh lime pulp all over it. The sun set on the ocean (I don't believe I had ever witnessed this pacific pleasure before).
We took a bus back at midnight and arrived to a dimly-lit Quito at six in the morning. That day was spent saying last-minute goodbyes (to Lau Lau and Daniel) and buying last-minute gifts at the artesianal market. Sara's apartment mates had a party with musical chairs and noise makers. It was fun, but I decided to turn in at about midnight and try to get at least three hours of sleep before waking for the airport. Esteban and Sara accompanied me in taxi and in the darkness of 3:30 AM, we said our last goodbyes.
sad.
what a trip.