Our Last Tuesday in Ecuador

I woke up two hours before the kids to complete our packing..."OCD" person that I am.  This...after going through the garbage can outside at 1:30am in search for an envelope I've misplaced, with $140 in it.  I'm hoping I packed it away somewhere.  Our neighbors were sweet to get up early to see us off.  Thankfully, there wasn't an encore performance of last night and both kids were in much better moods.

The owner of the apartments volunteered to take us to the airport at 6:30am.  Their family and staff has come to really enjoy my kids, and are really going to miss them.  The staff left us notes under the door while we were out the previous day, to tell us farewell, best wishes and that they'd miss us.  Several of the residents had treated us to breakfast the morning before in the courtyard.  It's a cozy, family-friendly place.

We took the first flight to Guayaquil, where the US Consolate office is.  Our rep had been in Quito all day yesterday, Monday, to try to get all three family's (sp?) documents that are required in order to step into the US Consolate and get "Get Out of Dodge" final approval documents...aka...VISA for Alejandro...from the "Powers That Be."  She could have flown from Quito straight to Guayaquil that morning and met us, but instead opted to fly from Quito back to Cuenca, arriving home after 8pm to see her sleeping kids, and accompany us on our flight from Cuenca to Guayaquil.  She figured she could help me onto the flight with the luggage and two kids.  Amazing.  Thank you.  Yes, I thanked her perfusely.  It wasn't necessary.  I would have made do, but it was certainly helpful, as the plane was small with two seats on each row and Annie sitting across the isle.  She would have felt lonely, even though we were only 18 inches away.  How dedicated of the rep.  Our agency really lucked out with her, and so did I.

 We arrived to check in to a five star hotel (more like 3 1/2 to 4) across the street from the US Consolate.  The agency recommended it makes things easier...they were right.   Love it how they're always right, which is a hard thing to accept.  Just ask my hubby...right honey?  He takes the 5th.

We bump into the Riobamba family in the lobby doing their own running around for requirements.  The kids and I go up to our room and our rep goes into the Consolate to start pleading all our cases, all three families.  She was hoping to get the Riobamba and Cuenca families an afternoon appt.  The Quito family was still in Quito at this point.  NONE of us were hopeful to get a same-day afternoon appt.  Afterall...this is Ecuador...where nothing but the Taxi drivers move fast...and certainly not the internet! 

The kids and I relaxed in the luke warm Jaccuzzi until we were kicked out...no kids allowed, even though there were NO other patroners to be seen anywhere to be seen and no signs that said, "No Kids Allowed."  Annie asked for permission to "tell the man that he's a mean man and he just doesn't like kids".  Uuuuummmm.  First, she was right, and second, I would have wanted to do the same thing at five, almost six years old.  "Go for it, baby".  "Really, I can and I won't get in trouble?"  "Go for it."  And so, she did.  A chip off the ole block.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!

We went back to the room and had lunch.  A while later our rep called us...we needed to go to the Consolate, pronto!  On our way we were, with nothing but our passports in hand, both the Riobamba family and us.  I'm sorry to call them, "The Riobamba Family", but it would be unfair to name them by name in our blog and invade their privacy.  They didn't ask to be here but they are part of our adventure now.  Poor souls.

The Consolate appt went well.  We were there about 30 minutes for both families.  The Riobambas were especially happy because they had flights for the next day, Wednesday.  We were stuck here until Friday, no thanks to COPA Airlines...they suck.  You can buy a $1000 ticket per person to fly anytime, but you can't change your ticket for about 7-10 days.  Again, they suck.  I bet it doesn't say THAT in their fine print.

I called Jim to tell him we were absolutely done with everything.  He was very excited, to say the least.  He was very sweet to try everything to get us on an earlier flight home, but...did I happen to mention that COPA Air sucks?  I might have forgotten ;-)

We reserved ourselves to being here through the end of the week.  We went to the mall to try to get a few last minute gifts.  The malls here are so loud with overhead music, that I didn't hear my cell phone.  We almost missed our rep.  The Quito family had been here and was done with their process and she was free to leave.  She was able to get an immediate flight back to Cuenca (obviously, not Copa Air) and had been trying to get a hold of us.  I called her, thinking it had been a while since we heard from her, and she was on her way to the airport.

Oh no!!!  It couldn't be!! Our last goodbye couldn't be on a crummy connection via cell phone!!!  We ran out of the mall and into a taxi, which hauled...ahem...tail to the airport for us.  We got there just in time to give her a great big hug and a ginormous THANK YOU for all she had personally done for our family. 

I'd ran out of the mall with two confused kids.  Nothing less than bribery with Funland and ice cream would do.  We went back to the mall and found both.  Kiddos had a blast on the kiddie rides and later with ice cream.  Annie, once again, took the "Goodbye" hard and cried inconsolably.   I looked around and I found a puppy store.  What could cheer up a kid more than a puppy?  This worked great for both kids, until I had to tell Annie we couldn't get a puppy and we were right back to square-one.  Nice job mom...way to go.  Sigh of exhaustion.  This is going to be a long 2 1/2 days...

Love,
Lisandra