it's the weekend, weekend

Here is my weekend in pictures. Jasmine and I went to Machala for my good friend Nicky's 24th birthday. When we got to our friend's apartment, the sun was just setting over the city. It looked like this:

We spent the night eating delicious paramsean noodles and drinking fruit juice mixed with alcohol. Then we sat on the balcony and talked about zombies, other volunteers, weather, good music, and mental health. A neighbor was having a birthday party, and we had a clear view of the dance floor from our balcony. Of course, the music started blaring salsa and reggaeton around 9, but all the guests stayed seated in a circle, eating and not dancing, until 11, when the first brave souls stood up to jiggie.

Saturday, we went to Jambeli, which is an hour away from Machala by boat. The "life jackets" were foam with President Correa's face etched into them, and the seats were cramped together. Ben put it best: "My whole left ass cheek and leg are completely asleep." The boat ride was tipped to the side for the entire ride. Very comforting. The ride does take you through the mangrove forests off of Machala's coast, and timid dolphins lurk in the waters. Jambeli is a very nice beach, although when we went the water was filled with trash. By trash, I mean vats of cream cheese, plastic cups, and big logs. It was impossible to swim. Usually it is a very tranquilo place to swim, but because of the rising water levels this rainy season, it was filled with trash. Sunday, Jasmine and I were looking for a purse and I heard my name being shouted out on the city streets. I looked back and saw a Zarumen friend and his friend. In typical Zarumeno generosity, they dropped what they were doing to help us find a purse for Jasmine. I really love Zaruenos sometimes. When you need help, they help you, even if it's something as small as find a cheaper purse on the city streets than you'd find in the giant mall. Yesterday, after I got back to Zaruma, it rained and was freezing. But we were rewarded with this:

Then today, after the saga of laundry, it started to thunder. "Help me!" called my host mom. I thought something bad had happened, and rushed down the stairs, expecting to see her on the ground. Instead, she was hanging up orchids...on the clothes line. To soak up the rain. Here in Zaruma, we hang not just clothes, but flowers. Totally badass.

So there you have my weekend. Braving the rainy season, doing laundry, drinking fruit juice, visiting friends. Just another few days in Zaruma. Hasta luego, Andrea