a day trip to Playas

Yesterday I went to Playas for the day. We (all the Canadians who are living and are involved in the ministry here) are trying to meet regularly to talk about things, pray with and for each other, and have a devotional time. Because some of us are now living out at the beach, we are taking turns at where we have the meeting. Yesterday it was our turn to go to there.
So we left at 8 in the morning to catch the bus, walked to where we could get the right bus to stop for us. And I am discovering that travel by bus here is almost always an adventure. Just part of daily life for those that are used to it, but a definite adventure for me!
When we got on that bus, it was full, well, the seats were all occupied, but in Ecuador, that's not full, far from it. So we resigned ourselves to standing all the way there (about 1 1/2 hours), but another discovery that I've made is that there are advantages to having gray hair, and being slightly on the mature side, shall we say. I was offered a place to sit, a little metal folding stool that the fare collector got down and set up for me. Right at the front of the bus, on a little raised area, facing backwards towards everybody. Kind of felt as though I was on a stage and should make a speech or do something interesting. (Of course, as a "gringa" here, everything I do is interesting!) But I was grateful for a place to sit, and settled down for the trip. But the peace didn't last. The bus kept stopping and more and more people got on, and you start to think that there really isn't room for anybody else, but there always is. At one point there were a family of 6 or 7 all standing in my tiny space, one leaning on me from the side, and one cute little child leaning on my knees for support. Then when the bus really is completely packed full, on get the vendors of food items, who think they are going to work their way through the bus to make some sales. And, unbelievably, do so! All very well and entertaining, but I was having quite a time trying to keep myself on the stool, because the driver's goal (besides trying to squeeze as many onto that bus as he possibly could) seemed also to be to try to throw me off my stool. He drove like a maniac, at top speed, then slamming the brakes on to go over a speed bump or pick up more passengers, swerving around potholes and hurtling around bends. And I was on a very small, unanchored folding stool, remember. I was scrabbling around trying to find something to hold onto to keep myself from tipping over. I didn't want to be that interesting! And my other problem was that right behind my head was the television set that they have on buses for your viewing pleasure, and every time the driver stopped or started my head banged into the bottom part that stuck out right at head level. Oh yes, it was quite a trip, the last half hour into Playas became an endurance test. But we made it, and it was wonderful to finally stagger off that bus onto terra firma!

We had a good day all together, the Marshalls, the Horsts, and us 3 from Caracol plus our visitors. We had a wonderful lunch together (pulled beef sandwiches, salads and 2 kinds of pie, yes pie!). Afterwards we had a great time of prayer together, giving thanks for so many things and praying for the work here, and for each other. Then Nikki led a time of discussion on prayer and we had some good discussion and sharing of thoughts. Finally we talked "business" matters, it's good to bounce things off each other and get input on issues that we are dealing with.
And at long last I was free to head for the beach, which may be my favourite place in the world! I just had to check to make sure it was still there, that nobody had rolled it up and taken it away since I was last there. Nobody had and I put my feet in the Pacific and had a lovely walk, and time to sit and let the peace and beauty wash over me and blow away the dirt and noise of Guayaquil. Late afternoon is such a beautiful time on that beach.
Then it was time to head for home, us 5 who are living in Caracol at the moment caught the bus back. That trip was not without interest, too. First the army got on and told all the men to get off while they checked both the men and their bags (I was told it was because 2 weeks before some guys had held up 2 buses between Playas and Guayaquil, waved guns about and robbed everybody). Then a guy who had lived many years in the US sat himself beside me and talked endlessly - told me more about his life than I think I needed to know, breathing beer and garlic into my face, and then wanting me to prove my faith to him ( he was Jewish). I finally plugged my ipod into my ears and tuned both him and the blaring salsa music out and slept.

As I walked along the street towards home, it felt as though I had been gone much longer than a day!