Sunburn can be especially unkind to pale-skinned white guys with shaved heads. A bit of peeling, a couple of scabs, and all of a sudden I look like a cross between Mikhail Gorbachev and the Singing Detective. The hat is staying on for a while.
When I got into the back seat of the taxi to take me to Cuenca bus station on Thursday morning, I found a dollar coin lying at my feet. As I’m an honest guy, I picked it up and reached forward and placed it on the front passenger seat. The driver immediately erupted into a rapid stream of Spanish, and I didn’t catch a word of it but the meaning was plain: “I’m not taking you all the way to the bus station for one measly dollar, you stinking tight-fisted gringo mound of decomposing llama poop.” Houston, we have a misunderstanding. I tried to explain that it was just a dollar I’d found, but unfortunately at that precise moment I couldn’t for the life of me remember the verb for ‘find’ (encontrar). Fortunately he spoke a little bit of English, so between us we cleared it up and parted friends. Phew.
Another misunderstanding occurred the second time I went into that Zoe restaurant I mentioned previously. I was coming back from the gents to my table, which was near the main door; and the waiter was nowhere to be seen; and I was dressed reasonably smartly. The result, somewhat inevitably, was that an American couple walked in and asked me if they could have a table for two. (I wish I’d had the presence of mind to say – sure, the special offer tonight is all you can eat for $20 each, cash up front, thanks, sit anywhere you like, I’m off, bye).
Anyway I’m currently spending my second night in Loja, which is not quite as nice as Cuenca but worth visiting nonetheless. I’m staying at the Grand Hotel, which, as that particular name always seems to hint, is distinctly past its best. They have their own printed towels, but I don’t think they ever made it past the first edition.
Incidentally, my mobile doesn’t seem to work at all over here, so if anybody has tried texting me then apologies.
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| I took no nonsense from the bitch on reception |
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I've checked and it's definitely Hotel Prado.
I wonder if the signwriters actually got paid?
At least the emblem is spelt correctly! |
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| Iglesia Santo Dominga, Loja |
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| Iglesia Matriz, Loja |
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| that church again...and a statue... |
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| church.................statue..............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz |
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| A simple spelling mistake? Or something more sinister? |
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| It looks like another church, but I suspect it's actually where the local drug lord lives |
