Tuesday was a little bit of a long day. I had a test in the morning, a paper due in the next class, then marketing, which is always a little bit intense (but the profe is great). So it was even more awesome when I got on the WRONG BUS to go home to Quito for lunch.
All the buses that leave Cumbayá are green ones, and I thought that every one of them went to Rio Coca, the final Quito stop, a block from where I live. But apparently about 1 in 100 or something goes to SOUTH QUITO dun dun dun....
It really wasn't that bad... I got on the back door of the bus because it was leaving and i just wanted to get home fast, I didn't hear the driver say anything like they sometimes do, announcing the destination "A Quito a Quito a Rio Coca a Quito!" I sat on the bus for a little while, until we got to a place where we should have turned north, but we turned south....
I decided that we had to get to the city eventually, because we were going south but also a little west (towards Quito), so I waited and didn't ask the driver anything for a while. Eventually we got to an area with tons of building that looked like the city, and everyone got off the bus, so I asked how I could possibly get to the southernmost stop on either the Trole or the Ecovia (bus lines). The driver said to cross the road (highway) and hail a taxi to take me to the Ecovia stop.
Problem was, I only had 75 cents! There was of course no bank in sight, so I just started walking north, hoping I would be able to see El Panecillo (hill with a sculpture of the virgin mary on top in south Quito), but I couldn't. Finally I got to a small bus stop with an overlook, and there were 3 taxis lined up on a road. I asked the first taxi how far it was to the last Ecovia stop, told him that I was lost, and told him that I could only give him 50 cents (i needed 25 to get on the Ecovia).
Luckily he told me it was close by :) and I wouldnt have been able to walk there because it was down a big hill then up another big hill on the highway. So he dropped me off just a block from the bus stop, and I thanked him very very much, and proceeded to ride the whoooole Ecovia (all the way north to my house) home.
Fin. whew.
Student Reflection
3 years ago
3 comments:
You know ... this kind of story makes a mother cringe. All's well that ends well! I'm sure you learned a valuable lesson for all future bus travel. I did a similar thing when I was your age and first working in Chicago. I got on the Dan Ryan El instead of the Evanston Express,(they weren't known by colors then), and didn't realize it until I saw Comiskey Park, (also ancient history for where the White Sox played). I survived too! Love you, Mom
Wow, sounds like you never lost your cool!
Ann
Carolyn! That is soo scary! I know you are good at keeping cool, but still stay safe out there. We already know you are a badass, no need to rpove it by going to what i assume is the bad part of Quito.
Anyways. Miss ya!
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