The Final Week of School

This is the last week of school for Drew and I. It can´t come soon enough, it is time to start traveling again.

Overall, the school at the Sundown Inn has been great. My days here begin early, around 6:30, and I am starting to study by 7 or 7:30. After an hour of review we grab a bit of breakfast and then start two hours of class. At 11:30 we take a break and nap, surf, or swim until lunchtime. After lunch it is back to studying and class picks back up for two more hours in the afternoon. In all, I spend about four hours a day actually in school and several more hours studying vocabulary and conjugation. It´s a great vacation, really.

It gets dark here on the equator around 7:30 and by the time we finish dinner its pitch black out. Typically we spend our evenings playing cards or having bonfires out on the beach. At a $1 a bottle, we drink a lot of beer too. It is a simple existence, and it is driving me nuts.

Luckily, next week we are taking off for Banos, Ecuador. It is a little town (named for a bathroom) tucked up on the side of a volcano. A few years ago it was evacuated for an eruption, but the town was spared. Apparently it is a great spot for hiking, biking, and hot springs so we are looking forward to arriving there.

The final week here in school will not be without its entertainment. I am planning on going parasailing sometime this week (if the weather cooperates) and Drew and I are hiking out to some sea caves and a Blue-footed Boobie nesting site next weekend. Finally, Drew stupidly bet the owner of our hotel. For the next week Drew must eat all of his vegetables and the owner cannot smoke. Lucky me. Drew has to eat food he doesn´t like and our host is going without her smokes. Everyone should be in a great mood.