“Baños, when you just can’t cut it."

Being sick for 3 weeks while traveling alone was more than challenging, and honestly, just before Christmas, I considered flying home so my momma could take care of me. (Tickets were amazingly cheap, even on Christmas Eve.) Staying with the family in Quito, that incidentally I found through CraigsList, was a blessing, because on the days I didn’t feel like leaving my room, they fed me and shared lots of healthy, hot tea.  I am so grateful to Telmo, Diana, Cindy and Kevin for their kindness.

Two days before Christmas, I decided to leave the cold, rain and smog of Quito for the warm climate of Baños de Ambato, and vowed stay there until I was well. The first hostel I stayed in was located at a major intersection of activity in the town, and my room was on the 4^th (top) floor. This was good, because even when I was not feeling well enough to leave my room, I still felt like part of the action, being able to see children’s parades and lots of city life, peering out from the giant window at the head of my bed. Baños is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and situated at the foot of a large, active volcano. There are evacuation route signs everywhere. This hostel I stayed in for the first 5 nights is called “Hostel Eruption!”

Christmas Eve is when I first met Clayann and Colin of Washington state. They were eating in my hostel’s restaurant. They kindly invited me to their hostel family’s Christmas Party, which unfortunately I was unable to attend. Christmas day, for me, was spent in bed. I only left to go to my favorite family owned restaurant right next door for some vegetable soup and then a sandwich to-go.

I consider Christmas Eve my Christmas this year. 

Excerpt from my journal:

What I really want to write about now is that it is Christmas Eve. I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks, and forced myself out of my hostel bed here in Baños, because I needed to eat. I walked into this candlelit restaurant (because they have some vegetarian food) and was asked, in Spanish of course, “One or two? Two?” with the unnecessarily added inflection of “of course two, no?”

“Just one,” I replied.

“All alone, really, on Christmas Eve?” said he.

“Sad, no?” said me. But really I am not that sad. I only want to feel better. I am splurging on a half vase of hot wine with cinnamon now. It is delicious! I wish I had a green Santa hat like of the girls working here.

This hot wine is yummy! . . . Chirstmas in BaNos!

Recipe for the hot wine:

Add wine, sugar and spices into a pot and boil it. Spices to add are clavo de olor, cinnamon, pimiento dulce and smashed anise.

“How many people work here?” I inquired.

“Five.”

“I would like to buy a liter of this hot wine for us all to share.”

We raised our glasses to the entire restaurant, “Salud! Feliz Navidad!”

Afterwards, my waiter and his wife invited me to a local bar and treated me to more hot wine and a game of foozball.

I spent all of Christmas Day in bed. Though I did end up with a green Santa Claus hat!