Driving Through the Clouds

When we finally left the Chill Out Lodge (or the Freeze Out Lodge, as we like to call it), we took a taxi to our next hotel, which was 5 hours away.  Yes, we took a 5 hour taxi ride.  Don't ask how much it cost.  We are chalking it up to a medical expense because Michael's back was out and he couldn't lug our backpacks on and off buses all day.  Plus, it was a Sunday, so most of the car rental places were closed. And we are lazy.  Anyway, we took a taxi through the mountains and up into the clouds.  The elevation was somewhere around a billion feet high, I think.  (Okay, 3300 meters, or 2 miles!)

The views were amazing.  Clouds surrounded us on all sides, wrapping the trees in a hazy mist.  It was also a little disorienting to look down and see clouds.

Oh, and the taxi driver was awesome.  He didn't speak any English but was eager to help us get around.  The funniest part of our trip was watching him try to get us a car seat for Cassie.  He obviously wanted to make sure she was safe and abiding by the car seat laws. After asking a few people in town for extra car seats he finally found someone who loaned us one.  I think it was from the 1980's.  Cassie probably would have been safer sitting on my lap.  It was hilarious.

Oh, yes.  That happened.

When we arrived at the Hotel del Sur we were finally able to relax.  The past week we have been enjoying the relative luxuries of hot running water, TV, air conditioning, and a restaurant that serves things other than rice and beans.  It's been awesome!

They even have two pools, and a grocery store across the street where we bought Oreos, milk, and Huggies diapers.  Life is grand.  I'll be a little bit sad to check out of here tomorrow, but we are on our way further south to the town of Ojochal where we will be housesitting for the next 6 weeks.  I'm excited to get down there and get settled in to our new place.  I think I'll go stand in front of the A/C while I can!