Monday, Aug. 04, 2003 - 7:13 p.m.
Travel Delays...
I was supposed to leave for my trip on Saturday, August 2nd, but I learned Fri night that my travel partner Tom couldn't leave until Monday because that's when he was getting paid. At first I was annoyed because I've been sort of waiting around for him and was mentally (not physically) prepared to leave--I'm still packing my stuff. I stayed up all night Thursday packing and am still not finished. So, here I had already said goodbye to a bunch of people, and have been mentally preparing to have left Cuenca by now. It is quite frustrating to keep having my departure day delayed! However, in some ways it hasn't been so bad having a few more days to prepare for my trip and tying up loose ends.
Foot Fungus
After learning that I wasn't leaving the next day, on Friday night I went out to eat with some friends and all of a sudden something weird and painful started happening to my right foot. Long story short, I discovered that I have aquired a fungus on my foot! And guess where I got it? From the shower in my own house! I knew our bathroom wasn't that clean, but you never expect to get this kind of stuff from your own house! I believe that I've had this fungus for months, but I didn't realize what it was and figured it would go away. But on Friday night it flared up really badly, to the point where it felt that my foot was on fire! Well, I went to the doctor the next day and Tom went with me and translated. The doctor gave me some antibiotics, plus I have cream to put on my foot and talcum powder for my shoes. I started taking the medicine right away (nasty tasting stuff). Then on Sunday I started to feel pretty nauseus and I assumed it was a side effect of the antibiotics the doctor prescribed for me. But by the evening I was getting painful stomach cramps as well which made me worry that something else was wrong with me and that I would need to return to the doctor the next day. So I called a few people, including a fellow teacher and medical doctor John. He asked me what medicines I was taking and when I told him he said "Oh, that's Erythromycin". I balked and exclaimed "I'm allergic to Erythromycin!" I had told the doctor all the medicines (antibiotics) that I'm allergic to before she wrote the prescription, so I didn't even look at the name of the medicine that she prescribed (besides, it was in Spanish). John also said that unless my infection was severe, he wouldn't have prescribed pills, but some kind of cream to treat it topically. So I immediately stopped taking the pills and today (Monday) went to the pharmacy to buy some (expensive) foot cream. My foot is doing better, and today so is my stomach, although I still don't have all of my appetite back.
"It'll grow on me"
Other news is that I got my haircut on Friday. I didn't realize that it was going to be so short! (I was sleep deprived, so I guess I didn't communicate with Joyce, my friend and hairdresser that well). I feel like I look a little like Liza Minelli now! It is sooooo short! But it is a good cut for traveling. When I washed my hair today it dried in like 10 minutes (and I used a lot less shampoo too!). The haircut is okay, lot of people tell me they like it and that it looks cute. I think the cut will "grow on me" (pardon the pun) and I'll like it more in about a month.
Ready...Set...Ready...Set...
Now, here I am, Monday eve still in Cuenca. I am incredibly frustrated right now, I can't believe it. I can't get a hold of Tom, my traveling partner. He doesn't have a phone in his apartment so I can't call him and he hasn't contacted me in the last 2 days. I have been e-mailing him (eg; where the *ç#@ are you?) and I went by his apartment today looking for him. I certainly hope that he calls me tonight or something. I am really sick and tired of waiting (it's been almost a week since I originally planned to leave) and the longer I have to wait in Cuenca the less time I have on the road and back here in Cuenca in November. I told Tom I am leaving tomorrow whether you can go with me or not. I'm not going to wait any longer. I am so freekin´ annoyed right now I can't even describe it. This is not a good start to my trip and it's not a good way to start out with my travel partner!
Well, unless you hear otherwise, I'll be on the road tomorrow, headed for Peru. I will update my diary again the first chance I get.
