Mi Cumpleaños + Update

My family had a big party for my birthday on Tuesday. I was relaxing in the hammock in my room, when I got the usual *Emily, dinner is ready* call, but of course in Spanish. I came out of my room, and they put on this music and started singing some birthday song and clapping. There were about 15 people there...all of the usuals, plus some other people who I am not sure live in the mystery rooms or not. There was a big pink cake on the table, with a fat dinner candle stuck in it. (I later found out this is not normal...that they do use normal cake candles here, but I guess they didn´t have any.) I wasn´t sure what I was supposed to do so I just kind of bobbed my head. Sadly Mitch wasn´t there because he was pretty sick that day and couldn´t take the smell of food.

After the strange birthday song they sang Happy Birthday in Spanish, and then again in English. It was really nice. I wasn´t sure if I was supposed to blow out the candle or not, because a) this was all happening before dinner, and b) it was so big, I thought maybe it was normal to just let it burn in the cake while you ate, like the cake was a big candle holder or something. Finally I figured out I was supposed to blow it out. I think they might have had to sing one more time until I managed to grasp that concept.

My mom made a really fancy dinner...Rice with shrimps, and chicken and salad. And we got pop for dinner! Which we never get. The little kids were really happy. And Alejandra was as thrilled as I was with the cake, because it was pink. We all ate together for a change, and it was really fun.

After dinner I went out with Hamilton and some of his friends, and met up with some school friends. It would have been better of course if Mitch were there, but I made a new friend, Jose Luis who is really nice. So that was mi cumpleaños!

In other news, I am getting sad that it is almost time to leave Montañita for the Galapagos. As amazing as I am sure they will be, I really really like it here. We have today and tomorrow, and then it is time to pack up Saturday and take the 5pm bus to Guayaquil. We will stay the night in Guayaquil and catch a morning flight to the Galapagos for our cruise!

Before we go, I am trying to cram lots of things in! Tonight I am supposed to go with Jose Luis to a nearby town, about 30 minutes away, on his motorcycle. Last night he tried to teach me how to drive it on the beach, but I didn´t really pass lesson 1, so I will just be a passenger! It was really hard, because you have to shift gears. Isidro also said maybe we can go snorkling around the reef near the Point tomorrow, because the waves are supposed to be smaller.

Right now Mitch and I are going to walk up to the top of the point to take some pictures of the Church there. Gotta cram that in before class in an hour and a half!

No time to post any birthday pictures now, but will have to have something saved up to show you all when I am back!

Miss everyone...see you soon!