Postcard from Ecuador

"The flight to Manta is cancelled.  The next flight is in two days," the Spanish speaking voice announces rapidly over the intercom.  Sitting in the small airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador, my friend and I look at each other with the same "Oh, no, what do we do now?" expression.  Our flight from the United States had gone so smoothly, but now we are in Ecuador.  Suppressing panic, we retrieve our eight large suitcases from behind the ticket counter and recruit a young man to help us get to the bus station so we can continue our journey.  With the aid of our companion, we successfully navigate the chaos of a third world bus terminal, significantly larger and more crowded than the airport.  After riding for hours on a local bus, we arrive at our destination and are met by our friends.  Why do I travel?  To deliver medical and school supplies to a remote, impoverished village in Ecuador.   (July 1999)