Missing Ruminhaui

So, my big plan to climb Ruminhuai fell apart. I should say right up front that I had some reservations about it. The guide did not exactly sound professional. From what I understand, he left a person alone when she got exhausted and tired. So I can’t complain too much. That said, it wasn’t the poor quality guide that convinced me not to go.

In fact, I was packed and ready to go. It would have been the highest peak I had ever climbed by a good thousand feet or so. Unfortunately, just as the e-mail from one of my co-workers came with the instructions, the internet crashed. Not having a phone, this was my one avenue for information. So, eventually it was time for bed – and still no information.

This by the way is one of the joys of living in the third world. As I mentioned before, we are having rolling blackouts here. Although we did not lose power last night, I think that the internet might have crashed because of the black outs – so who knows?

I got up the following morning at about 6:15, and kind of putzed around for another 15 minutes before finally reading the e-mail telling me that I had to be at an Ecovia (kind of like a trolley service) stop at 7:00. By the time I got dressed – finished organizing my stuff and got to the door it was almost 7:00. I didn’t get a cab until 7:15, and got the meeting place after 7:30. Needless to say, the party was gone – or at least I didn’t see them.

The lesson learned – buy a cell phone.