Kidnapped!

Sunday morning around 8:30 I woke to a knocking at my hotel room door. I looked down and realized I was still wearing the clothes from the night before. I also realized I was still a little drunk. I answered the door to find a young man telling me to hurry and get my things, a cab was waiting to take me to the airport. I knodded okay and shut the door. Without showering or changing, I quickly gathered up my things and stuffed them into my pack. I also tried to piece together the night before as I skipped down the stairs to the street below.

The taxi (taxis in the Galapagos are white pick-up trucks with no identifying marks) was waiting out front with the guy who just woke me up sitting in the passenger seat. I threw my bag in the bed of the truck and crawled into the back space behind the passenger seat. As we pulled off it suddenly hit me that no one knew what hotel I was staying in. Only the girls that walked me back the night before knew. But would they have sent a taxi for me? I couldn`t remember them saying anything about it.

I asked the dude in Spanish if we were picking up anyone else. He said there were two other people to pick up. This made me feel a bit better, but still didn`t explain how he knew where I was staying or that I needed a ride. I tried to remain calm and just wait to see who else we picked up. We made two more stops and the dude hopped out of the car each time and disappeared into a hotel. But both times he returned solo. I asked where the other passengers were and he said he didn`t know, but we needed to get moving. Then he and the taxi driver started conversing quickly in Spanish. I tried to jog my memory. Who knew I was at that hotel? Who would have sent this guy? Did I order a cab the day before? Damn my horrible memory.

I started to panic. Was I being kidnapped? What were those guys saying to each other? I couldn`t understand a word. I started texting my coworker and describing the cab. Um, it`s white. There`s a latino driving (duh, I am in Latin America) and a black dude in the passenger seat. I think we`re heading to the airport but I don`t know. If I don`t text in an hour, call the Galapagos police. Shoot, no signal. This national park needs more cell phone towers. Finally it occured to me to ask the guy how he knew where I was staying and that I needed a ride.

"Last night at the club you said you wanted to sleep in and not take the bus. I told you I would add you to the list of passengers I needed to take to the airport."

"I met you at the club?"

"Yes, Gina introduced us."

"Ah, yes, of course. Good deal. Carry on then."

And then my organizer went back to chatting with the driver. 10 minutes later we arrived at the airport. The taxi ride cost him $15, which was to be divided by the three passengers, but he only charged me $5. I bought him a Gatorade and thanked him several times. Then I walked over to the guy holding a sign for the Encantada where I met the rest of the passengers of the yacht trip. I kept a safe distance remembering that I had not showered and probably reaked of alcohol. As soon as we got on the yacht, I retreated to the shower and took a nap.