Michelangels Peluqueria - Megan´s First Haircut

As many of you know, the "what to do with my hair" discussion was an ongoing one as the time for our departure grew near. Should I grow it out, or go for it and find a place to get it cut? What if it´s a bad cut? "It´s only hair, it´ll grow, right?" Right, but it could look funky in the meantime! September 7 marked our one month anniversary of living in Quito, and my last haircut with my beloved stylist, Michelle Pintor of Goleta, who many of you know well, was on July 22, before we left for Washington DC. My hair was long and crazy and really starting to bother me. It was time.
I discussed my somewhat urgent need to find a hair stylist with our friend Caro who suggested two places in Cumbaya, a half hour north of Quito, where she lives. Jon and I made plans to come out to Cumbaya on Saturday and spend the day there, getting hairs cut and spending time with our friends Jose Luis and Caro, their baby Julia Isabelle, and Caro´s brother and wife, Esteban and Vanessa. Caro and I were going to meet and both get a hair cut and spend some girl time together, then return to the house for lunch all together and relaxing.
Upon our arrival in Cumbaya it became clear that plans had changed, as plans often do here. Jose Luis picked us up in front of Helados Amazonas, instead of Caro as I had assumed and I began to realize that I would be completing a solo (sola) mission to get my first hair-cut in South America. Caro wasn´t able to come as she needed to get ready for the meal and prepare for the other company that was coming and the guys were going to buy some beverages and ice-cream for the lunch. We pulled up quickly in front of a peluqeria (hair salon) and without really knowing the plan in full, I hopped out of the car, without cell phone or book, and with $10 in my purse. I said a quick, confused good-bye to Jon, who was waiting in the car. "Here we go!", I thought.
As Jose Luis walked me in, I quickly inquired of him, whether or not anyone spoke English in the salon, how much a cut was and did he think $10 was enough. He was´n´t sure, but thought it would be. And no English. I had counted on the fact that I would be with Caro, so I felt a bit apprehensive! The owner was an Argentinian man named Michelangel, which I later came to find out is the name of the salon as well. Jose Luis walked me in and asked the owner if there was room for me to get a haircut, and apparently the answer was yes, becuase before I knew it, Jose Luis was out the door and I was alone, in the room surrounded by Ecuatorian woman with strips of foil wrapped around their hair and towels on their heads. In my flustered state, I had forgotten to make arrangements for the guys to pick me up. It all happened so fast and the plans were a bit unclear. But here I was, another adventure ahead of me!
I frantically searched the room for someone to guide me to a chair. Luckily, right away, a young Colombian man caught my eye and escorted me to a chair in the back. I tried to explain in the Spanish that I know, before he began washing my hair, that I wanted the same cut, only shorter, and that the front should be a bit longer and the back should be really short. At this time, I also asked how much a cut was, praying that I would have enough: "$6" came the reply. Phew.
He washed my hair and during this time, I asked him his name: Camilo. Perfect. Camilo finished the shampoo and, calling me by my name, took me to a chair in front a huge mirror. Again, we reviewed what I wanted, and he began cutting away. He used a similar tool that Michelle always uses, so I began to feel more at ease. I don´t know the name, but it is some sort of razor that you pull through the hair to make it less heavy and give it a lighter feel. I had to ask 2 times for him to cut it a bit shorter, and he did. I asked him to put some gel in my hair and he did. Camilo was very pleasant and attentive and had long curly hair himself. As always, it was a bit hard to tell how the final outcome would be, without washing and styling my hair myself, but it looked shorter and felt lighter and that was about right.
I had to pay up front and was again frustrated at my lack of Spanish. I don´t know if I was taken advantage of or not, but I gave the woman the ten dollars which apparently was just perfect. I asked for change, as I was planning on leaving a $2-3 dollar tip, but she took the ten and smiled and said thank-you. Sometimes, they charge separately for cuts, washes and styling. I think this may be what happened.
Relieved to be out into the open air, I remembered that I had not made arrangements to be picked up. I waited in the hot Cumbaya sun for Jon and Jose Luis. Eventually they arrived and I was still there, waiting with short, short hair. I had a few moments of panic about the cut. But after we got home to Quito, and I had time to shower, fix it myself with my product of choice, MacDaddy Bedhead Manipulator, and have Jon trims the ends off of a would-be mullet, I think all in all, it´s just fine.
I believe I would like to try a few other places before I settle on Camilo at Michelangels. Perhaps closer, and a bit cheaper. But, I made it through, sola, and came out okay on the other end of the shears.