Mindo!

This weekend nine of us went to Mindo which is a cloud forest in northern Ecuador.  Our hostal was amazing.  It was an orchid garden and had a bunch of hummingbirds.  And the owner would put out bananas in the morning that would attract several different varieties of toucans! Breakfast was included and was delicious! 

The first day we went tubing.  Basically they tie a bunch of tubes together and we sit in between them.  The guides then takes us down the rapids kicking off rocks along the way.  It was a blast and the guides looked like they were having so much fun! I would/want to definitely do it again! After the tubing we went to a butterfly sanctuary and were able to look at hold some gorgeous butterflies.  We also saw the caterpillars and their cocoons as well! Some of the cocoons looked like little gold earrings, they were so pretty.  Then we went to a chocolate store where we had a tour of the whole process.  We saw the fruit the cacao beans come from and even tried the fruit which was incredibly delicious.  We saw the process of drying and fermenting the beans along with how it's turned into chocolate.  We then got to make our own chocolate by adding ingredients to our cacao paste.  And at the end of the tour we got to sample a brownie! It was a very interesting and delicious experience! 

Then next day we went zip-lining.  It was so fun riding across the tops of the trees.  Our guides were pretty funny and one of the people in our group was actually working for the sip-lining company so we all had a great time! I won't lie, I was more than a little scared on the first run, but after that I was ready for more! Afterwards we went on a cable car that took us to the trails to see some waterfalls.  Normally there is a spot in which you can jump off a rock into the rushing water, but because of all the ran, the current was way to strong so we just admired the beauty for a while.  

Then it was time to head back to Quito and time to get back to homework.

I only have about a month left and I have mixed feelings.  I've decided that I'm probably ready to be back in the US, but I am in no way ready to leave Ecuador.  I still have a few things I want to do and places to see.  But most of all, I don't want to leave the people I've met here, both Ecuadorian and International.  It's going to be hard.  So I'm choosing not to think about it! 

I will try and update my blog a bit more frequently.  Sorry I've been so terrible lately! 

Semana Santa in Quito

I spent Holy Week (well the weekend at least) in Quito in order to see the famous Good Friday procession.  It was quite interesting.  Men and women dress in purple robes, as jesus, and as roman soldiers and process though the streets of the historic center.  Some men were walking with chains, some with crosses, some with wooden and beams, and some even had cactuses on there backs.  It's very traditional to carry whips as well and hit themselves as they process.  For these people, this pain is a form of punishment for their sins.  They experience some of the pain that Jesus suffered as he was put to death.  Many of the people don't wear shoes and I could tell that the heat from the black pavement was pretty painful.
I went with Molly's host family to the procession and they are very stereotypical Ecuadorians in the sense that we were late getting to the procession and then we slowly, very slowly, walked around to find a better view of the procession.  It was an experience.  We then had the typical semana santa soup.  It contains almost every grain/hearty vegetable you can think of.  For me, it's quite intense and I can rarely finish a bowl.  We then walked through a park where I shot a gun at a wall and won some free candy! Molly wasn't as lucky.  Then we headed back to our houses and somehow didn't end up paying for our bus!
I spent the rest of the week relaxing and enjoying the last bit of my spring break!

Peru (Machu Picchu and Cuszo)

For Spring Break/Semana Santa I traveled my way down to Peru.  We left Thursday night and arrived in Lima for our 5:45am flight.  We figured we would be able to sleep outside our gate in some nice comfy chairs, but no, we couldn't go through security until 3am so we just lounged around the Lima airport and slept for a little while in a hallway.  We successfully made it on our flight and arrived in cuzco around 7am.  We then hopped in a taxi to purchase our tickets to Machi Picchu and decided on taking a tour bus through the Sacred Valley (our taxi driver was very convincing and had a company all lined up for us).  It was gorgeous. First we went to the ruins of Pisac, which was where I bought a memory card for my camera because I had forgotten it in my computer at home.  Then we ate a delicious Peruvian lunch and continued onto Ollantaytambo.  The ruins there were quite amazing.  Pisac was more ruins of an old town and in Ollantaytambo, it was ruins of a temple that had lots of stairs and terraces.  The town also was basically all inca foundation (one of the only cities that the Spanish did not completely destroy and rebuild upon).  So all the streets and foundations of buildings were inca.  I really loved it there and wished we had had more time to explore.
The next day we left at 6am to Aguas Calientes on Perurail.  It was a beautiful train ride through the Peruvian countryside.  When we got to Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu), we checked into our extremely nice hostal (best shower I've had in Latin America) and bought food for lunches and dinner to help save on the cost of staying in a town built for tourists.
Then we grabbed the bus up to Machu Picchu! It was amazing.  I have always dreamt about going there, so to be standing in Machu Picchu was truly breathtaking.  It's nestled in between several mountains and there literally are no bad views from anywhere in the archeological site.  We hired a guide and she told us all about the abandoned city.  I couldn't believe it had been lived in for 100 years and then the town fled to escape the Spanish.  All that work for only one generation.
That night we made pasta and homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner.  It was thrown together randomly, but turned out to be quite delicious!  We met an argentinean, a couple of americans, a peruvian, and a guy from norway.  It was great hearing all there stories and reasons for being at Machu Picchu!
The next day we returned to Machu Picchu in the early morning to hike up Huana Picchu.  It was very mystical seeing the town covered in fog and clouds.  Once again it was breathtaking.  It was about an hour long uphill/upstairs hike in the rain.  When we finally got to the ruins it was pouring rain and pretty chilly, so we hid in a cave for a while trying to decide whether we should head back or not.  At first it was so cloudy we couldn't see anything and we thought we might have hiked up and paid extra for nothing.  But then suddenly the clouds parted and we got to see Machu Picchu from above.  It was incredible.  We could see everything we have wondered through yesterday and so much more! It was definitely worth all the effort! (We actually ran into several people who had wanted to climb Huana Picchu but the tickets were sold out, so we were thankful we splurged and got the tickets ahead of time). After a while of soaking in the beauty we descended back down to Machu Picchu and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city some more.
We then headed back to Cuzco.  Our train got delayed, it was having some mechanical problems.  Then the tracks were out so we were bused the rest of the way.  Our hostal boys were supposed to pick us up at the station, but we had told them we were coming by bus so they went to the other station while we were dropped off at the train station.  We finally found our hostal and of course the guys weren't there to check us in because they were still waiting for us.  But thankfully a guest let us in and got us settled.
The hostal was great.  It's partnered with a children's charity in Peru so all the money goes straight to needy kids.  And it was run by two guys (one is a forest guide and the other runs the charity).  They were great and so helpful with everything.  They even came out with us to do a couple of things and show us the city.  I want to go back and volunteer with them sometime.  Just have to find the time and money!
In Cuzco we went to several museums (colonial art, inca history, cacao history).  It was all interesting and beautiful.  The crazy thing abut Cuzco is that it's very touristy.  We kept calling it Peruvian Disneyland.  And it kinda was.  Everyone was so surprised when we spoke spanish and by how good we were at speaking the language.  It was interesting converting everything from soles (which I kept calling pesos) into dollars.  But I couldn't believe how cheap it was, and I though Ecuador was cheap! We all bought alpaca sweaters and other little souvenirs.
Overall it was an amazing trip and I really hope I get to go back!

Sorry for the Absence!

It's been a very busy week. I had a big paper due, my ceramics project is due soon, and I'm about to leave for Machu Picchu in a week!
Last weekend we went to Montañita, which a beach town in the south.  I think it's supposed to be about 10 hours away.  We left Thursday night at 8:30 to get to the bus station in the south at 9:30 so we could get our tickets for our 10:30 bus to Porto Lopez where we would catch a bus to Montanita.  When we got to Quitumbe, the bus company that Ben had called told us the only night bus that left for Puerto Lopez leaves at 7pm.  So we went to the next window and bought a ticket for Manta.  I had seen a map with both Manta and Montañita on it and I thought they looked close.  False apparently they are almost 5 hours apart.  So we got on the bus, which was not a very nice one for the distance it was traveling (normally these buses are super nice and have bathrooms, air conditioning, and movies, this one had none of that).  The bus would wait at each station for a long time, so needless to say it took quite a while to get to Manta.
Finally we arrived in Montañita.  We looked around for a hostal and a lot of them were around $15.  However, we found two for $8 and $10.  We decided we would look at both and then decide.  So we went to the $8 one first.  It had water on the floor and did not look the greatest, the bathroom was a little grimy as well.  But one person said it was okay for her so then everyone kind of just agreed to it as well. I said we should at least check out the other one first, but I was outnumbered.
So we put our stuff down and got dressed for the beach! We ate some lunch (for $1.50!) and then went to la playa! It was beautiful and the water was pretty warm.  Although Montañita is known for its surfing (and hippie/foreign vibe), the waves were actually calmer then where we were in Salinas.  As I was laying out on the beach a tattoo guy walked by and asked if I wanted one (people are always walking by on the beach trying to sell things from food, to jewelry, to sunglass, to pictures with snakes!).  I, of course, declined.  But he started talking to me and eventually sat down.  Our conversation lasted for about and hour and a half.  He told me he lived on an island and that I should come with him. I told him no, because that would be dangerous since I would have no way to escape.  He also asked if I wanted a free tattoo and I asked him of what.  He replied with his name (Darwin), he thought it would look good near my ankle.  I, once again, declined.
We got dinner that night (most of our meals were seafood/fish since we can't get much back in Quito for as cheap as it is on the coast).  We also went to a cool bar/discoteca.  The thing about Montañita is that the bars really start going crazy at midnight and don't stop until 6am or later.  So when I woke up at 4am, the music next to our hostal was still blaring.  Definitely a party town.
The next day we spent all day at the beach and at night we hung out on the beach for a while.  Montañita is famous as well for its beach bonfires.  Unfortunately it was raining both nights, so we didn't get to experience those.
On Sunday we headed back towards Manta and stopped at Los Frailes.  It's a national park that has a public beach in it.  It was gorgeous and so clean!  This is where I got the most sun, aka I got pretty sunburnt.  We ate in Puerto Lopez and then caught a bus to Manta, where our return bus was (we bought tickets when we arrived, because sometimes they sell out).  The bus we had this time was amazing.  Extremely nice.  But the air conditioning was on full blast and I only had so many layers.  However, it was a quite fast and we got back to Quito way early than expected.  Also instead of stopping at the southern station, it drove all the way to the north, quite close to our houses!
I loved Montañita and I hope some day I can get to go back!
I'm actually staying in Quito this weekend.  I have a lot of homework to get done and I needed to go to a museum.  The museum was mostly art from this one man, Oswaldo Guayasamin.  It was quite interesting.  He painted in so many different styles.  He had paintings that looked like Diego Rivera, Van Gogh, etc.  Many of his paintings focused a lot on the tragic history Latin America has faced.  I really enjoyed the museum.  There was also another part that had indigenous ceramics, which were quite interesting as well.  Two of the most important things in indigenous ceramics in Latin America are duality and sexuality.  So some of the ceramics are quite peculiar.  
I will try to keep updating more.  Like I said, it's been a very busy week.

Baños!

This weekend we went to Baños, which is about 4 hours from Quito.
It was a little stressful getting there.  We always see Baños busses pass by our university, so we figured we'd just catch that and be on our way.  We asked some people to make sure this was true, and they all said yes.  So we waited for a while and finally saw a Baños bus and we asked to make sure it went there, but they said no we had to wait on the other side for the bus going the other direction.  So we switched sides and waited again.  Then when the bus finally came, they said it would take us to the station but we would have to switch there.  So we did this and finally we were on our way.  The movie they showed was Just Go With It, with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.  I was so excited, I kinda love the movie.  But it was in Spanish which took away some of the humor, but it was still great!
We finally arrived around 8 and we checked into our hostel, ate, and then met up with the rest of our group.  Not too much excitement.
The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and then some of us went puenting/jumping/puentismo.  Basically it is Latin America's version of bungee jumping.  You're attached to a rope and you jump off a bridge and then swing.  So you don't bounce back like with bungee jumping.  I have been kind of wanting to do it since I got here, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself.  So when a bunch of people said they wanted to do it, I joined!
I watched some people go before me, some of them were hilarious to watch (one girl had to be pushed off because she was backing out!).  But then it was my turn.  I had already seen the drop, and most of the people when they got onto the platform got even more scared, so I knew that I could not look down.  I climbed up, and almost fell before I was ready.  And then I counted, or maybe they did, and I faltered for a second and then just leaned forward and went! It was so fun and exhilarating! It didn't last too long, but I swung around for a minute until they lowered me to a man on the ground.  Then I walked up the hill and they had a video and pictures of me.  I bought them, and now I'll always have proof that I did it!
After this we went back and reserved our spots for horseback riding.  I got lunch with Miguel, Molly, and Anna Marie.  It was an almuerza del dia which consisted of soup (chicken's feet soup, which I didn't know until after I had spit out a foot and asked what it was), delicious carne, potatoes, and a pastel.
While waiting to go horseback riding, I was talking with some men (Brian and some name I could not pronounce).  We were talking about how I loved Ecuador and wouldn't mind living here.  They told me I should marry an Ecuadorian and have a baby with him because then I could stay here forever.  They then asked me if I knew how to salsa and I told them only a little.  They then said we had to go dancing that night.
Horseback riding was beautiful.  We rode through the streets for a while until we got to a path.  It was very different than riding in the US.  The horses were all fighting to be in the lead so we were a huge pack instead of the traditional line.  Also the guide was generally in the back, so we were just relying on our horses to know the way.  They like to randomly trot, which was fun and scary.  We rode up to a waterfall where all the rocks were from volcanic eruptions.  It is also the path in which the lava flows when Tunguragua erupts.
After that we all got ready to go eat dinner.  It was 6pm, so a little early for Ecuador, so Miguel, Anna Marie, and I just kinda walked around for a while.  During this walk I ran into Brian (my new Baños-novio) four times.  He told me where he was going (aka where we would salsa that night) and that he would get us shots.
After dinner we went on a chiva (a bus with no sides) and danced as it was driving up to a mountain where they served us a typical Ecuadorian drink (canelazo).  Then we rode back down and got into a discoteca for free.  There we spent the rest of the night dancing and celebrating Rachel's birthday.  So I never got to see my Baños-novio again.  But I wasn't too sad about that!
The next morning we caught the bus back fairly early and I spent the rest of the day taking it easy.  It was a great trip, and I want to go back again to see all of the beautiful waterfalls!

Most interesting walk home so far!

Today we had no class because there was a workshop for teachers.  It was really nice because I had time to work on my ceramics box (which is looking pretty cool) and practice piano (I've basically got both hand parts down!).  It was a very relaxed day.  Chloe, Whitney, and I went to the vegetarian restaurant close to campus.  I think here in Ecuador, vegetarian=chinese.  The two vegetarian restaurants I've been to have both been chinese. But I'm not complaining!
I had planned on taking a taxi back to my house because Quito was actually pretty warm today and I wore an outfit that was definitely for fall weather. But then a bus was waiting for me so I decided to just save the extra dollar a taxi would cost me and walk up my hill.  Glad I did; it was an interesting walk.  First, I contemplated asking the Christian center by my house if I could practice on their piano, but it's gated so I decided to keep walking (I have this internal conversation almost everyday...).  As I was leisurely strolling, the guard that always makes sure to get my attention when I walk by was on my side of the street. So we shook hands and he gave me a kiss on the check.  It was vaguely awkward, although I'm pretty sure it was only awkward for me.  However, now I'm pretty sure if he was around and I was getting robbed, he would come to my rescue for sure!
Then when I got to my house, my grandfather's friend was there and we had a nice long conversation.  I only didn't understand one thing he was asking. But a lot of the time, people ask questions in the oddest ways. I feel like I understand the first part of the question and then they add a second half that just confuses me so I never know whether to just answer the first and ignore the part I don't understand.  And most of the time, it turns out that the first part is really what they're asking.  It was pretty fun. I love having conversations with new Ecuadorians.  And I love practicing my Spanish!
Lots of homework to catch up on before I head out for the night (Ladies Night as usual, you know it's bad when your host family knows you're going out because it's wednesday, but I'm not complaining!).

Dayglow!

It was a nice change of pace this weekend because I actually stayed in Quito!
Friday night we went to Chupitos (shots in Spanish).  They pretty much only sell shots and they have a ton! I got two very delicious ones and Chloe and I vowed to take flaming ones next time we go back! Molly's friend from Kentucky was here (he's been in Ecuador for a week following a medical team to take pictures).  It was fun hanging out with a bunch of real gringos (by now I consider most of the internationals half gringos!).  We ended up meeting a couple of British guys as well who had just arrived.  The people we meet in la mariscal! I ended up not getting home until 4am, but thankfully we hung out at their hotel for the last part so we had a legitimate taxi waiting to take us home.
Saturday I tried to work on home homework (I have a mountain of it and should probably be doing that instead of writing this blog...).  Then it was Dayglow! I really lucked out that it was coming to Quito because the tickets were only $30 as compared to at least $60 tickets in the US.  It was fantastic! We took a van specifically for the concert to the rave center near el Mitad del Mundo.  We got there after 8 and I figured the concert probably started at 10 (the vans stopped running at 9 but we didn't know how many people would be taking them).  So there was just some music playing for a while.  Then Kevin Focus came on and I figured this was the start of Dayglow.  After he DJed for about an hour, a countdown came on the screen saying 59:59.30 until DAYGLOW! And that's when we all realized the real Dayglow didn't start until midnight (but that's also when it made sense that the returning vans didn't start until 2).  It was kind of silly because most of the talking and pumping up was said in English so I almost felt as if I was back in the States! The music was amazing and by the time we left I was covered in paint, which apparently my shower did not even completely remove.  My white shoes now have some sweet tie-dye and Chloe's shirt I borrowed looks pretty rad.  It was great because we all danced the night away and at one point there was a huge surge in the crowd and I felt like I was back in my high school moshpits! My favorite part of the night was whenever they played dubstep, Chloe and I both went crazy and I'm pretty sure the people around us were like "umm what is wrong with these gringas!" I am so glad I bought the tickets; it's been one of my favorite experiences here so far.  Some of my friends at USFQ were even photographers for the event so I'm hoping to have some good photos since I didn't bring my camera.
Today I just rested and tried to work on some homework.  Which I now must finish, so this is going to be all I'm able to write. Good night!

(Post Dayglow!)

P.S. I think my grandparents here must just be like a hostel for internationals.  For the past few weeks they had some German girls, and now there's a boy from Denmark there! And I met an older couple when I first got here and I feel like there was another.  They have so many I can't even remember them all!

Just Speaking Spanish

It's been really nice this week because I'm really starting to feel at home here in Ecuador.  The bus is something I kind of look forward to, I'm starting to get addicted to things I can't get in the US, and many times when I'm talking my Spanish just flows.  That's the thing I'm most excited about.  I notice it most when I'm talking with my family at dinner.  It's still a little punchy and I always wonder how I sound to my family, but overall I can tell it's improving.  I know I'm going to miss speaking Spanish when I return, and I can tell there are some phrases I will definitely probably blurt out without thinking (chuta, que chevere, achachay, and more).  I also find myself repeating Spanish phrases in my head a lot, and spelling words in the Spanish way (aka ph=f and a lot less repeated letters ex: clases=classes).  Ironically, living in Ecuador is going to make my English spelling a lot worse.  And then factor in that I'm trying to learn French as well.
Speaking of bringing things back to the US, I definitely want to bring the Carnaval celebration back, so Bellarmine be ready for some foam next Mardi Gras! I also think the relationship that the indigenous have with the land is very interesting especially when they offer the first sip of their drink to Pachamama.  I'm going to probably try and do this somehow! I'm definitely going to try to cook some Ecuadorian food, especially the ají (it's a sauce they generally have with everything) because I always put too much on all of my food because I love it so much!  Also I'm thinking about buying a ton of guanabana frozen juice packets and taking them back with me.  It's the best juice I've had in my life!
I have a lot of homework (not a ton due tomorrow, but in the upcoming days) and so I'm trying to do it while watching a movie (I picked Sophie's Choice, probably not the best, but everyone's all over Meryl Steep right now). My friends and I thought about going to Trivia tonight (they have it every Tuesday in an American bar and the proceeds go to Charity, it's a really fun time) but we all had so much to do and we want to go out tomorrow night to see a friend play with his band.
Hasta Luego!
P.S. I've added some photos from my trip to Salasaca to my facebook, so head over to check them out! ( https://www.facebook.com/nnelson1129 )

Donkeys Make the Ugliest Noises: Trip to Salasaca

aFor my Andean Anthropology class we went to the indigenous village of Salasaca.  We left around 8 and arrived around 12.  Alonzo (the main guy at the hostal) gave us a little introduction speech, which I only half listened to because I was so fascinated by the way they water their crops.  They have a natural irrigation system in which the just remove/add a rock/dirt and it weaves through the crops.  After the talk we got settled.  It was really cool because they had an upstairs with a bunch of beds so it was like a sleepover!
We ate a delicious Ecuadorian lunch (which I don't think I've truly explained before: it includes soup, a meat, vegetables, rice of course, and a desert).  Then we observed how they make their yarn start to finish, we even helped in the process (we gringos were not very good).  But the whole process takes so long, I couldn't imagine doing it all the time.  The Salasaca women always carry around their spinning tools so whenever they get a free second they can make more yarn.
After learning the process of making the yarn, we went to the workshop where they make and sell all of their woven products.  The Salasacas use a unique form of waist weaving.  It was amazing to see a man actually making one of the very traditional belts.  Alonzo explained all the symbols that he was putting into the belt and there was so much history in one piece of clothing.  We then looked at some items and I bought two bracelets, one protecting me from bad spirits and the other has something to do with friendship more or less.
The second day we hiked up some little mountains to visit three sacred Salasaca sites.  They make offerings at these sites (generally a representation of what they want aka a tiny car if they wish for transportation, ect), so it looks as if the sites are strewn with litter.  The first was a cross in a field and this was used mostly for planning especially for women (my professor later called it the Salasaca birth control).  I offered my coca leaves (which coincidentally are illegal in Ecuador, a fact I did not know until after I bought them, oops).  Then I shared my leaves with the rest of the group, because they are often used to give people energy (they have all sorts of health benefits).  Normally you are supposed to chew/keep them in your mouth for about 45 minutes.  I only lasted about 15, I think I had chewed them too much.  But then I offered my coca wad to Pachamama (closest translation is mother earth, but the Salasaca have a very strong bond to her, from what I understand it is close to their version of God, it's always interesting to learn about indigenous religion because it's a mix of old indigenous tradition and Catholicism). The next site was where they offered cuy (guinea pigs).  They dress them up as the person they are praying for and set them free in the sacred site.  After we left this site. Alonzo found some mushrooms and told us of the time they served them to some Germans and they all got sick (apparently they had never eaten them).  He then peeled them and we ate the mushrooms.  They were so good, and normally I hate fresh mushrooms.  And thankfully none of us got sick! The third site was where they carve into the stone and give offerings.  So once again I left coca leaves for Pachamama and I carved a wish into the stone.
After lunch we went on a flower hike, although Alonzo really only pointed out three plants the whole time.  It was a gorgeous walk though! At one point half of us got separated but when we looked back some girls waved us on, so we continued walking.  We go to the top of a massive hill (one of the at least 40 we walked up all weekend) and we rested for a bit until we realized that the rest of the group was down below us on another part of the trail.  So we descended down the hill to join them.  We then stopped at the edge of a cliff overlooking the valley and it was beautiful.  We rested there for at least 30 minutes just taking in all of the naturaleza.  It was there however that I realized I no longer had my sunglasses.  I figured I must have taken them off and left them at the other place we rested.  I was a little sad because they were my favorite.  Then we climbed another hill and Tungurahua was visible and it was smoking.  Tungurahua is an active volcano (it's been erupting since 1999!).  This was when my professor told us that the mountains must like us because normally they are not very visible.  Throughout our whole trip we saw Tunguarahua (which the indigenous call Mama tungu, I think, because Tunguarahua makes her mad), Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo.  These are three of the main volcanoes in Ecuador.  I can now cross off my list, see an active volcano (although I do want to see one up closer that has lava!)  While we were looking at the lovely scenery, I noticed the patch of grass that I had left my sunglasses on in the distance.  So asked Alonzo if we were headed back that way and he said yes (I thought, what luck, I can just look to see if they're there on our way back!).  I then explained to him what had happened and he told me it was a fairly busy road and that someone had probably taken them by now.  So we made our way back to the hostal and when we passed the patch, my sunglasses were right on top! I was so lucky and I thanked Pachamama!
That night we had a presentation of typical Salasaca music.  It included a guitar, some wind instruments, a drum, and a violin (which I hadn't realized was part of the Andean culture).  It was so lovely and we got up and danced many times, I even played the sheeps toes which were like shakers!
An Anthropologist lived with the Salasacas back in the 1990's and wrote a book (Magical Writing in Salasaca) which I began to read while I was there.  It described how the 'whites' of Ecuador are pretty discriminatory against the Salasaca (they believe they are holding the country back by holding on to their rich cultural heritage and traditional customs).  And many consider them aggressive, brutes, and even murderers and cannibals.  However a lot of the violence these stereotypes arise from are actually caused by the whites, who in the past would routinely drive up to their house and steal their valuables and livestock.  And when I got home, my host dad even said that the Salasaca were "aggressive," he used another word I did not recognize, but I thought it was interesting that even in Quito, the Salasaca unfortunately have gotten the reputation of being a very aggressive people.  I could not say anything of the sort because all of the people I encountered were very nice.  Although I could tell some of the people we passed were a little apprehensive of seeing a huge group of white people, but who could blame them with their past experiences with outsiders.
Overall the trip was amazing and I was so glad I went.  However I do think I left my tie-dyed sweatshirt there so I'm going to have to figure out how to get that back.
When I got home, I decided it was finally time I need to get a replacement for my keds.  The sole was basically halfway off.  So Molly and I went to SuperMaxi (Ecuador's version of SuperTarget) and we bought lunch supplies (we figure it's more economical to pack our lunch rather than buy it) and I got a pair of white converse-esque shoes.  So now the only things making me not appear Ecuadorian are my eyes and my horrible pronunciation! So now with my new shoes and nice tan skin from the beach, as long as I don't talk and have sunglasses on, I could be mistaken for a real Ecuadorian!
Then tonight at dinner I meet the German exchange students who live with my grandparents.  They are only here for three weeks.  But I will say it's an interesting feeling being one of the better spanish speakers in the room.
Now it's back to regular school life, in which I'm procrastinating doing my homework by writing this.

The one day I forget my umbrella!

I was halfway down my street when I realized I forgot my umbrella in my other bag.  I looked at the sky and thought to myself, "looks like rain...", but I didn't have time to go back.  I was headed to the clinic because my ear was hurting more than last week and now my throat was not too pleasant.  The clinic was as usual aka a lot of people and a lot of waiting (but it's not too bad, I just expect to be there at least an hour).  After the doctor checked out my ears (still nothing wrong with the one that hurts) and throat, he told me I had a throat infection and prescribed me Amoxicillin, Claricot (the same stuff I took last week), and Ibuprofen (thankfully I already have a lot because it's a bit expensive here!). So hopefully I'll be all better soon!
Today as I was waiting for a class to begin, I was sitting in the hammocks on campus.  A group of asians walked by and stopped in front of me, then I noticed one was taking a photo so I just smiled.  I don't know what it is about me being in Ecuador but I am in a lot of photos I will never see.
During my Cultura class there was an electronic music concert outside (I had seen an advertisement for it earlier) and we all tried to convince the professor that it was very pertinent to Ecuadorian culture.  It didn't work so we just had to listen to it through the open windows.
Now back to why the umbrella mattered today.  I usually carry it with me everywhere I go because one never knows when it's going to rain in Quito.  So as I get on the bus to head home, it starts to rain and I think how lovely my walk home is going to be.  I got off my first bus and walked to the next station and by the time I got there my shoes were soaked and my hair was starting to turn into little curlycues.  However, thankfully by the time I reached my hill it was only sprinkling and the sun was shinning.  So overall it wasn't the worst day to get caught without an umbrella!
I've noticed something about Quito: I don't think they have lawnmowers.  I've seen parks people mowing entire parks with weed wackers, and one day I saw my neighbor mowing his lawn with a machete.  That was interesting.
I'm heading to Salasaca tomorrow morning with my Andean Anthropology class, 8AM is not sounding fun to me but other than that, I'm quite excited the excursion! I should be back Sunday!

Salt Water and Foam

Two things before I start my long story about Carnaval: Ecuadorians love them some small white poodles and, well, I forgot the other one.
So my Carnaval trip started on Friday night at 9:00pm with Chloe and Anna Marie.  When going on long trips in Ecuador, it is very typical to take a night bus and arrive at your destination in the morning (which in my opinion is very smart because you travel during a time you'd normally be sleeping, win win!).  The bus was supposed to be a little over 10 hours, we'd arrive around 7am.  We were barely out of Quito when the bus had to back down a side street that we went up for who knows what reason (to get almost anywhere in Ecuador you take one highway, really not all that difficult).  Then the bus started playing the latest Alvin and the Chipmunks movie (I was not horribly upset about this, but apparently I was one of the few).  After vaguely falling asleep on the chilly bus, I awake to a very toasty and very still bus.  I am pretty sure we did not move for at least an hour.  Then at some point, rumor has it, our bus broke down for a bit (I must have slept through this part, because other than my initial nap, I don't think I fell asleep).  Everyone rose with the sun, so there was a decent amount of commotion by 7am.  Then a few hours later I thought to myself, "I wonder how long ago we passed Guayaquil? Because then we can only be a couple of hours away." Half hour later, I see a sign for Guayaquil, we hadn't even hit the city yet.  My host mom called me to make sure I had made it to Salinas okay, and at that point she was supremely shocked I was still on the bus.  Sixteen long hours after leaving Quito, we finally reached La Libertad.  This is where the bus normally stops and unloads everyone, but a lady complained to the driver about being on the bus for so long, and he begrudgingly drove us all the way to Salinas.  Only about a few minutes into the drive did we remember that we needed to by our return tickets at La Libertad (and if we waited, we might not get tickets for the day we wanted).  So we decided we'll just go to Salinas, drop our stuff off and then buy our tickets later.
Day 1
We got to Salinas and I could see the ocean so we walked towards it.  Then we decided to ask a traffic man where the intersection of Malecon and 10th Ave (aka our Hostal) was; he had no clue, except that we were on Malecon (no one uses street names in Salinas).  So we walk all the way down Malecon (in our many clothing layers for the cold bus, while the sun is shining and everyone else is in swimsuits).  Finally the street turned and we asked another traffic man where the intersection was; again he had no clue but pointed us in the direction of another hostal.  Thankfully the man working there was extremely helpful.  After about 30 minutes of trying to figure out our hostal, he realized we were on the wrong Malecon (there are a few in Salinas).  But after he knew this, he was able to direct us to our hostal (he had to draw a picture for the taxi driver).  So we went to hail a taxi and I was trying to explain where our hostal was to the traffic man and he said "no hablo ingles, español por favor," only problem was, was that I was speaking in spanish.  Apparently I cannot say pizza so that any Ecuadorians can understand me (we ran into this problem several times).  However,we got a taxi and finally we reached our hostal!
We settled in, ate some delicious ecuadorian lunch (including a strong pina coladas), and then went back to buy our bus tickets.  When we flagged down our taxi after purchasing them, it was the same guy who brought us to our hostal the first time! So there was a lot less explaining thankfully.  Then we hit the beach, which was literally not even a block from our hostal.  It had some pretty big waves (the biggest we all had ever swam in at least) and the sand was great.  For dinner we ate at the hotdog place next to our hostal and in Ecuador they always come with crushed potato chips (something I did at home every once in a while, so I loved it!).  Then we had the intentions of going to find a bar or discoteca to waste the night away.  However for Caranaval the tradition is to run around the streets spraying people with foam, throwing buckets of water at passerby's, and aiming water balloons at unsuspecting bystanders.  By the time we got anywhere close, we were covered in fruity smelling foam (that thankfully evaporated, but only if you weren't completely covered in it, then it was a lost cause and you needed a shower or a jump in the ocean) and water.  We decided it would be best not to go into a bar like that so we only questioned about the prices so that we would know for the other nights.
Day 2
Emily and Michelle took the bus from Baños to Salinas and arrived at 5am.  They called and said they thought they were close so I went outside on the patio to wait for them.  Turns out their bus driver had told them they were in Salinas even though they were in La Libertad.  So it took them a while to figure that out and then get a taxi to Salinas, and by a while I mean at least an hour and a half.  And this whole time I was speaking with our lovely Colombian night guard.  I startled him when I called Emily when I got to the patio and so from that point on, we leisurely chatted.  He was so surprised I was from the US because my spanish was so good.  And throughout the conversation he kept mentioning how pretty I was (that got awkward real fast) and how great my spanish was and that he could understand everything (and that I understood everything as well; that part was not so true).  So we just shot the breeze for almost two hours, in spanish, I was quite proud but still uncomfortable.
Emily and Michelle finally got to the hostal, but they had picked up two other travelers from Baños.  I figured it would be fine if they left their stuff in our room (even offered the floor but they said they'd just wait on the patio) and just chilled until it was a reasonable time to start looking for a hostal.  Apparently, from what I understand, the night guard thought they were going to kill him (even though he's from Colombia, he seemed to have a fear of Latin Americans but loved Americans and felt so safe around them, which is why he loved working at this American hostal) and he made them go.  I told them the beach was nearby and since it was light out now, it should be fine.
We woke up around 12:45 got ready for the beach, ate some more delicious Ecuadorian food, and then walked down to the other side of the Malecon where it was much more crowded but the water was definitely calmer.  We spent the rest day at the beach and this is when everything starts to mash together and I can't really tell the days apart as well because they are so similar so I'm just going to give highlights:
~We watched some surfers catch some waves.
~Chloe and I got told we were beautiful by the store man as he gave us our change.
~We ate delicious coco ice cream (totally making this when I return to the states!).
~We ate at my host uncles restaurant (some of the best food I've had in Ecuador, but it was also fish caught from the very nearby sea, so I don't know if it can compare).
~Our Hostal specialized in American cuisine, so I had a pulled pork sandwich and my first calamari in almost 4 years (so delicious!).
~Every night we tried to go out, but by the time we got close to a discoteca we were already covered in foam and soaking wet that we decided it wasn't the best idea.
~We played a card game where you have to say a word that starts with the letter the card number starts with and I told the lamest joke the world has heard, but we still laugh about it now (We were playing on top of our bed and Chloe said sheets and I then replied "we all know what Chloe's thinking....we're on top of sheets) so lame, but I still chuckled while writing it just now.
~One night we bought some foam so that we could fight back.  So fun, but you get sprayed twice as much.  And the thing about the foam is that there is no where safe.  You think if you walk in the street you're fine, nope the cars have little devils too.  The other side of the street is less crowded, but then you get the people in condos pouring water from their porches.  No one is safe!
~We ate at this restaurant near our hostal 3 times because the food was so incredible and most of it cost four dollars.
~Before we left for Salinas I bought a bag of roles (it turned out to be the best purchase ever, definitely going to have to do that again) and a ton of chifles of course (they came in handy all the time).
~We went to buy liquor and got free samples of rum in both a cup to try there and little bottles to take with us.  When the guy was talking to me, describing the aging procession of this very special run that was on sale, I replied with "oh it's very smooth" (in spanish of course) and apparently these were the magic words.  He got very excited and eventually handed me a bottle and tried to come back and give me two.  Very weird, and I slyly put them back on the shelf.  Then another girl was giving out samples and dressed very scantily and some man decided he wanted me in a photo with her and my other friends (no of us were taking this photo...) so he pulled me away from the first rum guy and we all cheesed it up for a random man.  Some Ecuadorians really like the oddest photos (apparently it's very common for them to ask you to take a photo of them and then after you do they want a picture with you...).
~We had ice cream several times and it was delicious!
~Our bus ride home was much better and relatively on time!
~I didn't get too burnt until the last day and only wiped out on the shore rocks a few times!
~Lost my left contact the first time I swam in the Pacific Ocean.
~Apparently Salinas is the place for wealthy Ecuadorians to vacation, so it was a pretty nice area and we were some of the few gringos!
~The owner of the hostal was my friend's mom so we got a great rate, especially for one of their busiest times!  And the hostal was amazing.  It had air conditioning, hot water, friendly staff, clean sheets, and a great atmosphere!  It definitely made our vacation all the better.
Overall it was an amazing vacation and I could not have asked for a better time, with better people! Now I'm trying to get back to normal life in Quito, but I leave for Salasaca (a trip with my andean anthropology class) on Friday and get back Sunday so I don't really have much down time.  Still thinking about hitting up Ladies Night tonight though!

Museum Today, Beach Tomorrow!

For my culture class I had to go to the Museo de la Ciudad.  It was a little bit of a hassle.  First, the girl who had the directions to the museum brought the wrong notebook so we just winged our way there.  Thankfully a young guy overheard us on the bus while we were confusingly trying to figure out where to go.  He told us exactly where we needed to go and as he said goodbye to us he said "you shouldn't be here (the southern bus terminal in Quito), it's very dangerous for tourists." We were very lucky he was so nice!
We went to the museum and it was interesting, a little confusing since it lacked a lot of info beneath certain things.  But it was pretty and had information on the history of the city and surrounding areas.
I just finished packing for Salinas. I'm so excited to lay out all day! My host uncle has a restaurant near the beach so I get to meet more Torres's! I probably won't have internet until I get back on wednesday morning (both our buses are overnight so we'll see how that goes!)

Oh Thursdays

For my photography class I had to print some photos and there is only one place my professor wants us to visit. Thankfully I figured out one of the buses that runs by my house goes to an intersection close to the store.  But when we went there yesterday, the man said the photos would not be ready until noon the next day (I have class at 11:30).  So I looked at him with a face full of sadness and he said they would be ready by 10:30.  So we left to get to the store this morning a little bit early and were on the bus to USFQ by 10:30. I wasn't very hopeful on getting to school on time. But somehow a miracle occurred and we got there in record time!
In other news, I saw a ginger on the bus. And from what it sounded like, he was from Ecuador. I thought to myself, hmmm interesting lol.
Other than that, my day was pretty normal, nothing to crazy. However it is my host brother's birthday (22 years old!) and we are going out to dinner to celebrate.  I went to SuperMaxi to buy him some chocolate covered marshmallows (he seems to love them) and a card.  I walked out without the card but with chifles, the marshmallows, agua oxigenada, and gum.  All for under $7, pretty successful I thought!

Valentine's Day in Quito!

El dia de amor y amistad so far has been great! I bought my tickets for Machu Picchu along with 3 other friends, and we could not be more excited.  I cannot wait to see the ruins, it has been a dream of mine for a while!
For Valentine's Day, my friends and I are going to a Thai restaurant and then possible to a rave, with free glowsticks!
My morning began on an interesting note.  I was so excited that I actually woke up early to go practice.  However when I was about halfway to school I realized I somehow forgot all of my music (the only time it has not been in my bag!).  So I decided to go to the university clinic because my ear has been bothering me.  The doctor looked in my ear and said "perfecto" and the same for my other.  She gave me a prescription for claricort (no clue why or what it is...) and told me to chew gum on the bus.  So we will see how that goes.
Ciao!

Lluvia! (Rain!)

Today I had to buy bus tickets for my trip to Salinas.  My friends and I are going to spend Carnaval (aka Mardi Gras) on the beach! We got off the bus and it started to pour, thankfully I had my umbrella! They were also quite impressed that I knew how to get there perfectly.  Cannot thank my host family enough for all of their help!
For lunch we went to McDonalds, it's very odd eating meat again because I'm so used to ordering a BigMac without meat.
It was also a very expensive day.  I had to put a $50 deposit for a class trip. I need $30 for DayGlow tickets for tomorrow.  I'm also buying my plane ticket for Macchu Picchu tomorrow.  It feels so weird to all the sudden be paying so much when normally I can get by on less than $5 a day.
Nothing much else to say, expect I really need to stop procrastinating.  I have so much homework!

How I love Ecuadorian Weekends

This friday I went to my friend's house for a huasipichai (the quichua word for house-warming party). Tricia taught English in the valley near Quito last semester and loved it so much that now she's going to USFQ for four years! She just got her own little house, it's very cute and even has llamas in the back! I met some great ecuadorians, so that was a nice change of pace from all the gringos I meet.
Then next day we went to Tricia's old valley and saw Star Wars in 3D.  It was the only movie playing at the convenient time, but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would.  The bus home took us to a station we'd never been to, but we figured it out and made it home safely! The buses are so cheap, generally $0.25 or for long trips $1 an hour.  Nothing like Chicago's $2.25!
Then today (Sunday) I had to take some photos for my photography class. I headed down to the park 15 minutes from my house and took photos of the bike plaza thing.  I talked to a little kid named Carlos, he was so cute.  On the way back my taxi driver talked to me about Whitney Houston, the debt in the US, Canada (I think he said something about moving there...), and Europe.  I'm not sure quite how I feel because about 30 seconds after I got in, he asked me where in the US I was from.  And here I thought I was getting so good at blending. Hopefully it's my blue eyes and not my Spanish...
Now I'm just trying to study for French, which is not going very well.  I think I've forgotten how to study...

Earthquakes and Volcanoes on a Tuesday Morning

Early this morning I was woken up and realized my bed was shaking rather vigorously.  And I'm quite proud of myself for immediately thinking, "Oh it's just an earthquake," then promptly going back to bed.  When I got up I tried to google about the earthquake but did not find any results until I started using google.ecuador.  Glad the rest of the world could care less!

Then on my way to school I saw Cotopaxi from the bus window! It was a beautiful view.  Normally there are too many clouds, but I was on the bus at just the right time! The picture to the left is basically what I saw, so majestic! I also learned that it is an angry mountain/volcano, so it can be one of the more difficult ones to climb.  I love the thought of the mountains, and everything on earth, being alive and having moods.  I'm definitely taking this mentality with me!

Fireworks on a Tuesday Night

I was just sitting in my room, thinking "I really need to start my homework," when suddenly I heard the familiar sound of the 4th of July.  I then thought, I'm going to watch those instead! No clue what they were for, and in Quito I don't think there really needs to be a reason.  It was a nice 10 minutes!

Other than the fireworks, nothing very interesting to report.  Just trying to get through classes and figure out when I'm supposed to practice.  It's weird living two busses away from where I used to spend my life (aka the practice rooms).  Looks like the luxury of classes that don't start until 11:30 is going to end for me.  Hello early morning practice sessions! 

I added some photos from my trip to the hot springs so check out my facebook to see them! facebook.com/nnelson1129

Goodnight! 

Hot Springs and the Super Bowl!

Saturday I went to Papallacta which is a town known for its hot springs.  We paid $7 to sit in delightfully warm pools next to a river nestled in between mountains.  It was relaxing and gorgeous.  It was a two hour bus ride to the city and when we got on there were no seats.  After we reached our city, we hoped on the back of a truck and rode up to the resort area.  It was quite an adventure! I purchased an empanada and some fresh chifles (potato chips made from plantains/bananas, not quite sure exactly, all I'm sure about is that I love them!).  It was definitely a day well spent.
Today was Super Bowl Sunday and in la Mariscal (the area we normally go for ladies night) there are a couple US bars and we watched the game with several gringos! It was super expensive, never going back to a US bar again! I'll take my cheap/free drinks!
I really need to do some homework, but cannot bring myself to do it. Sleep just always sounds like the better option! Buenas noches!

Flight, boat, bus, boat, Rainforest! Boat, bus, boat, flight Quito!

Sorry for the absence, I went to the jungle and then have been super busy since my return!
Tiputini, a biodiversity station in the lowland Amazonian rainforest, was AMAZING! I saw some many beautiful and interesting animals, plants, and insects.  After the 10 hour trip into the rainforest, we went for a swim in the Tiputini River, it was perfect! The next day we woke up bright and early (breakfast is at 6:30AM every morning).  My guide Santiago (who was the greatest!) took us to the canopy.  We ascended about 100 feet onto the tops of the trees.  We had to wear harnesses and walk across some very wobbly bridges.  The view was gorgeous, and we even same some Macaws (which is probably one of the coolest things I've even seen).  We spent most of our days walking through the rainforest, Santiago suddenly spotting wildlife or plants and explaining them.
Some of my favorite parts of the trip were the 5 types of monkeys we saw, the ants that tasted like lemons, the canoe that almost tipped and constantly had to have water bucketed out and got stuck for a good five minutes (but we also saw bats and a caiman), floating down a tributary to a tributary of the Amazon River (it totally had piranhas and caiman in it, thankfully I'm still alive!), the monkeys at the hotel who jumped on me and stole my fruit, and the great views from the canopy!
It was a fantastic trip that I will never forget!
Back to normal Quito life now, meeting lots of people, making travel plans (I really hope to go to Machu Picchu over spring break and a beach for Carnival).  I'm just trying to keep up with classes, which is hard with my lack of productivity in this beautiful city!  Tonight I'm going to salsa lessons with some friends and I'm quite excited!
I'll try to keep up with this a little more from now on!
P.S. Here's the link to my facebook photo album ( https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150575999858112.402644.519123111&type=3 )

Me gusta

I apologize for not posting these last few days.  I have been very busy with school and such.  I'm loving all my classes so far and I truly looking forward to going to school everyday (minus the whole bus rides).  It's quite nice, my two favorite classes are on the same day, but this is also the day I have class from 11:30 to 4 with two five minute breaks (barely enough time to even get to my next class let alone grab something to eat, thank goodness Ecuadorians run on their own schedule so being late is almost acceptable!)
My second class today was canceled (I think).  The professora didn't show up for 20 minutes, so us being gringos said "Well, looks like class is canceled!" And so we left.  However, in Ecuador, since as I mentioned they have a very flexible time frame, we weren't sure if it was acceptable for us to leave (I've heard people just wait and sometimes the professor shows up a half hour late!).  So I am not entirely sure if class was canceled, but I decided I would get some lunch.
Last night we went out for Ladies Night again and we met some awesome chicos, some of whom actually worked at Cedar Park in Ohio!
I'm not sure if I'll be posting much in the upcoming days because I will be trekking through the rainforest! I'm beyond excited, except for the fact that I have to be at the airport at 6AM.  And today I had to go to the embassy to retrieve my passport at 8.  Let's just say all I can think about is sleeping right now.
Buenas Noches

Third Time's A Charm!

I went to the Embassy for the third time and I successfully handed over my papers.  Now I just have to return them and then go and get my identification card!
And million time's the charm with my piano lessons! I finally was able to register and schedule some lessons (both Classical and Jazz!).  And my classical teacher actually got her degree at the University of Louisville!  What a small world.  I'm excited to start playing again!
Tomorrow morning I'm hoping to go to another market to hopefully find the pants I've been looking for, fingers crossed!
I have a lot of homework tonight, not looking forward to doing it.  It's just so hard to get into the mood of working when I feel like I'm on vacation and when my bed is so comfortable!

What a Weekend!

On Saturday I went to Otavalo, which is a small and pretty town that has a famous market on Saturday mornings.  There were so many beautiful things, I wanted to buy everything.  However I was on a mission for a couple of things (pants, hat, jacket).  All the pants they had were not exactly what I was looking for and I didn't like them so I have decided I'll just go to the jungle in my cotton (I might try another market in Quito on Tuesday).  I then bought a wall tapestry/blanket thing and an Alpaca sweater. I also got a hat (originally I was told $25 but I walked away only spending $15!)  It was so much fun browsing the gorgeous market and haggling with the sellers.  We then got some lunch at a delicious ecuadorian place.  The food was so good and my chef special came with some sort of meat, potato cakes, papas con vapor (I think), avocado, plantain, and two eggs (all for 5.50!).  It was quite tasty.
After lunch we walked around while trying to hail a taxi.  We went up to Parque Condor.  It was so beautiful and had a wide variety of birds of prey, including two massive condors! They had a stage overlooking the town and mountains, one of the most beautiful views I have seen in my life!
Today I went to El Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World).  It's the point where they measured and deduced that the world was indeed round.  It was very touristy, but very fun. I took lots of pictures. (here's the link to my facebook album https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150553062093112.399465.519123111&type=3) hopefully you'll be able to access the album!
Anyways, I'm quite tired and have to wake up very early to hopefully finish my visa process.
Chao mis amigos!
P.S. I've come to love Hamburguesas de Rusty (one of the best hamburger places in Quito, and there's one right across from my university)!

Old Habits Die Hard

For example, I still often forget that one does not simply flush toilet paper down the toilet in Mordor, whoops I mean Ecuador. I do try my best to remember though. And you can always tell when you're at a popular places for gringos because by the end of the night the toilet is full and no longer flushing.
Tomorrow I go to Otavalo.  It's a huge street market two hours from Quito.  My main goals are rainforest pants, a raincoat, and a hat.  I'm also going to be looking out for some souvenirs! 
Every weekend I hear music blaring from somewhere.  I figured it was a restaurant or club that had dancing on the weekends or something.  However, I asked my host mother about it and she said it's coming from a house.  Currently they are playing "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," who would have know I could just open my window on the weekends and it would be like I was in the US.  Also there is now a woman loudly singing along, que chévere! Oop now it's "Sweet Child of Mine."
Later!

Visas, who needs them

Went to the embassy today.  Waited for at least 15 minutes.  Was told I needed to register online again.  Waited a few minutes for a computer (pretty sure I accidently went before it was my turn, but that's what you get when you sit in a chair and relax, frustrated white girls steal yo spot).  The minute I got on the computer the whole system went down, so I just read some CNN news articles for about 30 minutes.  Took one minute to register and write down my NUT (still have no clue what exactly this is).  Was told I could once again return within five days.  However, since I didn't have to wait in line to finish registering my Visa I made it took school with a half hour to spare (in which I should have probably eaten something, but I decided to sit on some stairs and I ended up meeting a nice girl who was from Ecuador but goes to a university in Florida).  Oh, and my morning started off with my alarm not going off.
School was pretty normal.  But after my photography class got out, I had to do a couple of things, including getting my yellow fever shot.  It took and hour and half for one shot.  But I did meet another girl going on the trip as well.
I've taken a few pictures of USFQ but I tried to post one and it wouldn't load (I think my wifi signal is a little weak). I'll try another day!

A Dollar A Day To Cumbaya I Go!

Well today I went to register my Visa. Turns out we went to the wrong embassy. So I will try again tomorrow, because who doesn't love waking up early!
Also today I signed up to go to Tiputini next weekend! So this weekend I'll be going to Otavalo to get some jungle clothes.
Tonight is Ladies Night again. Pretty exited, because who doesn't love getting in for free and as many free drinks as you can get. However I will be calling it an early night (so don't fear for my safety/health) since I have to wake up early again tomorrow and I'm yawning as I write this.
I plan on taking pictures of USFQ tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have those up soon!
Hasta Luego.

Insert Clever Title

Tuesdays are my busiest days, but they are also the days with my favorite classes (ceramics, intro to Ecuadorian Culture, and Photography).  Today was the first day I didn't get a seat on the bus back to Quito, and let me tell you, those curvy hills do not make it easy to stay standing.  However, I did make it home before the rain this time!
Tonight I'm going to Trivia Night! We'll see how that goes.  I hear it's in English so that will be a nice change of pace for a bit.  I feel as if my Spanish is improving, if only little by little.  But I do have to say it's a bit difficult to take some classes in Spanish (French and Photography).  But my vocab is expanding, probably into things I won't really ever use again. But new words are new words!
I ventured out with my camera today (digital, not film) and I got home with it too! I will say I will be a bundle of nerves when I have to take my film camera to school.  If I get robbed that day I might actually fight back (totally kidding, but I would cry and ask them to spare me "a very old camera worth no money" and hope they believe me and/or take pity on me!)
Until later!

Mucha Lluivia

It rains a lot in Quito, but until today I had always been lucky enough to be indoors when the "tormentos" (storms) hit.  I was in my anthropology class and I could see the rain approaching over the mountains and all I kept thinking was, I need to get home! Thank goodness I bought an umbrella last week! I don't have a very long walk to my house, but it's a huge hill and all I could do was slowly ascend up the mountain and pray that my umbrella didn't break.  I thought to myself this morning, perhaps I shouldn't wear my Toms (which are probably one of the worst shoes to wear in the rain), but I decided to take the chance.  They are now completely soaked along with my leggings and sweater.
Classes today weren't bad.  Though I will say it is a bit difficult to learn another language (french) while the professor is speaking in a different language (spanish).  But I now know how to say the alphabet in french!
Choa!

Lazy Weekend

This weekend has been nice, a little dull, but I needed some sleep.  I've just been trying to figure out all my things for my classes (still not entirely sure how I buy books...).  I prepared my spongebob agenda and have downloaded some documents I need for classes.  Now I just need to start reading.  

It's a very odd feeling.  The weather and the first few days off made me feel as if I am on vacation, so it's proving to be a bit difficult to get back into school mode.  It almost feels wrong.

However, after being here a week I have come to appreciate the Bellarmine International Office.  While I may have felt a bit neglected while trying to figure out everything to study abroad, they really take care of their international students.  I'm pretty sure the internationals have a week long orientation and each get a peer mentor along with a BU roommate.  At USFQ you get a half day orientation which mostly just talks about safety and security.  There was a tour, which lasted about 30 minutes, and featured a lot of pointing.  And then you're just thrown into the university the next day, a university which is kind of known for being full of snobs (it is the most expensive university in the country).  But when there are over 150 internationals I assume it might be a bit difficult to be as hands on as Bellarmine.  However there was a meeting about Tiputini and I think I will be going either in January or March.  I still need to purchase clothes for that trip because apparently cotton is not good in the jungle and apparently all I ever really buy is cotton, or at least the clothes I brought all seem to be cotton.  I am greatly looking forward to the trip though!

Adios!

You have lovely eyes

My bus ride this morning was filled with interesting events.  First, when I was waiting for my second bus a man kept staring at me, and then began to serenade me until the bus came, which was a few minutes.  And mid-song a very young boy walked by and checked me out for an awkward amount of time.  Finally the bus arrived and I escaped my singing admirer.  Then as I departed from my bus a man trying to sell something, I'm not really sure what, said to me "you have lovely eyes." And then he got on the bus.
We had a presentation over Tiputini (check out this link, it looks amazing http://www.usfq.edu.ec/tiputini/Paginas/default.aspx). Hopefully I'll be going in January with some girls I met, or another time! I can't wait.
And then as I ascended the hill (it seems more like a mountain) that my host home is, a guy (who I think was a guard of some sort for a business) used his whistle to get my attention and then smiled and waved.  I waved back, but did not go over, much to his dismay.
So far it looks like it might be a quiet friday night, which I'm not too upset about.  I'm a bit tired from all this spanish!
Ciao!

Ladies Nights!

Last night was ladies night in the Mariscal (a area with lots of discotecas and bars).  From 8-11, girls get free drinks. It was a lot of fun and the music was, for the most part, pretty good.  Lots of American songs.  Quito radio stations play a lot of familiar songs, which is a nice little reminder of home.  Today "Sexy and I Know It" came on the radio and my host brother sang and danced to it, reminding me of another friend from home.  Today was very long.  I had ceramics (found out we won't be using a wheel, which I'm a little upset about), Intro to Ecuadorian Culture (there were a few familiar faces), and photography (thankfully one of the girls from my ceramics class was in there, otherwise I would have been the only gringa in two of my classes, which is a bit intimidating!).
All my classes seem to be figured out (minus my piano lessons, but hopefully that will get worked out tomorrow), it's just going to be difficult taking all my classes in Spanish, but that's the point, right?
Tonight I'm going to see the new Sherlock Holmes with emily and her friends.  And it's Ladies Night at the theatre so we get cheaper prices! I'm starting to enjoy being a girl in Quito, it comes with a few perks: free drinks, the busses generally stop for you (sometimes the money man even helps you out, after he stared awkwardly at me for a while....), those are all I can think of now, but so far it's been pretty nice.
Till next time!

First Night Out!

Tonight we went cosmic bowling.  It was lots of fun and I met a couple of Emily's friends and then one of her friends that I met this summer joined as well! Today was a day of firsts for sure.  My first bus.  My first day at my new university.  My first taxi.  I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable, but the thought of the bus is still scaring me.  We'll see if I can sleep tonight.  But I am hoping that arriving after rush hour will be better! So far I spent $2.25 today, and this included a bus ride and a taxi (I got to bowl for free because USFQ students get one free game for one person!).  The only downside today was when walking Emily, Melissa, Michelle, and I all got splashed by a car that drove through a huge puddle.  It splashed so much it hit our faces.
I start classes tomorrow and my first one is French 1 and then I have an andean anthropology class.  My other classes for the rest of the week are ceramics, photography, mountain geology, and introduction to ecuadorian culture.  I'm pretty excited.  And I finally have a full week of classes with my days beginning at 12 and ending at 4.
Also I hoping to start taking pictures soon, I just want to feel more comfortable with my surrounds.  Don't want to get mugged my first week!

My university can flush toilet paper! I think....

Today was my first day at USFQ.  It's a gorgeous campus, someone even said it looked like a villa.  When my host brother Fernando asked me how it was I replied with "mucho infomacion en un poco tiempo" (I was going for a lot of information in a little time, who knows if that's what that means).  I met many people, a lot are on programs that don't spend much time at the actual university or in Quito, but instead take some classes and then go to the Amazon or to the Galapagos.  Just my luck, I meet all the people who will rarely be here.  Today my host brother took me to school, but tomorrow I get to journey on my own, and let me say, I'm not quite sure I'm looking forward to that.  The buses here are a bit hectic.  There are lots of people  and the buses are a bit rough.  Lots of jolts and swaying.  I know eventually I will get used to it (I hope), but as of now, it's one of my biggest fears here in Ecuador! However since most of my classes are not in the morning, my busses should be a little less crowded.  We'll see how things go!
Also apparently I forgot to mention that my luggage arrived! I guess I was so busy being ecstatic that I forgot about everything else!
Hasta Luego!

A few things about Quito

Numero uno: very few toilets flush toilet paper
Numero dos: the Diet Coke or coca-cola light does not taste like the US diet coke, looks like I'll be kicking that habit!
Numero tres: there is lots and lots of traffic, so much so that there is a number system and certain numbers can only drive on certain days and for certain hours (tomorrow is mi familia's day to not drive)
Numero cuatro: The walls in most houses are very thin (it makes going to the bathroom kinda awkward)
Numero cinco: the juices are quite delicious (I'm pretty sure I've been drinking tomato juice for the past few days and I love it even though I hate tomatoes)
Numero seis: taxi's are cheap, but the price doubles at night
Numero: siete: some things are a lot cheaper in Quito, but then a lot of things are quite a bit more expensive
Numero ocho: the weather is a bit "loco" or crazy, in the morning it may be sunny and then all the sudden it's pouring rain. But the temperature is prefect!
So far, I'm falling in love with the city.  It's colorful, and vibrant.
I can't wait to visit my university tomorrow to see where I'll be studying for the next few months! So far I am taking a Ecuadorian Culture class, ceramics, and photography.  I'm hoping to add a rain forest ecology class as well!
I'm sure there are more things I wanted to say, but for now this will do.  Hopefully soon I'll be able to take some pictures and post them!

Telephone!

Today I finally got to meet up with Emily (a friend from my high school)! We went to Quicentro, a mall near my house.  I finally bought some shampoo and got a phone.  The phone was from one of Emily's friends and after a bit of trouble it was finally activated; I can now talk/text my fellow ecuadorians! The phone is pretty simple and reminds me a little of the first phone I had, alas though it does not have snake :( It's a but different from my iPhone, which I miss a lot.  My host brother drove me around today, we went to the hospital and a few other errands for his grandmother.  I saw a lot of precious stray dogs.  Every time I see the city, especial with the backdrop of the mountains/volcanos, I like it more and more.  Tomorrow I will actually go to my university and hopefully I'll finalize my schedule.  My spanish is coming along piece by piece, I even find myself translating in my head when I'm just thinking to myself.  Ciao mis amigos!

Wow

So I may have encountered a few problems and living with a host family definitely takes some getting used to, but Quito makes it worth it! I walked upstairs to meet the grandparents and from the porch/stairs there is a gorgeous view of the volcano/mountains.  The city itself is colorful and vibrant! I can't wait to start classes and get into the swing of things, I like knowing what I'm supposed to be doing, having a loose structure.  And hopefully I'll be getting my luggage in a few hours!

First Impressions

I made it, my luggage didn't (something about the plane having a weight limit and my bags were a few of the fortunate ones that got to enjoy Atlanta for an extra day). So far everyone has been great and very helpful.  Super tired, so I'll update more when I get the chance!

PreDeparture

It's 7am and I leave in an hour.  After a little bump in the road last night (my host family was informed I was coming in monday, not today), I will be picked up at the airport when I arrive in Quito.  I'm starting to get nervous, but even more excited!