a mí me encanta quito mucho, mucho, mucho

There is so much to write about. It has been a very long (but great!) few days. We’re done with all our orientation classes and meetings and we’re ready to start classes on Monday. Our last day of formal lessons was on Wednesday – we’ve pretty much been playing and having a great time since then.

On Thursday morning I met up with two of my friends, Cami and Laura, and we decided to explore Quito. We wanted to get to know where everything is a bit better and to practice using the bus system (since it’s insane) before classes start. We used the Ecovia first. It’s a specialized bus system that only goes between certain areas and streets. Then we used a connection-type bus that connects the Ecovia and the trolley. From there we used the trolley, and from there we went to some of the “normal” buses. Basically, all the others that we hadn't used. I still don’t understand most of it, but I’m sure I’ll figure it all out eventually. I hope. :(

After spending the morning going around Quito we decided to do something fun. We went to TelefériQo, a huge sky tram that goes 2.5km up the side of Volcán Pichincha to the top of Cruz Loma. The base of the sky tram is right in Quito, but the top is 4100m (and amazing, overlooking the entire city). From there you can hike up to 4680m to the top of Rucu Pichincha. When we got to the 4100m mark we spent some time getting adjusted to the altitude. The air was soooo thin and cold. It was hard to get even part of a breath in. We had té de coca, a hot tea that is made from the same plant that cocaine is produced from. I had no idea that a drug that is so dangerous can also be really helpful when it is used properly. The leaves that are used in the tea help to cure hunger and altitude sickness. We had the tea and it helped all three of us a lot. We tried to hike some of the ascent up to the peak of Rucu Pichinha but didn’t make it all the way. It’s a tough hike. We sat for a long time at the top of the highest peak that we did manage to get to. It was really amazing. On one side we could see all of Quito, on the other it was all native farmland and mountains. The clouds were so close to where we were that it looked like you could reach up and grab them. If we had hiked much longer I think we would have been about to. The peak of Rucu Pichinha was up in the clouds – you couldn’t see it! We decided that we weren’t going to try to peak that day because we weren’t really prepared for it (it turned out to be the right decision because one of my friends did start to have some of the difficult symptoms of altitude sickness) but we want to go back another day and do the whole hike. I’m really excited and I can’t wait.

After our hike and TelefériQo we went back into Quito and explored a bit more. Then we all went home because we had to be back at PUCE early the next morning.

The exchange students for the Fall 2007 semester got to go on a trip to the Imbabura Providence for Friday and Saturday. This area is where Otavalo is located; a fairly famous indigenous market in Ecuador. We met a man who was from the indigenous population of Imbabura. He explained a ton to us about the culture and traditions of the area – history, religion, family, marriage, death and life, food, nature. There was more, too. He also took us out into the wooded part of the Providence. We saw an amazing waterfall that crashed 80ft down between two of the Andean mountains. It was incredible.

After we left from meeting some of the indigenous population, the directors took us to the hotel where we were going to stay for the night. They fed us (again) and then told us that we needed to spend the rest of the two days having a good time. Leave it to your imagination, but the job was well taken care of by the 45 college students. The directors definitely weren’t lacking in taking part with us. We walked around the area for a long time and explored the terrain. Around 5pm we went back to the main lodge of the hotel and they gave us tea and empanadas. The tea was really different from the US also. It was the second time in two days that I got to have new tea, and being a complete tea addict, I was very happy.

So then the directors told us to get warm clothes on because we were going to go out on a boat (the hotel was on a lake in between a mountain range). We did as we were told and then went to where we were supposed to meet. We were all thinking that we were going to spend an hour and a half before supper being cold and floating on a boat. That’s not so much how it was. The boat was like a huge pontoon, decorated to fit the culture of Ecuador and Latin America. Along with the students and the directors came more food, drinks and a traditional band to the area. All of our chins about hit the floor – especially when the directors were all telling us to get it together and have fun. So fun it was. We spent a long time in the middle of the lake in the mountains. It was awesome.

We came back to shore and they gave us more food… supper I guess is what they were going for, but it was a little late and we weren't really too hungry. We hung out for a little while, but for the most part all went to bed pretty soon after the boat experience. My friend Anna and I tried to watch Spanish TV. Tried bing the key word. It’s hard! And the telenovelas… I couldn’t stop laughing long enough to listen, so Anna eventually gave up and turned off the TV. We both needed to sleep anyway.

This morning we went to Otavalo market. Again, how cool. We spent about 3 hours looking around and learning a lot more about the traditions of the Imbabura Providence. It was really neat.

We got back to Quito at about 6:30pm tonight. Tired is the understatement of how life feels right now, but the last few days were totally worth it. I really feel like I am starting to get to know Quito. Debbie, I’ll try to embrace the hot springs but I can’t make any promises. If the hot springs are the biggest problem that I run into in Ecuador then I think everything is going to be just fine. I think for the rest of the night I’m just going to rest and try to get some sleep. If I wake up in time in the morning, I’ll try to go to church, but right now I’m so tired that thinking (not to mention communicating) in Spanish is just about impossible.

So to everyone in the US, I miss you guys a ton and I hope you’re doing well. If you want my contact information down here and I haven’t sent it to you yet just let me know. Un abrazo muy grade para todos!!!