1 week down

Greetings from Quito, Ecuador!


So all my life I've had trouble with altitude, and living 2800 meters above ground has been no different. But today I think I might finally be adjusting a bit, so I'm going to try to update you all one what's going on.

Quito is a very interesting place. We've seen everything here from the president of Ecuador to a gold-plated church to the average Ecuatorian university.

Things I find really interesting:
1. The mountains. They are exquisite. They rise above the clouds.

2. There is fresh juice everywhere. Like no-sugar-added fruit squeezed juice.

3. Every meal is rice, beans, meat, and some combination of more carbs. And it's so much food. for like, $1.50.

4. Because of the poor economic situation, there are a lot of robbers and muggers here. So the walls of a lot of houses, instead of having spiky iron fences, have broken glass cut into the top of cement walls to keep people form climbing over. Cheaper and more effective.

5. The graffiti here. It isn't territory tagging. It's political commentary, or poetry, and it's amazing. I'll try to get some pictures up.

6. Chapel of Man-- an art museum designed by the artist Guayasamìn for his own art, which is mostly social commentary on various wars and injustices. Cool stuff.


okay a brief update on what i've done: i have spanish class 3 hours every morning, and in the afternoons we do cool things like go to museums, take dance or cooking classes, etc. Tomorrow we go to Otavalo, a market town, and next week we head into the Amazon.

I love and miss you all! please keep in touch... shoot me an email or something. =)