Sunday, August 30, 2009

First Weekend in Quito

After a fun long weekend in Quito, sitting on this bed sure feels good. A couple of new friends and I went out salsa dancing on Friday night at a “not-so-gringo” salsa club full of incredible Ecuadorian salsa dancers. I had fun learning the ropes and getting to know some Ecuadorians and by the end of the night I had most of the moves down.
Then bright and early on Saturday morning, we took a ride on the Telef­­eriqo (a sky tram) to the top of a neighboring mountain reaching over 13,000 ft. The high altitude and chilly air took our breaths away. Little did we know there was something waiting at the top…What better way to be greeted than by llamas! For only 50 cents you too can have your picture taken in an authentic Ecuadorian poncho with a friendly (or not so friendly in some cases) llama. I could see all of Quito from way up there. It was easy to see the dramatic difference between the city south of the mountain and the untouched grassy hills just north. It makes me wonder what Quito looked like before people came and built their concrete jungle. During our decent back to civilization, we decided to check out El Centro Historico of Quito. Hay muy lindo y antiguo! Sometime between eating lunch at an outside café in the shade of beautiful edifices older than our country and sitting in the park listening to a group of Ecuadorian musicians, I realized how surreal my life is right now. The colonial architecture and the cathedrals surrounding the central plaza practically forced me to whip out my camera and start taking pictures like a “typical gringo.” So much for blending in! To top off a great Saturday, I went to see Enemigos Publicos (Public Enemies) for the low Ecuadorian price of $4 at a nearby movie theater.
This morning, Kristen and I were map-less gringas in the middle of who-knows-where after realizing that we had the wrong time for the church service. The taxi driver had already sped off so we decided to take the bus. But to where? And how do we find the bus stop? After wandering aimlessly through a truly Ecuadorian food market, we bumped into an old Ecuadorian couple that was heading to the El Parque de Carolina. They were so kind and wanted to know all about us and ended up taking us to the park. Once we arrived we realized that this park wasn’t your typical park. It was HUGE. There were people by the hundreds playing soccer, basketball, running, biking, etc. There were botanical gardens, lots of fields, and even a reptile exhibit. And there was a free aerobics session going on with about 200 participants right in the basketball court with the music blaring. How random? The park went on forever and I don’t think we saw even a 1/3 of it. Kristen started up conversation with a woman watching a soccer game whose son was on the team and we ended up talking to her and her son and his friend for over an hour in broken Spanish about everything under the sun. I am continually blown away by how kind and selfless these people are here in Ecuador. I am not sure if the reverse scene would have played out the same in the US.
Another great thing about studying abroad in Ecuador, versus countries in Europe, is the cost of living. Most things are incredibly cheap. A typical full course meal is anywhere between $2 and $3! A taxi ride is about the same. They sell roses by the two dozen on the street for $2! Conversely, anything American is more expensive here than it is in the United States. I was perusing some American clothing shops in the mall and realized the prices for brands like American Eagle, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger is roughly 25% more here because of a high import tax.
Well tomorrow I’ve got two classes: Culture of Ecuador and Yoga. It should be a good day!










Thursday, August 27, 2009

Estoy en Quito

Hola todos,
Hey guess what? I LOVE Ecuador. Today is my 6th day in this foreign land and the things that seemed impossible at first are a breeze now, like finding the right bus and knowing where I have to get off. Although I say I love Ecuador, what I really love what this semester holds. The past five days have been full of so many new faces and places but I know I am just getting started. Already, I have heard time and time again, "You've got to check out this place" and "make sure you go to that place." I can't wait to actually get out there a EXPLORE.
So people in Ecuador speak Spanish. I am in a country that doesn't speak my language? Ah!!! But actually I am getting along just fine. Just by interacting with my host family for the first few days has done wonders for my Spanish comprehension. All of my classes are taught in Spanish which may seem like a lot to swallow at first but already after the second day I am confident that I will be just fine. La Universidad San Francisco de Quito is phenomenal. I am such a newbie so I don't really know my way around but so far what I have seen, I love. The architecture is very modern and colonial at the same time. There is a lake lined with flowering trees adjacent to an Asian pagoda where my yoga class takes place. There are fountains and courtyards and sculptures all over. My classes are going to be fun this semester: Cultura Ecuatoriana, Hatha Yoga, Historia Moderna de America Latina, Espanol Intermedio, y Pintura. Que divertido! To top it all off, I am surrounded by the Andes mountains everywhere I look! The weather here is sunny with a frequent cool breeze. It is not very hot even though it is on the equator because I am so high up in the mountains.
I have already met some great people here and my host family is so hospitable. The Corderos have taken me under their wing and consider me a part of the family. They feed me so well I always feel like I am going to burst. But I love the food here: locro (potato soup...kinda), plantanos, arroz con pollo, frijoles, y muchas frutas. But I must say at the end of the day it is wonderful to have wireless internet in my room for Skype and email. I haven't forgotten about all of my friends and family back home so it is nice to stay connected.
I have only gotten a taste of the culture here in Quito: the music, the dancing, the food, the politics, the traditions, the social and economic problems, family dynamics, the history, etc. but I am very happy here and eager to learn more.
Hasta luego,
Carrie

Friday, August 21, 2009

one more day


Hello all,

I am about to embark on a four month adventure to Ecuador, a place where the highest active volcano, Cotopaxi, resides, 25% of the people are of indigenous heritage, and guinea pig is considered a delicacy. There is a lot of unknown ahead for me which can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. My host mom is going to pick me up from the airport tomorrow and from there....who knows? I have come to realize that I will probably stick out as the "tall skinny white gringo" when I am down in South America. But even though there is no hiding my "Americanness" I am excited to become a part of the Ecuadorian culture long enough (four months) to where I don't feel like a tourist. I hope I really get live like a local!
hasta luego,
Carrie