First Week + a couple days

This is a view from walking back from my friend's house. Very pretty it is cool seeing all of the houses and buildings go up the side of the Mt.

pretty pretty Orchid

My host Mom, Mariana and I in Old Quito.

I safely made it to Ecuador and on Saturday the second my host family picked me up from the hostel and took me to their house. Everything is going very well, and everyone in my family is very nice. They have two daughters but one is married and no longer lives at home and the other left just a few days after I arrived to study in the United States. On Monday the 4 I had orientation, Tuesday I went and finished all my visa doings and Wednesday I finally started classes. I have two classes Biology for three hours and Spanish for three hours. Soo nothing too interesting there.

This past weekend on Friday we all went out for dinner at a Mexican restaruant and then did a lit bit of dancing. The taxi ride only cost three dollars! Que barato! (how cheap!) Saturday I went to the Jardin Botanico in Parque Carolina (botanical garden), then to Crepes and Waffles (which was delicious!), and then I went to one of the artesian markets. I am now a proud owner of a lovely green alpaca sweater, blue heat and gloves with alpaca on them, and a purple scarf. Total spent: $20. I will be returning hopefully soon to buy another alpaca sweater and some hammocks! I took a few pictures at the Botanical garden but my lense and/or the lighting was weird so they weren't very clear. I have since then cleaned my lense so hopefully this weekend when I go to Pahuma I'll have better luck! (El Pahuma is an Orchid Reserve!)

On Sunday I went to the el campo (farm) of my host family's conseguros (inlaws). I held some baby lamb, and let a baby cow eat my hand. :D Everyone there spoke Spanish of course and I had a difficult time conversing because when they talk together it is very very very fast. Other than that though my spanish has improved I think and I'm finding it easier to speak even if there are thousands of errors. \

Also the bus rides here are CRAZY. It costs .25 to ride, but they drive very very fast up and down very very windy roads. A lot of times in the afternoon I don't have room to sit down either so I stand which is super hard! but no worries it is very safe! haha

also one of the pictures is at the Botanical garden and there was a puppy dog school going on!