Week 1

I've now been living in Ecuador for a week. I had a tough time getting here because I realized that my plane was arriving a day earlier than everyone else's, so I had to change my flight. So my first lesson has been to always check dates.
My host family met me at the airport on Saturday night. I have a host father, Raul, and mother, Cati. They are really great and interesting people, and their three children are studying at schools in Germany and America. My roommate Ashley and I live in the rooms of their two girls. They also have a chihuahua named Picasso and a husky named Luc.
We had orientation on Monday and Tuesday. The university talked to us about how dangerous the city of Quito is and how we can stay safe while living here. We went on a bus tour of Quito through the university and my host dad also drove my roommate and I through the city. It's very old and very beautiful, with lots of colors, amazing views, and lots of churches. This is San Francisco church, the oldest in Quito.

Ecuadorians are some of the most friendly people I've ever met. Although the university kept warning us to watch out for criminals preying on gringos, I feel at home here. The other night, Cati made cookies and tea for her friends and neighbors, and we sat around the table and talked--I mostly listened because they were speaking Spanish. Whenever you meet someone new or see a friend, it's customary to kiss them on the cheek. I really like how open and inviting the people are, though I do get stared at quite a bit because I am an outsider. A couple of neighbors took us out for drinks that night and we talked about Ecuadorian culture and Spanish phrases that we should know, and it was really fun.

I started class on Wednesday. I'm taking Tropical Ecology and Beginner's Spanish. Our campus is SO beautiful, but extremely confusing because the buildings are all connected which makes it kind of like a labry

The main hall at USFQ, Maxwell.

nth.
Next week, I will be traveling to Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon. I am so excited for this trip! We are going to stay in cabins all week in the rainforest and see so many plants and animals that we have never seen before. The week after that, we have a trip to Chimborazo, the tallest mountain in Ecuador and closest place on earth to the sun, as well as Mindo, where a cloud forest is located. The trips we get to take in this program are amazing.

Chimborazo

I love living in the mountains. The view is gorgeous everywhere you look. Today we went to a place called Papallactas, a small Andean town with lots of hot springs. We went swimming in these super hot pools with views of the mountains on all sides. It was so high up that for the first time, I was having trouble breathing. Still, it was really beautiful and I saw what a small Andean community looks like.

I've gone out a few times as well, every time with Ecuadorian people. The night life is really fun; last night we went to a club and I learned to dance the merengue and salsa. Dancing here is so much different than it is in the U.S., it's faster and actually requires some skill. I had a lot of fun this week and as excited I am to go to the Galapagos, I wish we had a little more time in Quito. I've met some great people so far and there are so many opportunities to make friends and experience Ecuadorian culture. Though the first few days I was having some trouble adjusting, I think I am beginning to get comfortable here. The most difficult part of living here is not being able to speak Spanish, but I think I will become better eventually.

I will be gone next week, but my next post will be about my trip to the Amazon!