Teleférico, transit, and birthdays

Friday was my birthday. It was a day that was at once totally cool and very sad. I was constantly thinking about how I'd be celebrating if I had been in Texas for my eighteenth birthday. However, I found myself in Ecuador, getting up at 5:45 in the morning so that I could make it to the bus in time. That morning (around 6) Mom and Dad called, making me tear up on the phone. It seems like the special days like this are the hardest (so far). However, this somewhat melancholy start to the day proved to be by far the low point.

As soon as I hung up the phone with Mom and Dad, my host mom Dori served me up some wonderful birthday cake. For my breakfast that day, I had freshly squeezed orange juice (my favorite), two slices of birthday cake, and jello. I then ran out the door to catch the bus (as a special birthday seat I was even able to find a seat) to school. At school, my classmates made me a birthday card and we made plans to celebrate my birthday, and the birthday of another one of my classmates, next weekend.

I got home after school on Friday to have a big lunch and some more birthday cake. Then, Dori gave me a tour of Quito's historic center (see photos). We also walked into about five different churches in the area (the historic center has at least one church every block). We returned home by bus.

Here's a quick word on buses. There are five or six different bus companies, each with a different colored bus. This is the way you can tell which bus to take to reach your destination. All of the buses, however, have a conductor who leans out the open front door announcing the route for the bus. Oftentimes, the bus only slows down enough for people to jump on. The doors don't usually close for awhile, for it's not uncommon for people to stand on the steps when the bus is especially crowded (I had to do this on Thursday on the way to school). On the bus, the conductor goes person to person collecting the bus fares (usually around 25 cents).

I'm completely in awe of the conductors. Not only do they have to go person to person collecting payments, they have to remember who's paid and who hasn't. Then they have to make change, meaning they're constantly carrying mountains of coins with them. The fact that they never drop change all over the bus is a miracle in itself. Then, they have to deal with the generally crazy people using the buses. On Friday, my bus to Quito had a Hip-Hop group (two men and one women) who rapped for everyone on the bus's benefit. Especially in Quito, it's common for people to use the bus as a medium for hawking things they're selling. I also was on a bus last week that was graced by the presence of a man who made a speech describing what happens to prostitutes (the short version is they go to hell). Nonetheless, I love the buses because they make Quito and the surrounding area super accessible at a really affordable price.

Using two different buses, I went into Quito on Saturday to meet up with the seven other foreign students to go to the Teleférico. We were accompanied by two people from Xplorer, the study abroad agency I'm affiliated with in Ecuador. The Teleférico is a gondola built on one of the mountains surrounding Quito. It rises up to an elevation of 4050 meters (13,300 feet), offering truly spectacular views of Quito. After a bit of hiking at elevation and lots of pictures, we went horse back riding. The experience was capped off by the panchos and hats we all wore.

After finishing the horse back riding, we returned to Quito for lunch. We ate at a Pizza Hut, which had all of the American students groaning at first. However, Pizza Huts here are sit down restaurants, and we enjoyed a really nice lunch. Then, after Sofi, our coordinator from Xplorer, told the waiters it was the day after my birthday, they brought me a huge brownie and sang happy birthday to me (in Spanish).

It's been a totally different, but still very enjoyable birthday. Thanks also for all of the birthday greetings on Facebook and in emails. It's always great to hear from everyone, but it's especially nice on my birthday. I hope you enjoy the photos!


Here's a shot of the central plaza in Quito's historic center. It's a monument to the fighters in the original revolution in Quito in 1809 for independence from Spain. As I understand, the revolution was crushed by the Spanish. Ecuadorians still trace the beginnings of their independence struggle to this time.


This is the presidential palace in Quito. The president, Rafael Correa, works, but doesn't live in the building.


Here's a kind of crappy shot showing the landscape we got when we arrived at the top of the Teleférico.



All the Xplorer students at the top of the Teleférico


All the boys: Tom (Germany), Micah (USA), and me



There was a llama there. I couldn't resist the urge to take the picture.



If you can look past the two flying gentlemen in the foreground, you'll get a look at one of the snow capped peaks, partially obscured by clouds.


This is the poncho I wore while riding the horse. I'm obviously going to have to get one of my own before I leave here.


It was a truly beautiful day. The background of this picture shows the horses we rode later on.

First day of school!

Hello everyone. I'm going to have to be careful to manage the length of this blog post because there's so much to write about that's happened this week. First, I'll put in a quick word about food.

I've continued to eat really well in Ecuador. I've also been enjoying a variety of fresh foods. Today, we bought ten oranges ($1) from a guy selling oranges to people in their cars. When we got home, Miguel (my host dad), made fresh orange juice for us to enjoy with dinner. Earlier this week, we enjoyed fresh chicken. No, we didn't get chicken that was two days old or something from the market. Instead, earlier this week, the Pachecos bought a live chicken and on Wednesday night, after days of debate over who would kill the chicken and how they would kill it, Dori's younger sister killed it! Dori wanted me to understand that this wasn't uncommon, and that they had paid extra to have one of the best chickens in Ecuador. I admit that I totally enjoyed the chicken we had in the following meals. Another cool thing we did this week was make tamales. First, we ground up corn (see pictures). Then, using the infamous chicken, we had chicken tamales.

On Friday I had my first day of school. On Thursday, the other exchange student from my program (Tom, from Germany) went up to the school with our host families to register and buy our uniforms. When I walked into school uniform shop, the man who supplies families with uniforms started worrying. He was sure they wouldn't have clothes big enough for me! As it turned out, there was only one pair of pants that the school couldn't supply for me. Instead, the school gave me some fabric to take to a tailor. Yesterday, I picked up my new pants from the tailor and they fit me well.

Friday, I got up early (5:30 a.m.) to catch the bus for my school. The uniform is pretty easy, but I still managed to mess it up. I wore the wrong socks, and I also managed to wear the wrong tie. Dori caught the wrong tie before I left the house, but by the time I had realized I had the wrong socks it was too late. In addition, the fly crappy pants that the school gave me completely broke midway through the day! Fortunately, I had a really long white shirt that practically hung to me knees, so I don't think anyone else noticed.

Other than my uniform issues, the first day of school went really well. I got to the school at 6:55, thinking that I was only just in time for the beginning of school at 7. However, I realized later that the school day doesn't start until around 7:30. While I waited for the school day to start, I chatted with the other exchange students in my class. Surprisingly, my class of ten students has four exchange students: two Icelandic kids, a girl from Switzerland, and me.

Ecuadorian (and apparently a lot of international) schools have a system where students stay in the same classroom all day while teachers rotate in and out. This works nicely, except on Friday, we only met with two teachers. Apparently we're going to have eight classes a day this week, but on Friday we had lots of time to chat and play card games. I taught them all how to play the wonderful card game of Spoons. The classes we did have were interesting. First, we had a class on Kichwa, the Ecuadorian indigenous language. I can now introduce myself in Kichwa and say how old I am! The other class we had was ecology. Both of these classes promise to be really interesting. I also feel comfortable in the classroom with my new classmates.

This coming week, I've got a full week of school; with the exception of Wednesday, when exchange students from Xplorer (four Americans and four Germans) have an Xplorer event. We all have to register with the Ecuadorian census of foreigners living in Ecuador and then we're visiting our embassies to receive a security briefing (this sounds interesting but will probably be boring). I'm excited about this meet up because when we last met up with the staff from Xplorer, they told us about a possible trip to the Galapagos Islands in December!

I continue to be more comfortable in Spanish. I can always get a point across, it's just with a bit of an accent and with some of the incorrect words. But everyone has been patient with me as I learn. I love getting all of your emails. Keep sending them! I'm sorry if I respond slowly. Nonetheless, I like the opportunity to hear from you all. Thanks for reading!

This is the corn grinder we used to make the tamales.


Here's a photo of me grinding up the corn, assisted by Dori's younger sister from Spain. She's also the one who finally killed the chicken!


Here's a photo of me in my uniform.

The first week in Ecuador

So my first blog posting from Ecuador was totally lame. The reason for that was I was sitting in the internet cafe, typing furiously, because if I was on the computer for more than an hour, I'd have to pay an extra 50 cents. It's a good reason, isn't it? Anyways, I'm going to do this differently. I've found an internet cafe much closer to my house. It's also much cheaper.

I got into Ecuador really late on the Thursday night. My flight landed around 11, then I had to go through customs, then collect baggage, and have my baggage screened... Anyways, by the time I finally met up with my host family, it was about 12:30 a.m. I felt really bad, but it was great to meet all of them. They made sure I had all my baggage, which I did. I later learned that the previous American exchange student they hosted lost all his baggage. His luggage didn't arrive in Quito for five days! Anyways, me introduced ourselves, and then jumped in Miguel's (my host dad) 1986 Toyota, which has the distinct smell of gasoline on the interior.

We drove through Quito to get to where my host family lives, in one of the southern suburbs of Quito. Miguel didn't feel the need to stop for red lights, so we made it home pretty quickly. Still, by the time we were going to bed, it was about 1:30 a.m. I was completely exhausted, and fell asleep immediately.

Since my first day, I've been getting used to life in Ecuador. I struggle to compare the climate to Texas, but to me it seems kind of like one of our very warm days in December. The sun rises around 6, and then it sets at 6 p.m. When the sun is out, it can be quite warm, but without the sun, it gets quite chilly. I'm in a valley surrounded by mountains, and we're at an elevation of around 8,000 feet.

My host mom, Dori, isn't happy unless I'm eating everything, and then asking for seconds. It's sometimes a tall order, but somehow I manage. The food is bland, but full of fruits (papaya and orange are favorites for juices). Each meal contains either a white rice, potato, or plantain; sometimes all of the above. The biggest meal of the day is eaten around 2 or 3; with a nice breakfast in the morning, and sometimes just tea for dinner. Dori's convinced that Americans are fat because they eat their biggest meal in the evening; rather than in the day.

Alexis, my host brother, has been really nice about including me in activities, and speaking slowly to me in Spanish. I brought a soccer ball and pump to Ecuador, so we've been playing a lot of soccer. For the second time in a row, my team lost. I'm beginning to think that I'm the problem.

I'm beginning to get more comfortable in Spanish. I can now hold a conversation without stumbling, and my mistakes are fewer. This gives me great opportunities to talk with the host family about all sorts of things. They're curious about a lot of things American. Veronica, my host sister, studied and worked in the US for four months, and yesterday we were looking at her complete collection of the US quarters for all the states and territories. Both Dori and Miguel have family members who work in the US, and they're both interested in being able to point out on a map where their family members live.

I feel totally welcome in Ecuador. On Sunday, Dori hosted a birthday party for her niece and sister at our house. When they realized my birthday is coming up, they included me in the celebrations (see photos).

Tomorrow, all the exchange students (three Americans and five Germans) are meeting in Quito to have our orientation. Thursday, I'm going to my school for the first time, but it's just so that I can register and buy my uniform. Friday is my first day of classes.

It's been a crazy few days. It's hard to comprehend that just last week I was still packing for this trip. I miss family and friends a lot, but it feels good to know I have a secondary family in Ecuador.

First night: From left Miguel, Dori, me, Alexis, Veronica, host mom of Micah (other American), and Micah




Birthday Party

Finally in Ecuador

Hey guys!

I just wanted to make a quick post saying I got in to Ecuador without any issues. I´ve been placed with an excellent host family, and Í´m quite comfortable. I don´t have much internet access in the home of my host family, so I´m using the computer at an internet cafe. Here´s a quick list of my recent activities.

On my first night, I was picked up around one in the morning by the Pacheco family at Quito´s airport. My host dad, Miguel, demonstrated the phrase "don´t stop for stoplights." Apparently, it´s okay to just roll through stop lights in Quito at one in the morning. The next morning, I visited a megamall called San Luis shopping, where I bought a new cell phone. Later, Alexix (host brother, 14) and I explored a new park with bike trails. We only have one bike, so I biked and he held on! I also got a chance to see my school in person.

We´ve also been doing some exploring in Quito (my host family lives about twenty minutes south of Quito). It´s a gorgeous part of the world. They call Ecuador the land of eternal spring for a reason. I´ve also been getting excited about the prices of some things. Here´s a quick sampling.

Soccer ball $50
Gallon of gas $1 (yes you read that right)
Three course meal between $2 and $5

Of course, there are a lot of things cheaper in the States (like the soccer ball).

I continue to be impressed by the beauty of the country. I´m in a valley surrounded by many mountains, two of which are snow capped. The weather´s great, and the food is wonderful (especially the fruit).

I´m sorry that I don´t have any photos up right now. I´m going to have to figure out a better way of updating the blog. Hopefully, I can update again soon, next time with pictures. Until then, adios!

Leaving tomorrow for Ecuador

It feels really weird to finally be leaving. After months, or years really, of thinking about studying abroad, I'm finally going through with it. I've got John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" stuck in my head, and I've said almost al of my goodbyes. Tomorrow, I'm boarding a plane in Dallas, connecting through two airports, and then arriving in Quito tomorrow night at 11.

I'm going to miss my family the most while I'm gone. My mom cried a bit today - I called it an orientation for what's coming with the final separation tomorrow. It's also going to be hard to avoid calling them every night or firing off emails every couple of hours. I also will miss my friends in Texas. I'm used to being able to keep up with them in person and on Facebook. I think it will be a bit surreal to see what's going on with them via Facebook but be almost completely separated from the things going on with them.

However, it's gonna be great to get away from the Texas heat (it's the end of September and we're still hitting 100 degrees each day). I'm also excited to meet new people (especially my host family) in Ecuador. Finally, I can't wait to get started using my Spanish

I know this is a lot of blog postings for not very much time. I think I'll probably post much less often from Ecuador. I'm not yet sure exactly what kind of Internet coverage I'll have; more on that in the next few days! Until then, goodbye.

Three days to go...

So with three days to go until I leave, I'm getting really nervous. But, it's been a good couple of final days in Fort Worth. My going away party was awesome (thanks for coming guys). I also called my host family again yesterday and was able to speak for half an hour on the phone (IN SPANISH) without completely embarrassing myself. Well, I did forget some common vocabulary words (caliente is really a complicated word that I can be expected to forget a lot, right?). Anyways, I'm getting serious (finally) about packing. The suitcase is out, I'm starting to pile clothes in. 

Here's some info on where I'm going: I'm gonna be living in Sangolquí, Ecuador; a smaller suburb of the capital city of Quito. There are only two seasons in Ecuador: rainy and dry (a relative term because it seems to rain most of the year). The usual highs are around the high 60s and lows in the high 40s or low 50s. In other info, I'll be attending a local high school - Unidad Educativa Dario Figueroa Larco - in Sangolquí. It looks like I'm going to have to wear a uniform, including a coat and tie, to school every day.

Finally, some info on my host family. Miguel (my host dad) is married to Dori (my host mom). I think they're around the same age as my parents. They have three kids - Dario, who's an adult and married, living with his wife and young kid in a different part of the country; Veronica, who's 24 and studying for her master's degree at a university in Quito; and Alexis, who's 14 and attending a secondary school in Sangolquí. 

 Here's some pictures of the school I'm attending in Sangolquí: