Discovering Quito

Orientation has been absolutely crazy so far! We are in Spanish class from 7:30-9:30am every day and after that we really don't stop until about 5-6pm. However, during the last four days I feel like I have really gotten to know some of the great parts of this beautiful city as well as learn a lot about all of these different people that I am volunteering with from all over the country.

After taking a recommendation from our field directors, there were a few of us that decided to try this tiny place for lunch that doesn't have a name... all we know it as is La Garaje (the garage). We got served a huge plate of beans, rice, beef or chicken, and fried bananas, all for $2. Seriously, eating in this country is ridiculously cheap. I saw a filet mignon last night for $9 if that puts things into perspective. But back to La Garaje... it was so good that we decided to go to it again the next day. Don't worry though, we have branched out and found several other places around La Mariscal (a famous part of the city and where our hotel is located) that we really like. Lunch is cheap everywhere and dinner is not much more expensive, unless you go to a really big gringo place, then it can get a little more pricey.

Tonight after an extremely long day of orientation I went to dinner with six other volunteers. We were following a recommendation from a volunteer's friend and I had absolutely no idea of what to expect when we got there. We took a cab into Old Town and when we finally got to the restaurant, we were greeted with the most BEAUTIFUL scenery I think I have ever seen! It was a rooftop place located right in the middle of the city, so we were able to see everything from the nearby basilica to the bicentenial light display and tons of old churches, plazas, and buildings in between. Dinner was phenomenal (and cheap), and it was just an amazing way to spend an evening. It really struck me at dinner how much we have all bonded in the past four days. There I was, in a local restaurant in Quito, with six people that I didn't know four days ago talking about life as though we've known each other for so much longer than that. Our group comes from all over the place... there are four people from Harvard, two people from North Carolina, one from Columbia, two from Notre Dame, and many other schools including a guy originally from Senegal and one from Canada. It is truly incredible and I am actually a little sad about leaving for Riobamba next weekend because I know that I won't be able to see all of these people until we meet up again in Mindo, a cloud forest, for Mid-Service conference.

However, I am extremely excited to go to Riobamba. During orientation we have had countless sessions on our safety and how to become less vulnerable in this country. It's a lot to think about, but a lot of it is common sense and we have all been looking out for each other. I have learned to carry only essentials on me, along with the minimal amount of money possible. It has actually been kind of liberating, because I used to carry my life with me in my purse, but now I just wear my money belt with my passport copy, emergency numbers, and $15. It's awesome. Too bad I probably won't be able to keep that up once I get back to the States. Regardless, I have learned everything I could possibly know about keeping myself safe while here, which makes me feel much better. These sessions have covered everything from the Swine flu (which is now a "pandemic" here and a few people walk around the streets with masks... a little over dramatic according to the nurse that talked to us) to natural disasters including volcano erruptions. Personally, I can't wait to get to Riobamba and hopefully see a mini-erruption from Mt. Chimborazo, the volcano nearby. Apparently every few weeks it spits out some ash and there is a little bit of ash-rain that covers the ground. I think that it would be incredible to see. No worries everyone, it hasn't actually errupted with lava in hundreds of years.

Ok, well there is so much more to tell about Quito that I have learned, but I think I will save it for next time. We are headed to the Mitad del Mundo, or the equator, on Sunday during our free day. It should be a great experience with a definite photo opportunity! By the way, I am going to try and put some of my pictures from Quito up on here eventually, but it's just taking me a while to figure out how to do it.

Ciao! (Yes, they use that here as a basic form of goodbye)