I've been in Ecuador for just over 24 hours, and I already absolutely love it.
I arrived safely in Quito last night after flying down from Miami with a bunch of people from my program. We're staying at an adorable little hostel in the city this week to do orientation and get acclimated to the country. This afternoon we did a "drop off" in the city, where we had to get to a certain destination, without a map of the city or the bus system, by asking people for directions. We also had to find someone to talk to about the environmental problems experienced here in Quito. Oh and we had to do this alone, or in pairs. It was a little overwhelming for the first day, but it was a really great way to get to know the city and to start speaking Spanish.
The city is absolutely beautiful. There are lots of parks and open space, palm trees everywhere, and the Andes mountains tower over all the buildings. The weather is incredible - not too hot, not too cold. It's the perfect temperature to wear jeans and a T-shirt and be completely comfortable all day long.
The food here is also really great. I've started eating meat again, so I won't miss out on that part of the cultural experience, and I've already gotten to have some fairly traditional local meals. The fruit juices are incredible! And despite how good it is, food and drinks here are unbelievably inexpensive. I had a three course meal for lunch today for $1.75! And of course, I came to the country two weeks before my 21st birthday, and I haven't gotten carded at all - a bit anticlimactic.
Before coming down here, I didn't really know many details about what we'd be doing. Now the more I find out, the more excited I am to be here! Tomorrow night, our program arranged for us to take salsa dancing lessons. Next week, we are traveling to the Intag Cloud Forest, an incredible remote and pristine high-altitude rainforest. After that, I will finally get to meet my host family and settle in for a long stay in Quito.
Hopefully next time I have internet access, and the time to write, I will have some exciting stories!
Love and miss you all!
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