Still here

I am still alive!! Internet hasn't actually been installed yet, but hopefully tomorrow, so yes...expect a long update.

Hello world

I'm alive! I just don't have internet at my homestay until Monday, so longer updates will come then.

Just an anecdote--I went dancing today in a park at 7am with my host sister (8 years old). And by dancing I mean aerobics with a little Latino dancing thrown in. The second half of it, a young guy (my age or younger? Or older--I can never tell...) started teaching. And DANG but he could move those hips!

So then when we were back at the house and eating breakfast, I asked my host mom if all the boys in Ecuador could dance like that. And she was like, "Oh, well it's because he's Colombian." And I was like, ".....Oh....."

Haha as if that explained everything ;). Anyway, I'm in a very....dunno, old?....and big house right now. Think of the ones you see when you visit colonial settlements--stone floors, walls, etc. There's a live rooster and multiple dogs, and it has the smell of the 18th/19th century habitations. It's lovely, but I definitely feel as if I've been transported back in time. Btw this is not my homestay--we're just passing the Saturday here with my host mom's relatives, and they're cooking up a huge meal right now--deliciously Ecuadorian =]. So yes, I'm going to go now.

I'm here!!!

As the title says....I'm here!! Arrived in the Quito airport last night at 9:20pm, got through customs etc., and am currently staying at the house of the in-country coordinator of the organization who set me up with my internship (ELI - Experiential Learning International --> they are actually really cool! If you want to do something abroad, I'd recommend checking them out). I took two tours of Quito today, one of old Quito (which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so they can't actually destroy any of the buildings there), and one of modern Quito (which includes a place called Mariscal, or Gringolandia loll. Aka "white-people land"--lots of tourists end up there since there are bars/restaurants/shops/etc.). Pictures to come soon...

I've reacquainted myself with the foods I've missed so much since I left Costa Rica, namely fresh bread and fruit at breakfast, and lime, avocado, and plantains at lunch. Oh, and the fresh fruit juices. Mmhmmm.

Sorry this post is kind of all over the place, but I'm just going to continue and say that it is quite lovely here. What with the mountains, and the romantic buildings in older Quito, and the fresh breezes (even though we're on the equator, we're in the Andes, so it's actually rather cool--MUCH better than Houston). In comparison to Costa Rica, Ecuador seems to be better off. Still, there are obvious signs of poverty here and there, and my heart hurts when I see those people who live on the streets or who try to sell small trinkets or snacks for money. Last night, as we drove out of the airport, there was a young boy dancing hip-hop in front of the cars stopped at a red light so he could maybe get some money. That was new to me...I've seen people do acts of skill in front of cars to get money, but never hip-hop, and never someone that young. Sigh.

Some side notes: currency here is the same as in the U.S. Time zone here is the same as in Houston. My conversational Spanish is gradually returning.

Tomorrow morning, I leave for Ibarra by bus. It's about three hours north of Quito, and I'll get settled in there with my host family, and go get interviewed by my supervisor in the Urban Planning office. I'm a little nervous, but the feeling overall is excitement =].

The altitude change hasn't bothered me much, which is good. I haven't had digestive problems yet either...and I guess I'm currently enjoying myself (yeah, first day, I know). I don't think I understand yet that I'm in SOUTH AMERICA WHOOOOOO in a different country, but maybe...? Okay anyway, I'm going to go drink water now.

4:01pm flight

Wahhh!!! I leave tomorrow!!!

It's starting to hit me now.

Time zones are still the same though.

T-2 days until takeoff!

So if the design and title of this travelogue seem a bit over-excited to you in relation to the content (my internship in Urban Planning), it is perhaps because I am on a dramatic flair/streak right now.

It's very reminiscent of Indiana Jones, no? But in any case, I really will be just north of the equator (btw, Ecuador = equator, in case you didn't know), in the city of Ibarra, also known as La Ciudad Blanca (or, the White City) because of its "colonial, white-washed houses and cobbled streets" (Wikipedia). Sounds picturesque and romantic =].

I'll be in Ecuador for 7 weeks, May 15 - July 5, and then I'll be back in Houston for the rest of the summer to work on a project with two of my previous professors (on Rio de Janeiro, that hot and gritty city that both overwhelms and sharpens the senses, that has a heartbeat simultaneous with the samba drums........................................................yeah I'm definitely being dramatic right now). I know very little about what I'll actually be doing, other than that I might be working on providing housing for the poor and disabled in and around the area, which would actually be great. So, again, this really will be an adventure!

Right now, with just two days left until I leave, I've read through most (or a lot) of my Culture Shock! Ecuador: A Guide to Customs & Etiquette book, done most of my shopping, and still have all my packing left to do. There seem to be a dozen small errands to run before I leave, but right now I'm just so sleepy...

So yeah I guess I'll go pack eventually, and I'm still pretty much emotionally unaware of the fact that I'm leaving for another country in (almost exactly) 48 hours. Anyway! Until next time...