Quito

SO.  I started to write this blog in Spanish, I really did.  But.  Then I dreamt in Spanish (not well, I might add), and that was the end of that.  Therefore, here you all go in easy o understand English.  I shall start from the beginning.  Last night I arrived in Quito to fierce customs official and jet lag.  GREAT.  Not to mention my family lives RIGHT NEXT TO THE AIRPORT.  Yay noise.  Not to mention that everyone in Quito owns at lease one dog that doesn’t sleep at night, and they are a rather chatty group.  Suffice to say, sleep occurs in small doses.  However, all of this is easily made up for in the fact that I have a fantastic family.  Lupe, the mom, is really nice and a rather talented cook.  Patricio is the dad and he never lets me carry anything.  Last but certainly not least, Veronica is their middle-aged daughter WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH.  I win!  I have my own bedroom upstairs (their house is really net in a traditional way) and a queen-sized bed.  It’s pretty great. 

This morning I had school and that was school.  There was a lecture in economics and the fiscal crisis facing Ecuador at the moment.  I fell asleep six times and had to be kicked awake by Benjamin, the boy who lives next door to me.  He missed the first few times.  Allison was upset.  But.  All in all I suppose the academia was rather successful, as I can already feel the migraine coming on.  However, the best part of the day was when Lupe and Ben’s host mom took up for a tour of the city.

QUITO.  If there is one thing that I’ve learned on this trip so far, it’s that U.S. citizens need to stop bitching about carbon emissions and realize how good they have it.  I do believe I am developing black lung.  No, but actually.  What I learned is that there isn’t one Quito.  It’s actually three different cities: the north, south, and central.  There differ not only in location but in building and street style as well.  For example, central Quito has=s all the churches.  SO MANY CHURCHES.  But that’s because it’s the part that Spain conquered and developed.  And the cool thing about Quito is that the entire city is situated in the valley of this huge mountain range.  But you can’t see the whole thing.  It’s literally the largest city I’ve ever been in.   You can’t even see all of it at one time!  It’s kinda fantastic. 

Things I like about Quito:

Lots of eating

The mountains

The architecture

Things I don’t like about Quito:

The drivers are worse than those in Grand Rapids

SO MANY STRAY DOGS

Pollution

Spanish

Crime (all houses are located behind protective walls and have bars over the window. I must open three different doors to get into ours.  Plus, we’re pretty much supposed to expect to be mugged when we walk outside.  Joy.  Sadly, I am embracing the fanny pack.  Sorry, I mean security belt.  Love you mom.)

Side note:  All the graveyards are above ground O.o