I am liking Quito as it is a lot more modern (like I said they have ranch dressing and movie theatres) but the size has been a problem. We have a map, but it is still very hard to find out where things are and how to get to them. In Quito there is a cool gothic church (called the basilica) and an art market, not to mention the "middle of the world" tourist trap, but I have yet to figure out the bus system to get there without walking for hours. This is just our first week, and I'm sure we will figure it all out, but it is a little frustrating... I'm just not really the big city type...
I am not going to end up going to the Galapagos. I am a little disappointed, but the Spanish department Alma College doesn't allow abroad classes to be taken pass/fail and so I would face a major grade deduction for missing 8 or more hours of class, and we can't find a good deal for just a four day trip. It only costs a little more to go for 8 days then it does for four. Instead we are going to take a trip to Baños this weekend and then probably get to the beach the next weekend. Maybe I can convince one of those giant turtles to swim over to the shore....
Although our house here in Quito is spacious and lovely, I am missing my Cusquenan family. They were a lot more laid back than our new mom is. She has very strong opinions and can come off as rude. For example, she straight out told Mike and I one day that a sore on Mike's thumb was cancer and that acne (which we both have) is caused by eating too much chocolate and grease. One day she asked me why my eyes weren't blue. These are just little things, but being constantly scrutinized for things you have no control over doesn't make for a very comfortable or relaxed living environment. Our pops here, on the other hand is a cool guy. He is a retired (I think) engineer and just has a passion for learning things so he is always running around and asking us questions about random things. It's fun to discuss so many things with him. He took us yesterday to a library about the foundation of Quito and the adminstrator at the library gave us a full tour and let us check out the original documents (and symbolic key) that were sent to spain upon the founding of the city. It was cool and he gave Mike a free book! We also went down into the tunnel that sneaks from this library to the big colonial house next door, which was an escape route for one of the political families who used to live there! I may try and go back to snap some pictures.
Mike and I both got a small scholarship from the CRL (Center for Responsible Leadership) to support our trip and one of the requirements was that we were supposed to do volunteer work while we were down here. Well, this week we met with the volunteer coordinator and were a little disappointed. The Children's Hospital we were hoping to work at only accepts volunteers in the morning and we have class until one, so that was not an option. The next job we had an interest in, helping boys with cancer learn english so they can receive US healthcare. Well, all the boys are traveling right now b/c it is summer and they are out of school. Oh yeah, that is another thing, they consider it to be summer here right now. I don't understand how you have seasons when you live at the Equator but I'm looking into it. The school is also very strict with their volunteers, wanting a huge donation at the end to the agency and making you write a rather lengthy report. Well, after hearing this I decided I didn't want to pay a lot of money to DONATE my time. We were talking with our "dad" about it and he suggested that we try and volunteer without using the resources of the school, said a lot of students just do it separtely. So yesterday he walked us down to an organization (I can't remember the name right now) for recovering street kids. Some of them had addictions, but most are just homeless and looking for care. A Peruvian women was in charge, and she said we love to have us volunteer on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. I think it will be a great opportunity to help out down here and I am happy that I can do it on my own terms and choose to make a donation if I feel I can at the end of my time. I will get the name of the place on Monday when we start.
We have just been spending nights with our family, and going to bed early. In Peru, with afternoon classes I was waking up around 7:30 and now I have to get up at six to be ready for an early breakfast and a half hour walk to school. I woke up on my own this morning though so I'm thinking I'm adjusted. We learned a new card game called "40" and our mom said it is their main casino card game down here. I wrote down the rules and will have to share when I get home - it is sort of like euchre and you want to collect "tricks"with a partner - but a little easier I guess? I think I could take on their casino... but I won't try... no worries.
I'm adding to the list of things I miss from home:
family and friends and casey
Liberty
TV
my pillow
peanut butter
mom's enchiladas (hint?)
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cereal and wheat bread (haven't had them once)
broccoli (duh!)
skim milk!
salad (lettuce here is unsafe)
Love,
Marcy
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