Tallest Church in South America!

Well, my trip to the Galapagos was postponed for another week! So, I decided to explore Quito, the capital, with some other folks that are staying at my homestay. On Thursday, we went to Old Town, which is a beautiful part of Quito. There was a tremor on Thursday night, but I didn't feel it! We listened to music, walked around the streets, and ate some delicious food! The buildings are bright colors, just like I imagined South America to be. There were people everywhere enjoying themselves, including us! On Friday, I went to my Spanish class and discussed feminism and politics in Ecuador with my teacher. We had a very interesting conversation. My Spanish is coming along, slowly but

surely. After my classes, I went with some folks to the Basilica, which is the tallest church in South America. I climbed to the top! The view, as you can see in the picture on your left, was fantastic. The stairs up to the top were, to say the least, sketchy, but we made it! And, it was soooworth it, both physically and emotionally. On a good day, you can see Cotopaxi, one of Ecuador's

most famous volcanoes, from the top of the Basilica, but this was not one of the days.

On Friday night, we danced Cumbia, a Latin dance that originated in Columbia with the family. We tried our best :) It was a lot of fun, though. We went to a local karaoke bar, and had a good time.

On Saturday, I went to the botanical garden in Quito. It is connected to a large park, Parque Carolina :). It was not a good as being in the rainforest, but it was still amazing! There is also a children's garden close, which was great. I really liked the carnivorous plants section.

Saturday night was the best, though!

We went to Old Town, again, and listened to a local band. The music was outstanding, and we danced a lot! It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We danced and listened to music for about three hours. There were about six men with different instruments crammed into a small eight table restaurant.

There was even a young boy singing with the band. Everyone in the restaurant knew the songs, and we acted like we did. I have a video below!

Overall, I am having a great time! I also feel that there are many good times to come. I hope to explore the jungles of Ecuador in the next week and continue to enjoy Quito.

Until next time.

Namaste

High Above the World

Well, I'm in Quito, Ecuador (Equator in Spanish)! Quito is a big city, with an estimated 1.5 million people! We´re at about 9,300 feet above sea level. It´s the second highest administrative city in the world, next to La Paz, Bolivia. We´re about 15 miles from the equator.

It's so beautiful. As you can tell from the photos, we are in the mountains. The first couple of days, I had a headache because of the change in altitude. It was like I had a hangover! I am doing well now!

I am learning Spanish at a school called Yanapuma. I took salsa lessons last night, which was very fun. My Spanish is improving by the day. I can read well but speaking is still difficult.

I hope to go to "Old Town" this evening with my host family and some other folks that are staying at the house with me. The family is so great! It is not that different from being in the US. She makes me great vegan meals, as well. There is hot water, cable, a labrador, and wifi (that´s almost better than Topsail haha). She is a doctor with a son who is an artist, so their walls as are full of abstract art.

Quito seems quite cosmopolitan to me. It is a little bit cold, but not unbearable. It's about 55-60 during the evenings and in the 70s during the daytime.I am going to go to the Galapagos one day. I am waiting for my visa to clear right now, which has proved to be a little difficult. I have to wait for the whole visa thang to clear. I am okay with it though because I like Quito, and the Spanish tune-up is much needed!

The Ecuadorian independence day was yesterday, and the

country is celebrating Friday. I hope to celebrate with the locals!

Veganism has been quite a challenge here, but I have managed. My house mom is very understanding and has made me me wonderful meals! Soya is very popular here, which is very good. I also found a great vegetarian restaurant here call El Maple. I will be frequenting this restaurant a lot!

I have been practicing yoga almost everyday. I am afraid that I'm coming down with a small stomach bug, so the physical practice may subside for a couple days. My meditation will keep up though!

This weekend I hope to go to either a cloud forest or a volcano. I am keeping my options open. I have an ecuadorian cell phone - something I never thought I would have! I hope to have more organized blogs as I become more ¨settled¨ in the Galapagos!
Namaste