hasta luego, Quito!

For the next week, we are fortunate enough to leave our home for the past week in search of fresh air and biodiversity. The only wildlife in the city is the occasional finch that lands at my feet at breakfast in the hostal wishing for a crumb or two to fall. I am looking forward to leaving the big city and spending time in the cloud forest - much more like home than Quito. We will spend a week in the Intag Cloud Forest, living in a homestay for part of the time and learning how to set up mist nets and light traps for the rest of the time.

Through the glass doors

After an evening of salsa lessons (you can use your imagination for this one), our group was ready to get up early this morning and drive to the Yanacocha Reserve, high in the mountains above Quito. Technically, the excursion was our first Spanish class, focusing on vocabulary of the forest. I kept falling behind because I wanted to look at everything longer than the time it took for the professor to give us the Spanish name and move along. typical. At the stopping point of our walk, we crossed paths with three photographers taking photos of the rare Black-breasted Puffleg for a Hummingbird Society of the US calendar. There were hummingbirds everywhere, swooping just above our heads and posing in front of the green screen for a photoshoot (no joke).

Tonight at dinner, the craziest thing happened. Four of us were sitting in a booth at this fancy, fast-food Ecuadorian restaurant with a completely glass front (doors and everything). Halfway through our meal, we hear what sounded like a gunshot and a scream from inside the building and then shattering glass. I turned around to see what had just happened, and a lady who was leaving the restaurant pulled on the door handle causing the entire glass door to fall and shatter on the floor. It was the most unreal thing yet. Everyone in the restaurant sat and stared for a few seconds with jaws to the floor. The poor lady felt really embarrassed, but it definitely was not her fault.

I look forward to what may happen tomorrow.

falafels in the big city

It seems odd that every country I have been to, I find a place to eat good falafels. Quito is no exception - last night three of us stumbled upon a falafel/hummus/shawarma place that will be a frequent, much needed respite from the potato soup and chicken diet.

Yesterday, orientation began. We met our two academic directors (professors), Sylvia and Xavier, and began talking about the semester ahead. Sylvia and Xavier are both wonderful and passionate people - definitely inspiring to a group of 24 ecology nerds. A huge part of their philosophy is experiential learning, so they sent us out solo or in pairs, in all different directions (and Quito is a HUGE city) to learn how to use the bus system. Let's just say it's confusing and leave it at that.

Today is our first day of Spanish class. I am next in line for my interview to see which class I will place into. I am nervous.

new place + new friends

After a painless transition through the airport, flight, customs, immigration, and taxi to the hostel, I am in Quito.

Today, in La Plaza Grande, I got my shoes shined. I just figured I needed some fine-looking shoes for my days traipsing around the big city. Mama would be thrilled at how nice my danskos look now :)

The rest of the group is trickling in (8 of us were actually in the hotel last night), and we begin our activities tomorrow.

the wild west

I'm back to weathered plateaus and a January spring. The San Juans are beautiful, but boy how I missed home.

I leave for Ecuador in 80 hours.