Day 2 & 3

Don't worry I will not recap every day of my trip. The first few days after arriving have been exciting but once I get into the routine of everyday life, I will not bore you with the details.

Day 2 was an all day orientation. They talked to us about health and safety, Ecuadorian culture, and we met the president of USFQ. It was a long day and the guy from the US Embassy did a good job of scaring us all on the dangers of Quito.

Things I learned about Ecuadorian culture:

1. They kiss once on the cheek when they greet each other.

2. They don't feel the need to explain everything like we do. They just assume you understand.

3. Everyone is always late (even the airplanes). They call this Ecuadorian time.

Day 3 was another tour of Quito. We went to a few new places that weren't on the first tour like a beautiful park that overlooks the whole city. Below is a picture of the girls in my program and me at the park. Quito is a huge, long city; 31 miles long and 2.5 miles wide with tons of history. There are many beautiful churches and parks to explore. The streets and sidewalks are so narrow that when passing someone on the sidewalk you must step into the street but be careful to not get hit by a car. Here predestines don't have the right-of-way so crossing the street is like a game of frogger with the craziest drivers I have ever encountered.

In the afternoon we traveled to the equator in the rain (It rains everyday somewhere between 2-4 everyday and usually lasts the rest of the evening). I put one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern. Just in case you were wondering the water does swirl in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere when you flush the toilet and you can balance an egg on its end with a little bit of determination.

After returning to the University, Jacquie and I rushed home. Our host family owns a farm 1.5 hours north of our home that we were going to for the night. This place is adorable equipped with dogs, mini horses, big horses, chickens, cows, donkeys, goats and alpacas. The drive there was an experience all in itself. We sped down a highway passing big trucks creating a line of four across a two lane highway. I prayed for my life a couple of times but Martha got us there safe. After arriving Jacquie and I ate dinner with our family, played cards and enjoyed a warm alcoholic beverage called Canelazo. It tasted just like an apple pie shot but warm and you sipped it. It was delicious. Below is a picture of my host families house on the farm.