http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/jesinecuador/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from jesinecuador en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:06:07 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:06:07 +0000 My new assignment t the Sanctuario was coming along swimmingingly through the first week until Monday night 419 when I decided to bike into town after dinner because I needed to make a call and the phone line at the Sanctuario was dead. I hadn't used the bicycle there before and evidentky the breaks hadn't been properly reattached when someone fixed the tire the day before. I started down t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Montanita/blog-7846.html I left Quito in a hurry on Tuesday night to beat a bus strike and get Mariana back to Quito by Friday. We had to leave a lot faster than I expected and I forgot a few things in the rush....my guitar my aloe my guidebook. I barely caught the night bus to Puerto Lopez followed by a another bus to the Sanctuario Santa Maria Del Fiat which is where I'll be living for the next two months. The Sa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Montanita/blog-7174.html Today is my fourth day in Quito and my first day teaching in the orphanage here. When I got to work this morning I realized that rather than being their English teacher Im the only teacher for eight children ranging in age from 6 to 12. Im really not sure how classes are divided but it doesnt seem to be by age or ability level. They are adorable affectionate children but discipline is la http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-4436.html While the trip to Otovalo was postponed for another weekend I spent Saturday in beautiful Mindo. We had stayed out until almost five a.m. the night before but the trip was to beautiful to sleep in the car as I had intended. At one point we had to wait at the side of the road while they cleared a landslide. When we arrived it was raining as it does every day in Mindo so we went to a somewh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-4529.html Tuesday was my roommate Allis 19th birthday and Marianna planned a surprise party in a local dico. The six of us Me Alli Chrissy Javier Jose and Sebastian danced to salsa merengue and reggaeton for hours. Reggaeton is definitely my favorite for dancing.The next night Alli and I were ready for something more relaxing so we went to the movies at the Cinemark multiplex. There are a bunc http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-4781.html Its been a really full week so Ill try to stick to the highlights. First off I have a new housemate Julia who is 18 and from Boston like Alli. And Ive started guitar lessons with a musician friend of Mariannas. My second lesson is in three hours and I havent practiced at all so Im off to a bad start. Ive also found a new home away from home the South American Explorers clubhous http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-5192.html Friday afternon Julia Alli and I each packed a backpack and caught a bus to the Hostal Valhalla www.hostelvalhalla.com which is owned by the couple who run the climbing agency we chose for Cotopaxi Moggely Tours....hes Morgan or Mog and shes Ely. Morgan039s Swedish and the hostel has a viking theme all the rooms are named after norse gods. Ours was Oden. We brought a brochure w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-5439.html Alli left Quito for the Galapagos on Wednesday so the first part of last week was mostly goodbye festivities. On Monday we went out for Chinese food then Sbas and Jorge took us on a night tour of Quito by car which showed me how much more I want to explore by daylight.On Tuesday we had a goodbye party for Alli birthday party for Sbas at Jorge's apartment which lasted until morning resul http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Centre/Banos/blog-5714.html Classes at the orphanage were cancelled last week for the Semana Santa Holy Week but I still went in Monday Wednesday to help with the few children who were still there most spend the night at another location that doesnt have a school. On Wedenesday I brought Johanna with me and we spent the day playing Go Fish helping with math homework and picking up food donated to the orphanage.On http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-6095.html I missed the first day of my last week at the orphanage because of the Cotopaxi trip but when I came in on Tuesday I had the whole day to teach and new school supplies to get the kids interested in learning thanks Nana. They spent the whole morning filling out sheet after sheet copying their letters which is impressive considering it would normally take all morning to coax them into filling http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-6289.html I arrived in Cusco at 7 am on Saturday morning from Lima and my cab from the airport came complete with a tour agent who recommended a hostel with private bath for about 6 a night. It doesnt have any windows but the price is great and the guy who runs it is very friendly without being overly attentive so Im pretty happy with it. After I checked in the innkeeper went to make me mate de co http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Cusco/blog-6436.html My Inca trail experience started on the afternoon of the 6th at the offices of Wayki Trek where we had our prehike group meeting to go over the logisitcs of the trip not a very necessary task since we'd all been over them individually and to meet the group. The other hikers at the meeting were Liz and Lee a couple from Yorkshire who've been travelling about South America for a couple months http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Inca-Trail/blog-6881.html