Learning the ropes in Quito

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What's the Plan for Today?

Today's plan was head to the school by 8:30am for more orientation, go on a tour of some of the hospitals and clinics we'd be going to, then lunch at a local restaurant. OK cool. So we did some more get to know each other stuff at the school, learned more about cultural differences and what to expect while in Quito, then my mom Lorena came to be our tour guide for the day. She took me for my first ride on the Trole - another method of public transportation several blocks downhill, or east of the Metro on Ave. America. It was very crowded, and a little nerve wracking. We had just been told how to carry personal belongs on the Trole - backpack on the front, carry nothing important in your pockets, etc. I kept waiting to feel someone's hand where it shouldn't be...

So as we went around to the various clinical sites, we would talk amongst ourselves. I was honestly not paying too much attention to where we were because I was not starting my hospital work until next week, unlike most of the other students. I had chosen to all Spanish classes in that first week, along with Julie. I really wanted to learn from this experience, and keep my clinical skills up, and I figured the best way to do that was practice my Spanish as much as possible before being turned loose on my patients.

The only hospital that really stood out in my mind (it helps that I took a picture of it) was Eugenio Espejo. The more "modern" part was bright blue, which I loved. But was also neat was that behind the emergency room entrance was this grand old white building that I believe used to be the original hospital. It is currently being renovated. This is where I will be doing my emergency room week, my last week in Quito.

Bitten by the Bug

As we were walking, I found myself talking to Michael. I'm not quite sure how we got on the subject, but we discussing things he had done the first month while he was in Ecuador, which included going to Baños, a small town known for its hot springs only a few hours away. What caught my attention was that he had gone bungee jumping, or puenting, while he was there. Now, I have always wanted to try it, but always figured I'd end up doing it at some lame place from a crane or something. But he did it off of a bridge in the Andes. I was hooked. I knew that at some point this month, I'd be jumping off that bridge too. He even showed me pictures.

Lunch and Internet Time

After the tour was over, Lorena took us to the Mariscal, or grinolandia as its known to some people. It is a huge cluster of rows upon rows of shops, selling everything from jewelry, to clothing, to leather goods, to woven material, to pottery and carvings, the list goes on. You can get a lot of these objects from other places at lower prices - but this is where most of the tourists go to to shop. Some people wanted to shop, I really didn't, so a group of us went off to find an internet cafe to spend some time in before lunch.

We ended up at Papaya.Net, where it's $1/hr for fairly slow internet if a lot of people are there at lunch. But I liked it - nice atmosphere, serve a wide variety of drinks and desserts, and the employees were fairly nice. The only thing I didn't like, and its something the US has spoiled me with, is the amount of people smoking in there. Gah, what a reminded of how much I like the no-smoking policy in the States. We spent about an hour there, I got a few more residency interview invites, and then it was time for lunch.

We ate lunch at the Magic Bean - a very Americanized restaurant attached to an upscale-looking hostel just a block away from the cafe. I had a bagel with roasted onions, peppers, sprouts, cucumbers and mozzarella. So yummy. Oh, I also had blackberry juice, or mora juice, to drink. After lunch it was time to head back to the Amazing Andes school for Spanish classes from 2pm to 6pm. 4 hours of Spanish classes is a lot, especially if you are not used to 4 hours of classes straight anymore, like I wasn't. I was tired, not feeling very well (had a headache, and was sore from walking) and glad to get home.

End of the Day

Dinner is called merienda, and is served at 7pm every night by our mother. If we have plans to go out to eat, we need to tell her at least several hours in advance, so she doesn't make too much food and waste it. Dinner tonight was great - some fantastic type of beef, but unfortunately I was not very hungry. After merienda it was time for homework, so I took my contacts out to be more comfortable. I was taking a break and talking to Emily when Mike called her about going out. We both looked at each other, and were like, no thanks. Although I do kind of regret it because everyone else was going, but I was just not feeling up to going out. Once the contacts are out for the day, I pretty much stay in.

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Photos

Julie, Caitlin and Peter
This was my table at lunch.

The other table
Brittany, Mike, Nickilou, Lorena, Lindsey, Monica and SaVanna.