Ecuador!

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ON the 1st of October at 6:20 I was on my way to Quito... Having said goodbye to Vasso and George at the airport, I had a pleasant watch of the sunrise and then boarded my plane to take of on the next part of my trip! The flight went well, no such luxury as an individual screen to watch 10.000 B.C but still good service and a comfortable ride. With a choice between French toast and an omelet for breakfast, strawberry yoghurt and a scone with cream cheese and strawberry jam, the food was filling and quite good! (although I was left to ponder what the french toast would have been like, having chosen the omelet...) In Costa Rica I had a transit, and with 45 minutes to kill wandered around the tiny airport trying chocolate-covered delicacy fruits which were being offered (i think they eventually got annoyed with me going by so often..) and then got on the next flight to Quito!
I was met at the airport but Jose Luis (my host family father) Jorge and two beautiful indigenous girls, Fabiola and I have to admit the name of the other one eludes me!
Unfortunately, since my uncle David had a luch meeting, I was not able to make contact with him in Quito, although we did stick around for a while to eat some lunch at one of the malls. I was VERY surprised to see how much of an amercian influence has reached Ecuador, there are so many food chains and Oreos etc. it almost felt like I was in the USA! except for the extra dirty exhaust from the cars and the poorer-looking outsides of houses.
On the way up to Otavalo with Jorge and Jose Luis we got a flat tire on the rode and so my first-hand experience of Ecuador was changing a tire on the side of the highway, having trekked to two or three different automobile repair shops along the raid for a jack! When we finally continued on our way, I slept most of the way, awaking to see the last part of the 1.5 hour trip and the beautiful and big San Pablo lake before going down the valley to Otavalo. Once in the town, our first visit was to the Baha'i Radio and then to Jorge's house, where I met his wife and children and picked up the two children of my host family, Dagmar and Kendy (who we call Kendito!). From there I was taked to my house with my host family and met the mother of the family Geoconda.
I have a little apartment joint to the house, with my own kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, so that I am able to feel both part of a family but also have my own privacy and take care of myself on the off-chance of when my host family is away. The next morning, I was up at 6.00 for breakfast and getting ready for school since the school bus passes by at 6.40. School is from 7.00-1.30 every day, a Baha'i inspired school with very nice and welcoming people. I met the two English teachers, Paolo and Lisbeth and was shown around the school, already from the first day participating actively in teaching classes along with these two teachers. The school covers pre-k until 12th grade and all in all has about 200 students.
The living in Ecuador is pretty cheap, and a funny quirk is that they use US dollars along with Ecuadorian cents! so there are two currencies around everywhere and makes things really easy. You can go anywhere around the city of Otavalo for a dollar and when I went shopping for food and other necesities, the price was under ten dollars where I was expecting it to be at least 30!
On friday, my host family left to go visit relatives in Quito and I was hoping to go also but having not made contact with Uncle David yet, it seemed like a better idea to stay at home and get myself fully settled in.
On Saturday I went with a fellow young teacher, Joselito, with a group of 8 junior youth to the waterfall of Peguche, which we hiked to since it is very close to the city, only about a 45 minute walk or so. While we were there we played in the water, played a bit of soccer, some other games and generally I got to know some of the kids I will be workingwith better and have a nice outing and visit of beautiful places!
Later in the afternoon, I met a neighbor, Nancy who is 19 and she took me down into the town to what is called the Plaza de Ponchos, a central platea where a HUGE market is set up. The market takes up about 5 different streets as well as the platea and has such a agreat variety of things, from animals, food to clothing and tourist items. It was incredible and I felt as though if i wasn't with a native I would surely get lost!
IN the evening, the brother of Jose Luis (my host dad) who I am actually renting my little appartement from, arrived with his daughter. His daughter was diagnosed with cancer I think just this year so I am very happy that the money for my rent (60dollars per month) is going to her treatments and I am happy that I can help!
ON sunday I was FINALLY able to make contact with Uncle David and had a three-way conversation short but sweet! with my family in good onld Greece! I also got out of the house with Nancy and walked around Otavalo again, going farther this time and taking in a bit more of the town and getting my bearings a bit better.
I also managed to get locked out of my house (only I can do that ! :P) but managed to climb in through the window and all was well 😊
My host family returned when I was fast asleep so I only got to see them Monday morning when we were all rushing to school.
On MOnday I figured out with the other English teachers that we would split the english class of 10-12th grade (they all have english together) into three groups, and I would take the group with the highest level of english. So starting tuesday, I had a class of 18 students and had to teach all on my own! AHHHHHHH!!! the nice thing was that the students were still shy of me and so so far, in my classes I have had no trouble, even though some of the students are the same age as myself! I have two hours on Tuesday and Thursday and one hour on Wednesday. The rest of my days are spent teaching classes with one of the other teachers to the younger students that have fallen in love with me and I have a mass of students hugging and kissing me at the start of every class! It is really cute and always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside!
I met with some of the Animators to plan our classes for the junior youth of Otavalo, there are about four different groups going on in different areas. On tuesday I had my first junior youth class, with Joselito in the district of Punyaro in Otavalo, and before hand we went around house visiting to try and recruit some more kids to the classes.
On wednesday I had my second junior youth class with Claudia with a total of about 14 kids in a different area of Otavalo and it was so great to see things wroking so well and have classes running so smoothly and parents and kids (about 9/10 non-baha'i!) really appreciating what the kids are learning through the classes.
On thursdau school ended early, at 10 and the day was fun becuase there was a birthday party with two kinds of cake which I was treated to and aome naranjilla juice (a fruit which I don't know in english!). Once at home I was able to speak with Uncle David and then after a bit of lunch and packing of bags I was on the bus and making my way to Quito!

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