Hola de Quito!

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Hola!!!

After starting out at 4am (uk) we eventually gt to Quito some 18.5 hours later. Admittedly can´t really tell you much about that first night as we went to bed 2 hours later (8pm in Ecuador)!

After Russia it seems to get dark so early (about 7pm). It´s very weird to think that we´re on the Equator. The weather is gorgeous - hot in the sun and cool in the shade - although the sun is intense. Haven´t noticed the altitude too much - a little when we were doing salsa... but not too much.

After nearly being sent two hours north to track Andean Bears with the voluntary organisation... we sorted out the right work - with the kiddies in Quito. We also had a 3hr Spanish lesson and a salsa lesson. Ahh - we have sooooo much spanish to learn!
Salsa was very funny even if we were hopeless (Chloe-Emma-Patrick: luckily we had all those Salsa lessons in Covent Garden with the special Elder Sanchez). And the instructions were all in Spanish so that got a bit confusing. Cam was truly wonderful!!

We´ve got a room in a kind of hostal for the month - we have our own room with a TV. There is a lovely little courtyard filled with flowers (there was a gorgeous greeny-blue hummingbird outside our window this morning).

You do notice immediately that there is loads of security - outside every shop and restaurant practically. Our teacher was very adamant when she told us that we shouldn´t carry our passports or cards or more than about $10 with us at any time. Does make you a bit wary. Oh and you shouldn´t walk anywhere after dark - not too much of a problem seeing as I start falling asleep at 8pm at the moment. Anyways - we´re being careful - does make it awkward if you want to take pictures!!

Ahhh - just have to mention the supermarket... ahhhhh fresh fruit and vegetable section!!! Coming from our useless British supermarkets... this is heaven! I don´t know what a huge proportion of them are! Cam bought a weird looking thing yesterday which we tried. Milk also comes in bags and you can only get UHT. Very odd.

We went to the old town yesterday - gorgeous colonial architecture. You really feel as though you stand out not looking South American though. There are loads of people everywhere. You see the poverty pretty quickly. Mothers begging with their tiny kid playing on the roadside.

Anyways - that is just our first couple of days in Quito. Tomorrow we have our second Spanish lesson... and then we´re going to the Day Care centre to see our little kiddies... so we´ll let you know how we get on soon!!

Take care and we´ll stick some photos on when we get a chance

Lucy & Cam x

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Comments

[Vic]

Wow!
Great to hear form you both - all sounds very exciting! I like'd the sound of tracking Andean Bears - perhaps I'll sign up for that one!! Look forward to the next up date Take care Vic x