Sunrise

La Laguna

Yesterday was incredible. Mi abuelita apparently owns a huge piece of land outside the city and yesterday I went with a bunch of my family members to spend the day in her old house and go hiking to Lake Cuicocha. It's situated in an old crater in between the mother and father peaks of Cotacachi and Imbabura, and it's so beautiful. I met a few new cousins on this trip (I have no idea where they all keep coming from) and they're so sweet! I also learned a lot more about my host mom's family and her life before she moved to Cotacachi. It's so interesting to listen to all the old stories. Here are some of the pictures I took yesterday, but they really don't do it justice. Enjoy!

So I live here

Classes

Hello everyone back home! I've finally gotten into the groove of school here (more or less) and now I'm going to tell you all a bit about the classes I'm taking. I have 11 classes total, and the schedule is a bit confusing, because it's never very consistent. I'm taking almost all core classes, as well as fine arts (we're studying theater right now), physical education, and computer science. I'm pretty sure that the math class I'm taking is the equivalent of pre-calc in the U.S. I'm also taking physical chemistry (my favorite), biology, history, and a language and literature class. Right now we're studying Spanish grammar, which is great because it's really helping me get a grasp on the language, and soon we're going to move on to reading some Latin American literature. I'm also in an English class, which is fantastic. I'm the star student (no big deal). I'm not getting graded in that class, so I mostly assist teacher and help my classmates with their work. And that's about it; I still rely on my friends to help me out but I'm slowly becoming more independent in school. And I'm having a great time here. Last weekend I went to Ibarra with my cousins and it was amazing! Exploring the bigger city was really fun. Until next time!

My School Uniform

Mi Casa

Welcome to my house! This is my room, and on the right is the door to my bathroom

This is the view of the church a couple blocks away

This is the view of the street from my roof

And this is the space behind my host mom's restaurant where we all hang out and eat

First week

Today concludes my first week of school in my new country. Even though at this point I only understand about 12% of what's going on in my classes, I am really enjoying it. I've made quite a few new friends and they are all extremely funny and helpful. It's been difficult getting used to the fact that I'm the only American (and ginger) for miles, but it also means that everyone has plenty of questions for me. I'm also starting to feel like part of the family for the first time too. I think that I'm starting to adjust to my new life and I'm really looking forward to the next nine months!

La Basilica del Voto Nacional

On our second day we visited the historic center of Quito and went inside La Basilica del Voto Nacional. It is the biggest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas, and it is without a doubt the most beautiful building I have ever been in. It is sacred to the people of Ecuador and people come from all over South America to visit it.

First Few Days

I've just arrived at my home for the next year and the last few days have been amazing! The first things I saw while flying over the country were the mountains, and they are stunning. I arrived in Quito at 8pm and met Diana, who stayed with the other exchange students and I while we were in the capital. At the airport I met four other students (all from Germany) named Elisabeth, Antonia, Benji, and Auguste. The first day we went to La Mitad del Mundo, where we stood on the equator.

 

The second day we went to the old city, which was  extremely beautiful. There are ancient churches and other buildings from the days when Quito and the rest of Ecuador were under Spanish rule.

 







We also visited El Convento de San Francisco, and the legend is that San Francisco made a deal with the Devil to sell his soul if the Devil would build the church for him in seven days. At midnight on the last day, the Devil had finished placing all but one stone, but San Francisco stole the stone and hid it from the Devil. The church was nearly complete and San Francisco got to keep his soul. They say that there is a hole in the church that can never be filled, because any stone that is placed there always falls out.


Today I drove with Elisabeth and Diana to Cotacachi, and met my host family for the first time. They are very warm and welcoming and my house is small, but very nice. We live next door to my grandmother and there is a small restaurant where my mother works that is an extension of our house. My father is away for work and is returning on Thursday. Everything is very overwhelming right now, but I know that when I adjust to my new life everything will be fine. Tonight there is a party in the town square and tomorrow is my last day before school starts. Right now I am unpacking in my new room. Hasta luego!