My first week in Ecuador

A wonderful start to my time in South America

Hola de Ecuador!

It’s hard to believe I’ve only been in Quito for one week. My time here has been wonderful so far. We arrived to Quito at around 1am last Sunday and spent the first two nights at a hotel in Puembo, a city that is in the valley outside Quito, so that we could slowly adjust to the high altitude of Ecuador. The hotel we stayed at was very beautiful and used to be a hacienda. There were alpacas, horses, and a sweet little cat that quickly became my new friend. The highlight of my time at the hotel was when the cat curled up in my lap after our final lunch. I miss my cat Percy so much, so was so grateful to have some cat time in Puembo.

On Monday afternoon, we drove to Quito to meet our homestay families. My host mom is Myriam. She is so kind and a wonderful cook. Her sister and nephew live next door so we had our first dinner with them as well and she was so excited to welcome me and my classmate Emily into her home for the next month. She gave us each a bouquet of “girasoles” (sunflowers) for our new rooms. Emily and I each have our own room, which is so nice as we have a little bit more of alone time and a space to decompress when needed.

Myriam doesn’t speak any English, so Emily and I quickly adjusted to only speaking in Spanish when at home. The first few days were challenging, but we both have studied Spanish for many years and have quickly adapted and improved our Spanish skills in only a week. On Tuesday, we had a free day to hang out with our host families so Myriam brought us to “el centro historico” (the historic city center), which is her favorite place in Quito. Tuesday was day two of Carnival - the big celebration before Lent - so it was very busy and people were spraying each other with cream and paint, which was a bit crazy. We also went to “El Museo de la Ciudad” (the Museum of the City), which is housed in the first hospital of Quito during colonial times. There were dozens of exhibits that we walked through showcasing the different centuries in Quito. I learned so much about Quito during our time there. There also was a beautiful view of La Virgen del Panecillo, which is at the top of a mountain outside Quito. There also was a cat that lives in the courtyard of the museum. So, I met another Ecuadorian cat!

Yesterday, when we got home from class, Myriam told us that each day we return with more Spanish and are easier to understand, so we’re definitely making so much progress being able to communicate and understand her. I also feel a lot more comfortable communicating in Spanish after settling in a bit more and being less afraid to make mistakes. Emily and I feel so lucky to have Myriam as our host mom and have loved getting to know her. She loves listening to music in English - Michael Jackson is her favorite - so usually while she’s making breakfast or dinner for us, the radio has American music playing and we sometimes go dance with her in the kitchen. She’s the best! We finally convinced her to let us do the dishes after each meal, but she is such a kind host and tells us not to worry at all about helping. At every meal, we have had Ecuadorian food and it is so delicious always. Some things we’ve had are “llapinganchos” (fried potato cakes), jugo de tomate de arbol (sweet tomato juice), jugo de guanabana (another type of fruit juice), ceviche de chocho (like a pico de gallo with chocho beans), la sopa de papas (potato soup), pollo (chicken) , y muchas frutas (lots of fresh fruit!). Our first morning, she made us una ensalada de frutas y una tortilla con aguacate y huevos (fruit salad and a tortilla with avocado and eggs). I am loving all the food here!

Something that I haven’t mentioned yet but is super important is that I am taking four classes this semester. We have one anthropology class, one environmental studies class, one economics class, and one political science class. Our anthropology class and environmental studies classes are taught by local faculty in each country. Then, the economics and political science classes are taught by the SIT visiting faculty, who is traveling with us to all the places. Our faculty is an Environmental Studies professor from Wofford College, who is spending her sabatical with us! While a lot of our learning is happening outside the classroom, we do still have classroom lectures, required readings, group projects, essays, and other assignments. Once we got to Ecuador, the academic side of our semester increased, so we have been trying to adjust to life here while also keeping up with our schoolwork. It’s definitely something we each are trying to find a healthy balance with! We don’t want to stress too much about academics, but we also want to fully immerse ourselves in the culture and hang out with our host families and explore the city.

Yesterday, our whole group went to “el centro historico” for a tour of the old city and churches there. We visited the Basilica of the National Vow, which is a Roman Catholic church located in the historic center of Quito. It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. It was so beautiful to see the city from high up in all four directions. A group of us didn’t climb all the way to the top (the steep ladder with see-through bars below was not our favorite), but we still enjoyed a beautiful view of Quito.

This weekend, I am catching up on some schoolwork, doing my laundry, and resting. Our host mom wants to take us to a park in the mountains tomorrow, which should be a fun adventure. Our group is also taking an excursion to Cotopaxi, a nearby mountain, on Thursday and Friday, so I am looking forward to this trip together too.

¡Muchas gracias por leer mi blog!

Tenga un buen día :)

-Anna