waiting for Galapagos...

It has been a solid week and a half after the Amazon trip, yet it feels like we went there ages ago. The sticky humidity, waking up to yelling monkeys, and spiders the size of your face could be a dream as of this point. These past two weeks have definitely done their work to bring us back to the reality that we are in fact in school. What with our Field Investigation Projects due, Sustainability projects up and coming, Agency visits, and ISP preparation we are all pretty swamped.

On a positive note, I went to visit el centro viejo (the old center) of Quito with my host mom and aunt this past Friday, we got to know the little section known as Rhonda which was gorgeous and reminded me a little of Burlington, VT. There were little hole-in-the-wall shops and restaurants in every inch of wall and there was always some band playing inside. We saw an indigenous dance performance, avoided hippies trying to sell us sparkly things, and ate empanadas (technically classified as street food which I am not supposed to eat, but asi es la vida).

The next day (being Saturday) almost our entire group of 23 students hoped a bus to Otavalo, a mountain town about 2 hours away in a bus. We visited the famous market there, a bustling center for tourists and gringos like ourselves. The market must have gone on for 20 blocks in length and about that in width. It was enormous! A small group of us stayed behind as well to visit a waterfall about a 20 min. walk away. It was a day well spent even if I did get a bit sunburnt.

This week has been full to say the least. With spanish ever morning and then lecture from 10:30 till 1:00 the days are pretty long. I have been trying to get some running/training in so as to ski with some sense of dignity on the St. Mikes nordic team this winter when I return. So far the outlook is bleak, but the altitude here may be working in my favor (I hope!)

Anyways, my next post will probably be after the Galapagos knowing myself and how often I blog. We are going to the well known islands this coming Tuesday (today being Wednesday) and I CAN NOT wait. We are living on a boat for half the trip and with a Galapagos family for the second half. woah. see ya on the other side.