Cartagena, Colombia

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this. I am going to start adding pictures as a slideshow because I think it will be easier on me and better for you all to see more pictures. These pictures are just some from Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia. I have more from friends that I will post later. Also, I will be posting pictures from my second Pichincha hike, Mindo, and Quilotoa. I hope you enjoy. I am sorry that they are not the best quality. I am still trying to figure out my camera. I think I need a better memory card.

Medellin, Colombia

View from our rooftop nook.

Where to begin...

Well, for the past two weeks I have been traveling with some new friends in Colombia during our school break for Carnaval. First off, we flew to Medellin, Colombia. This city is well known for once being controlled by the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. The mountainous city looks and feels very similar to that of Quito, Ecuador. However, it seems to be much more organized and also has a metro system! I sure wish Quito had one. We stayed at a hostel in a very nice area full of foliage and beautiful views of the mountains. It is very much a tourist location. One thing that is great about the area is a local micro brewery that has a delicious porter! We ventured out of the tourist section to see some sculptures by a local well known artist, Fernando Botero. This area was a little less beautiful. It became obvious that the tourist section was kept at a much higher standard of beauty than the rest of the city. However, it was still a very interesting place to explore. We ate lunch on a restaurant balcony in a small square next to a church. During lunch we enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the locals selling fruits and vegetables from their pushcarts and going about their daily lives. Next we took a sky lift up over the mountains and into the heavy wooded national park. Unfortunately, it was heavily raining and there was no cover so we returned to the bottom with no pictures. Take my word for it, it was beautiful. The lift also went right over a very impoverished area. It was really neat seeing the many dilapidated brick structures stacked on top of each other for what seemed like miles up the sides of the mountains. We also, went to the Medellin Zoo. We were pleasantly surprised at its size and variety of animals. There were many exhibits that mixed animals that could coexist in the same habit. That was pretty interesting. There is a picture above of a popular local dish in Medellin called a bandeja paisa. After eating that I started to reevaluate my enjoyment of red meat. I enjoyed the dish very much but it was such a massive amount that I could barely walk back to our hostel. I think I ate enough red meat to last me until next year. But, I am glad that I had the chance to try such a popular and local dish. Well, that is basically what we did for the few days we were in Medellin. I am sorry for lack of pictures but it took me a few days to get into the picture taking mode. My travel companions took some more pics that will gladly post on Facebook or here at a later date. Next, I will post about our much longer Cartagena trip and our day in Baranquilla.

Just Living Life

 Hello all! A quick reminder to all those reading this in order to keep up with my life, that if you want to know something specific about my life in Quito please feel free to ask questions or post comments. Currently, I am still living with my friends Sean and Maria. Honestly, I don't know what this transition would have been like without them. I assume much lonelier and more intimidating. They have truly been great hosts and great friends. But, it is serious crunch time with finding a place to live permanently because each of their parents are coming to visit during the February break. So I have got to be out of here this week. I will keep you posted on the roller coaster that is my housing situation. Speaking of the February break,  I will be traveling to three different cities in Colombia for 10 days with a few friends from Colegio Americano. We will be visiting Medellin, Cartagena, and Barranquilla. Medellin is in the mountains and both Cartagena and Barranquilla are on the coast. Will be visiting during the exciting time of Carnaval!!!! This is going to be a blast!! I cannot wait to upload pictures of the extravagant costumes and activities that are going to take place in the coastal cities. We are leaving February 5th and returning the 15th. I will have a few days during the break to settle into my new living situation so that when I return I can relax before school starts again.

Getting Settled

Well, I have been in Quito for over two weeks now. It is a deceiving feeling. The other international teacher have been so helpful and accepting. It is nice to have company when going out to dinner, hiking, seeing a movie, or just going to the grocery store. They have also been showing me the ropes and getting me used to the way of life. Yesterday, I hiked the Pichincha Volcano that is located right next to the city. It only takes a few minutes and then lift to get to the beginning of the hike. Pichincha has an elevation of over 15,000 ft and took us about 4 hours. It was a rigorous hike but I enjoyed the views and the challenge. I am hoping to hike it about once a month since it is so close. There are many other smaller and larger mountains in Ecuador that I hope to hike while living here. It was a great experience. However, the high altitude cause me to have a headache for the next 20 hours. I fell asleep with one and when I woke up it was still lingering. There is awesome tea that helps cure problems with altitude. It is completely illegal in the states but not here... haha. Im sure you can guess what kind of plant is made from the coca plant. Coca tea helps sooth headaches and nausea caused by the altitude. A few cups of that and an Advil and I felt much better. I apologize for not taking many photos but there was something wrong with my memory card and then once we got to the top the thick clouds were rolling in  quickly. The entire day was breathtakingly beautiful and sunny but on top of Pichincha I could see my breath and needed a heavy fleece, hat, and gloves. The weather is completely different and unpredictable at the top. There is this one part that is covered in loose sand. Hiking up is very strenuous but coming down is a blast. It is almost like skiing down sand. I found it kind of nerve racking but very exciting.

Today I saw the apartment that I will be moving to on Tuesday. It is not my first choice but it will do for the time being. I might decide that I do not like living on my own. Also, my first choice apartment will be available at the end of June. So, if I am still interested then I might move a few doors down. The neighborhood where I live is right next to an amazing park. The Parque Metropalitano is a massive extensively wooded area where you can go for 15 min walks or hour long hikes. I am very excited to have it so near. I will post pictures of my apartment when I get it organized. These past two weeks have been an awaking of how I apparently deal with drastic life changes. I am a bottomless pit. I constantly want to be eating... good thing that the altitude has sped up my metabolism. I hope to get back to a healthier eating habit once I have my own place and buy my own groceries.

I will continue to update this whenever I can. Love to all and know that I miss you very much.

Arrival/First Week

Welcome to my blog about my adventures teaching and traveling in Ecuador. I have been a little slow starting this but I hope that I can keep up with it on a regular basis. Please feel free to follow me as much or as little as you would like. Also, if you want to add comments or ask me any question please feel free.

 I arrived in Quito on January 2, 2013 around 11:00 pm. What a way to start the new year! Someone from the school picked me up and took me to my current living location, the apartment of my wonderfully generous friends Sean and Maria. I have been apartment searching with the same woman who picked me up from the airport but I am being slightly picky. There is a small one bedroom apartment that I really like but it wont be available for another 10 days (maybe more in ecuadorian time). There is also a possibility I could live with a couple of women. I am waiting for a little longer just to make sure I make the best choice for me. I now have a little pre paid ecuadorian phone for local calls. Sean help me set it up. I don't know where I would be without both Sean and Maria. They have been such great help and so welcoming. I started working the following day after I arrived in Quito. Everyone seemed shocked but I didn't know what I was going to do just sitting around someone else's apartment. I have started cleaning out all of the former teacher's things because she left them and is apparently not going to clean it out herself. There are 19 students in the 3rd grade and I only have half for math and half for science at a time. The other third grade teacher is amazing!. She is originally from Columbia but lived in the U.S. for many years. She has been such a help and we have great chemistry. We are currently team teaching in math. That is about all I have been doing since my arrival on wednesday.