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.