Morning
This morning was
much more pleasant than the previous considering I had a very restful night and
was able to have all my belonging at my disposal to use! I woke up around 9AM
and had a wonderful breakfast with my host family. We had fresh bananas and
strawberries as well as a sort of grilled cheese sandwich. I’m not sure the
name of the cheese, but it is really tasty and melts perfectly! I will ask mañana (tomorrow)! After breakfast, my host
family invited me to go to the park with them. We went to Parque La Carolina,
which is a very popular park in the city. The park was very crowded and there
were many places there where people could run or play soccer. My family went to
play soccer. Here is a picture of some of the park…
There is a lot of open space for dogs or games.
Many people walk, run or ride bikes on the track on the outside of the grasses.
Another special
thing I learned about this park was about the Cruz de Papa. When Pope John Paul
II came to Ecuador in the eighties, he led a huge catholic mass in the park and
they built the cross-pictured below where the service was held. We spent about
two hours in the park and it was very beautiful and sunny. There was a lot to
look at and I even got my first Ecuadorian sunburn! Before we left the park, I
had the opportunity to try fresh squeezed orange juice (juiced right in front
of me) as well as fried bananas and Ecuadorian style potato chips! I loved it
all!
Afternoon
When we got
home, my host mother made me a jelly and cheese sandwich and sent me off to
school for classes. I arrived a half hour early for classes and met up with my
new German friend, Kim. Here is a picture of us from our first day in Ecuador
together!
We talked for a
bit and then got tickets to go to a salsa class after our Spanish classes! At 1PM
when we had classes, I spent two hours with my professor, German, practicing my
Spanish grammar and reading aloud. After the break, for the last two hours of class, my professor took me to the
market. The Mercado that he took me to was so unique. There were endless
vendors and Ecuadorian foods being sold. Each vendor had something unique. There
were fruits, meats, spices, and even flowers. The most beautiful flowers I’ve
ever encountered. Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m a complete fool for
beautiful flowers. They sold a whole bouquet of perfectly perfect flowers for as cheap as
$2. I was in absolute heaven. Here are some pictures of the market…..
During our trip
to and from the market, German and I practiced A LOT of Spanish. I feel like my
fluency just in the 8 hours of lessons that I have had has really improved. We
walked back to school and finished our lessons.
Evening
After lessons a
big group of us from school went to salsa lessons! They offer free salsa
lessons to all students on Tuesday and Thursday every week. I am a terrible
dancer, but I decided I could not pass up the opportunity! We went to lessons
and I danced/learned my first salsa dance ever! It was so much fun! I was really
clumsy at first and totally could not pick up the fast paced moves, but the
teacher was really patient and made me her partner! It was a complete blast. I
will for sure be coming back on Thursday and hopefully by the time I return
home I can show off some great salsa moves to everyone!
After salsa,
some of the kids were heading back to a house for dinner. I wanted to explore
the town a little and eat a real Ecuadorian meal in town. I happened to meet
another student studying here from Indianapolis, who graduated from Purdue
University a few years ago! I was so excited to find someone who is pretty much
my neighbor that we ended up going out for dinner! It was nice to find someone
who was familiar with places I knew and American culture! We found a cute authentic
place that specialized in Ecuadorian meats. I had a dish with chorizo that is
called a Choripan. It is basically chorizo sausage on bread with tomato and
lettuce and their mayo. It was amazing! Here is a picture…
We had a really
fun time and it was nice to see the city at night. We have to be very cautious
here at night. Many tourists are targets for robberies just like in big cities
like Chicago. For this reason, I took a taxi back home to my host family!
Overall, today
was another wonderful day full of exploration and new surroundings. So far, I
have not encountered any problems or issues with the food or my safety. I feel
very safe everywhere I travel and besides the water, most foods are safe and
quite delicious! Please feel free to leave your questions or comments below!
I’m curious to hear your thoughts! Thanks for following and I send my best wishes back to the States!
Love,
Danni
Wonderful journal and pictures of your day's adventures. You write as if I am there right thete with you. Please be careful going into town at night. We will all salsa dance when you get home! Love you, Grandma and Papa
ReplyDeleteWhat a great day you had - filled with a great variety of food, people, place and experiences!
ReplyDeleteYou are such a wonderful writer and I agree with your Grandmother/Papa when it seems like we are taking the adventure with you. I look forward each day to your postings. I hear a lot of your host family. Can we get a picture soon? They seem like they are taking such good care of you. Stay safe, Cyndi
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