!Estoy Aqui! (I´m here!)

Surprisingly, after a summer of all flights being delayed, my flights from Newark and Miami both took off on time. The adventure began when I arrived in Quito. A rep from the organization was supposed to meet me, but since I hadn´t emailed with them in at least a week I wasn´t really sure they knew I was coming. So I got through customs quickly and wandered out looking for a sign with my name on it. I didn´t want to look too desperate so I kind of kept walking out to the curb - and of course I was immediately assailed by people wanting to find me a cab and hotel. Problem was I didn´t know if I needed either. Luckily, minutes before having to make that decision I saw a guy with my name plackard. He and his wife helped me to their Chevrolet (this will be important later) and we headed to their house where I would stay for the night before flying to the coast. They nicely stopped at an internet cafe/place for international calls to show me the ropes. This is where the adventure began...



The good old chevy´s battery died while I was phoning home. Patricio (rep who picked me up) waved down a cab, then a truck to jump his car but with no luck. Next, he corralled 4 guys to push the car while he tried to start it...forwards... then backwards... no luck. We are probably about an hour into the process of trying to get the battery going again when Patricio has yet another car hooked up to his car. He is revving the gas when he turns to me and says ¨?Sabes conducir?¨ ¨Do you know how to drive?¨ Next thing I know I´m straddling the stick shift so that I could slip my left foot onto the gas before he let it completely go with his right foot and went back to check under the hood. This is made more awkward by the fact that he is trying to shift into second gear and my right butt cheek is cramping. Finally he jumped out and I slid into the drivers seat - all while keep the gas going. Mission accomplished.



I´m in Puerto Lopez now after a short flight to the coast and a 2 1/2 hour busride to Puerto Lopez. Turns out I´m not living right in town but about a 10 minute busride outside in a village called Puerto Rico. My house is definitely the Ritz of the village but still has no running hot water and no real bathroom to speak of. There is a room with a sink, a separate room for toilets and a separate shower. My bedroom is pretty large and reminds me of a really well built treehouse. Slightly open air because the windows aren´t fully enclosed. The top floor of the house houses us foreigners (there are 2 brits and 1 aussie girl now) and is beautifully built of bamboo and wood. The staircases are spiral and wood. The family is great, nice and very willing to speak to us foreigners as we butcher their language. I already had delicious fresh fish for lunch, the father of the household is a fisherman who comes and goes for weeks but is here for now. There are 3 sons, 25, 18 and 17. The oldest is married with a 2 year old and they all live in the house. It is a very lively household with chicks and chickens in the backyard and constant teasing among the family.. the mother is a real firecracker (just had to throw that word in there).



Tomorrow I start work - so that´ll be for next time.



Hasta luego,

Niki