(posted Monday 9:49 am)
Internship is still going good (last week we also had a parrot with pneumonia, a bunny with muscular distrophy in its front legs, and intense surgery on a dog with lymphoma), so I just want to write a little about life in Quito.
Quito is called the Avenue of the Volcanoes because it is surrounded by active volcanoes, all connected underground. One of them, Cotopaxi, is the largest active volcano in the world. It´s rarely clear enough to see the snow-peaked volcanoes but when it is, they are gorgeous and a reminder of how powerful nature can be...they could take this city of almost 2 million down any minute.
Obviously, the food is a huge part of the culture here- and it´s sooo good. At every meal is freshly mixed/blended fruit juice. Breakfast is just bread, but lunch and dinner both consist of soup and then some form of meat, vegetables, and always potatoes. The first day here I thought lunch was over after the soup and I was shocked when my host mom loaded up a plate with more food. And then asked if I had enough. I´m used to it now though and I´m glad I haven´t had to try the most traditional food in Quito--cow intestines, livers, kidneys, and guinea pig.
The weather here is...not what it´s supposed to be. Usually summer in Quito is dry and about 70 degress during the day, but while I´ve been here, it´s rained in the afternoon almost every day and dropped down to 40 degrees. Everyone swears this is very rare for Quito, so I hope it warms up a little.
Riding the buses in the city is an experience in itself. There is technically bus stops, but they will pick you up almost anywhere along the road and drop you off anywhere, all without coming to a complete stop. People come on often to give speeches or sell things and then jump off. If you´re a gringo and you´re riding a bus after 8 or 9 pm, you will be bugged by groups of (harmless) boys.
Also, the cost of living here really is as cheap as I´ve heard. Taxi rides are 1 to 2 dollars, bus rides are 25 cents, lunches are 2 dollars, and the hostels we´ve stayed at have been less than 10 dollars. There are laundromats and internet cafes everywhere, making it really easy living here.
By speaking to my host mom, Leo, and Diego, I´ve learned so much about the dynamics of politics of South America. It´s interesting to hear their different opinions, as Ana Maria is a 75-year old widow, Leo is a middle-aged wildlife conservation fanatic, and Diego is a recent vet school graduate.
I´m still learning about living in Quito, but I feel like I really live and belong here already. I´ll update later with pictures from my weekend in Baños, but I have to go to work now!
Love from Ecuador,
Steph
No comments:
Post a Comment