Hola!!

Horses on the Andes

Today is my second day in Quito, Ecuador, and I am IN LOVE. The city is filled with vibrant colors,  landscapes that seem to stretch for miles, and rich Latin American culture. I have been trying my best to use my Spanish skills which has been a little bit of a failure... my friends who don't know the language tell me I sound like I know what I'm talking about but whenever I try to carry on a conversation with a local, I get a fifteen-second blank stare. Oh well! Hopefully I'll improve over the next few weeks. 

Our time here has been pretty busy. Yesterday, we took a gondola to a peak in the Andes Mountains and then hiked around the area. The view was amazing. I had no idea how big Quito is! Today, we went shopping in the Otovala, an huge outdoor market. I bought a few things, all of which were dirt cheap. Packing my bags to come home will be a challenge, to say the least, but I think it will be worth it. 

The food here has been... unique. Today, for example, we were given a soup with every kind of animal body part you can imagine... intestines, stomach, liver, brain, who knows what else?! The broth wasn't bad though. Tonight, dinner was just as interesting but in a completely different way. Imagine walking through a street of Ecuadorian shops and restaurants. Every sign you read is in Spanish until you spot "Uncle Ho's." Okay, so there's an Asian Fusion restaurant in Quito! Kind of weird, but whatever. Then you walk inside. You meet the owners, who are Swiss. What? How much more random can things get? In the end though, the food was pretty good. And the owners won themselves major points by putting toilet paper in the bathrooms (it's the first place we've been to so far that had any). 

Overall, I'm having a blast. Mom and Dad, thanks SO much for sending me on this trip! 

Here are some pictures to help sum up my time so far! 

Hiking in the Andes

The view of Quito

Ecuadorian boy at the market

Fresh fruit at Otovala