One week in!
I've recently met more of my host family in bits and pieces over the past few days. It's amazing to me how close all of the cousins are. There is an intense fútbol rivalry going on between Barcelona (from Guayaquil, yellow) and Liga (from Quito, white). Mario and Juancho are really into it, and they always ask me which I prefer, pointing out that I'm wearing a color that indicates my loyalty. I laugh and try to stay out of it and remain diplomatic. On Wednesday, there's a game between the two that I'm sure I'll watch on TV somehow. Maybe then I'll decide...
On Saturday, the group took a tour of Quito. I like the city, but it's pretty overwhelming and polluted.
It's been difficult to find a breath of fresh air anywhere. But I found some on Sunday when I went to Parque Metropolitano with Quique, Carmen, Juancho, and Mario. While Mario and I went running, the others took Azúcar to doggie training camp. Mario and I ran for about 7 km. The park is at about 9500 feet above sea level, and is forested. It seemed to be an active place; there were other runners and mountain bikers. I basically ran after Mario on a maze of trails. At the end, we went up a hill and my lungs couldn't keep up with my legs anymore.
Yesterday, we had the first day of classes. I have two classes right now: Ecology and Spanish. Spanish only lasts for 3 weeks, and when it's over, my ecology class will start traveling more. I like both of my professors so far. It's funny to be at a different school where I haven't seen any of the faces before. I keep seeing people around campus that resemble friends from the US. It's also interesting to see the varying styles (dress and mannerisms) among Ecuadorian students.
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