Firsts and Revisits

Today is Friday and it's the end of a long week filled with studying Spanish, learning Salsa, and trying to experience as many new things as possible. Life in Quito is developing into a solid routine of waking up, having some complimentary coffee at the hostel, then doing my best to improve conversational skills with my teacher Zulma.

Today we took a bus to her side of the city and we toured her neighborhood which has a more authentic feel compared to the Mariscal Distict which is where I live. She lives in a very relaxed neighborhood and her mom made us empanadas. Guidebooks refer to my part of the city as "Gringolia" because it caters to travelers and provides people with a comfortable atmosphere. After two weeks of language classes improvements in speaking are definitely visible but there still remains a great deal of work to be accomplished. I have been fortunate because the people who work in the Vibes hostel are fluent in Spanish and enjoy speaking their natural tongue. Simon and Stephanie are two really great people and without them I wouldn't practice nearly as much.

In addition to studying there have been some very cool people staying at the hostel and now we have a solid crew who do a lot of activities together. Nick from Belgium, Alex from Germany, John from the UK, me from the USA. For the majority of the week we have been found playing pool, kicking a soccer ball, or enjoying a few casual beers while going out for $2 set lunches at local restaurants like Tarzan's in the Mariscal. Yesterday we played soccer near the Botanical Gardens against some Quito locals at a park that was swarming with different games taking place. The wet season in Quito is approaching and light drizzle storms greeted us on the playing field.

Today a good friend from Missoula name Jordan and myself met up for the first time in a couple years. She is traveling for a few months and happened to be passing through the city. It was great to see a familiar face and share some good memories. Tonight people at the hostel want to partake in some rumba activities and Monday a buddy and myself will be in Guayaquil to help the city celebrate it's independence day on October 9th. Next week there will also be a salsa dance at the studio where classes are held and a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Chile and Ecuador. The hostel will all be in attendance and excitement is already growing in the air. I hope everyone is doing well! Peace and Love and you look really good right now..