The End of my Quito School Ventures

Well, here it is Saturday 9-27 already. Time is just flying. I finished school in Quito yesterday and did real well on my final exam, so I must have learned something! Chip is flying into Quito tonight. I am really looking forward to seeing him. We´re off to the Amazon on Monday for 5 days!

Last Thursday my professor, Raquel, took me to a restaurant, where we looked over the entire city of Quito and drank juice and talked Spanish. It was so beautiful a scene that one of my friends, Sandy, and I went there yesterday afternoon and had an early dinner and some wine. It was an amazing scene. Just when we were getting ready to go, two girls from Canada asked if they could join us. So needless to say..another bottle of wine...and we exchanged emails and took pictures. After it got dark, the scene was even more beautiful because of all the lights in Quito. The owner of the restaurant and his wife are from New York, so we really enjoyed being able to talk to them about the upcoming vote on the new constitution here. The vote is Sunday. No liquor is allowed to be sold anywhere from Friday at noon to Monday at noon. They want everyone sober when they vote! However, we were able to talk them into it.

I am going to miss my family and friends here. A couple of us exchanged emails so I hope we can keep up with each other. Sandy will be going to Cuzco in about 4 weeks, so will have some time to hook up with her again. My family here asked Chip and me to dinner the Monday after we get back. The hotel we are staying in is absolutely gorgeous. I checked in this AM...the room is huge, with a sitting and eating area separate from the beds.

My next family in Peru sounds absolutely fantistic too! They own a very large home with separate apartments. I will have my own bathroom, living room, and bedroom --separate quarters. She and her husband are both 58 and have 3 children (all grown). He is a civil servant and his hobbies are fishing and tourism. She is a gardener and collects post cards from all over the world. I will be able to walk to school, which is a real plus. I am trying to get in shape for my Machu Picchu trek. I was able to walk to school every day in Quito, which has helped acclimate myself to the altitude and hopefully keep my weight off.

Well, must run....love all of you....stay safe and happy! Will blog again when I get back from the Amazon.