Week 1

The first few days here have been hectic! I arrived at about 2am on Wednesday and then spent the day with my host family running errands in downtown Quito. On Thursday and Friday I had orientation at USFQ where they talked with all of the international students about culture, the city and the university, health and safety while abroad, and what to expect in the next few months. 
 
On Saturday we went on a tour of downtown Quito and saw all of the  historic  churches (which all have a castle-like  appearance and are covered in gold on the inside), the presidential palace, and other historic monuments. After, we spent a few hours wandering around the few blocks near the university and walked around the mall (which actually houses some of the university classrooms, offices and rec spaces) across the street.

​On Sunday we went the Far East side of Quito and rode the Teleferico, a gondola that takes you  near the top of Pinchura, an active volcano. It is ten minutes long and takes you from 9000 feet to 12000 feet. From there we hiked the rest of the volcano to an elevation of over 14000. The hike was beautiful but consisted of rests about every 3 minutes to catch our breath. The high altitude made breathing extremely difficult. From the top you could see the city in the valley below and the mountains surrounding the city. From there we went to the Virgin of Quito, a giant aluminum statue of a virgin angel on a mountain int he middle of the city. The statue is a Catholic monument from when the church ruled the city the 1600s. We watched the sunset from here.

My host family is really nice and they all speak English, at least to a degree. I live with a mom, uncle, and son (19) in a quiet gated community about 3 miles from the university. The house and university are actually part of a much nicer suburb of Quito called Cumbaya (like the song). To get to school I take two different busses. If it is nice out, I walk downhill a mile and a half and then get on a bus and only take one bus. While I could do the same on the way home, I generally choose not to because the mile and a half walk would be uphill. While this generally isn't an issue for me, the city's elevation is already 9000ft so I get winded walking up a flight of stairs. 
 
The city itself is incredible with its views of mountains and volcanoes on all sides. Buildings are colorful and dogs walk around everywhere. Despite this, I am excited to leave in two weeks. The city is particularly unsafe for white people due to high rates of muggings and pickpocketing. During our orientation we spent a considerable amount of time learning how to protect ourselves and our belonging to prevent theft. They also taught us about the types of scams locals may try to use on us to kidnap or rob us. Generally, the city is safe, especially if you know what to look out for, allegedly. We were advised to never travel alone at might night, even by bus and to not use the busses after sunset. We were also taught how to identify certified cabs. Uber is the safest form of transportation after sunset. 

For the most part, all 21 students on the trip are great. We have already made  extensive use of the university sand volleyball court in-between classes and meetings, much to the amusement of the locals. 

I start actual classes tomorrow. We have class five days a week. From 9-12 we have ecology with our professors from Madison. Lunch/volleyball is from 12-2 and Spanish is from 2-5. Friday and Saturday we will be out of town visiting some national parks. We will be back in class for four days the following week but are leaving on Friday to go to a cloud forest on the northern coast.