(no subject)
Ok so i think i might need to backtrack a little?
This past weekend we went up as high as 4,454 meters, which is roughly three times that for feet? Anyhow it was really high and cold, and there was some freezing rain involved. That was the day we went and did our field work counting plants. The lowest place we did work that day was 3,800 meters.
Our hacienda was lower than that and really really nice. There will be pictures up when i get back. I shared a room with Nadia, who i know from 7th grade (but had not seen since then) and one of the three Jackie's (not zoo jackie). They're both really nice and we got along pretty well. In fact everyone seems to be getting along reasonably well with everyone else.
Again the food was great and I forget if I mentioned the band that came or not. Anyhow they played I guess tradtional sort of music for us on traditional instruments (i have a few videos and nadia bought their cd). Later on a bunch of people were in the bar with the musicians and they (sorta) taught us how to play this flute thing and these pipe things. They also answered a lot of drunk questions about curse words and words related to alcohol, like hangover.(its chuchaki and apparantly the ki is very important) The one guy was a guide and was very amused that we were going up to cotopaxi (some of the guys were drunk) and wanted to see them to see if they were hung over. We actually did see him, and they weren't. Whether you believe me or not I did not drink that night, just hung out and watched everyone else. I still had a good time.
The last day was horseback riding day. I mentioned the cool stuff...but did i mention it hailed twice? Yeah.
Quito is a cool town, i took the bus yesterday and it was an hour and a half before i got home (there was a bit of walking involved) but i was really proud of myself. Usually someone can pick me up but i wanted to make sure i knew how to get back that way. Unfortanatly because i live so far a cab is like $6 at night. On the way home i can split with someone halfway but getting back to where the university and all the restaurants, bars, and other people are is expensive. With some good planning i might be able to save quite a bit though.
There was a little excitement on tuesday....18 of us went to a bar and then to a club. We were sitting outside and it was raining so we went inside and split up and they charged us twice for everything. Luckily another Sarah's homestay sister and her two friends were there and able to straighten everything out. I went and got them when I realized the guy who was the most drunk was trying to fix it. And being an ass. Great. I think I thanked the Ecuadorians about 10 times. One of the friends even came with us dancing which was good because being the one trying to get everyone to move from one place to another was not fun. I mean they were all saying they wanted to go and I was like "Well we need to go now because I have to get back at a reasonable hour". (my family has an alarm system so they need to wait up....although they did tell me the code today.
Anyhow the club was crazy packed but it was fun. i was only there for an hour but I had a reasonably good time. I don't want to go back...it was a little to crazy for my taste. Apparently it has a reputation and there are other places that are better.
i went to a museum yesterday, its kinda like one of the smithsonians. It has Incan gold and pottery as well as modern art, etc. It was pretty cool.
I also went to dinner with some people at this Mongolian restaurant that was all you can eat and EXCELLENT. Dinner was 7 but in the US it would easily have been 20 something.
Here is a list of other restuarants we want to try:
Thai place, Fondu place, Red hot chilli peppers (mexican), indian place, and strawberry fields forever....a restaurant completely dedicated to the beatles. (i have pictures sara)
This weekend we're going to the coast and spending at least one day on the beach. We will have to watch out for: Rip tides, jellyfish, and well other normal stuff like sharks and stingrays. They have man of war down here, but not the kill you kind, just the hurts like hell kind. Someone got stung one year and both professors have been caught in a rip tide. Apparently down here they run parralel to shore as well as out to sea. So we swim perpendicular to the flow. We'll see if i go in. I definitly WILL NOT be swimming at night. Thats when sharks hunt and also when there isnt as much light so if you did get caught in a rip tide.....
We will be having a big bonfire though and another day will be spent doing work. The third day is us seeing some sustainable agriculture.
So yeah. Oh forgot to mention someone tried to pickpocket me. Luckily i took appropriate precautions and was fine. Some other people have had attempts but have also been ok. No worries.
Oh and in case you think we dont have work...i do have a lot of homework. It's not toooooo bad though., as you can see I am still having lots of fun and am staying safe.
This past weekend we went up as high as 4,454 meters, which is roughly three times that for feet? Anyhow it was really high and cold, and there was some freezing rain involved. That was the day we went and did our field work counting plants. The lowest place we did work that day was 3,800 meters.
Our hacienda was lower than that and really really nice. There will be pictures up when i get back. I shared a room with Nadia, who i know from 7th grade (but had not seen since then) and one of the three Jackie's (not zoo jackie). They're both really nice and we got along pretty well. In fact everyone seems to be getting along reasonably well with everyone else.
Again the food was great and I forget if I mentioned the band that came or not. Anyhow they played I guess tradtional sort of music for us on traditional instruments (i have a few videos and nadia bought their cd). Later on a bunch of people were in the bar with the musicians and they (sorta) taught us how to play this flute thing and these pipe things. They also answered a lot of drunk questions about curse words and words related to alcohol, like hangover.(its chuchaki and apparantly the ki is very important) The one guy was a guide and was very amused that we were going up to cotopaxi (some of the guys were drunk) and wanted to see them to see if they were hung over. We actually did see him, and they weren't. Whether you believe me or not I did not drink that night, just hung out and watched everyone else. I still had a good time.
The last day was horseback riding day. I mentioned the cool stuff...but did i mention it hailed twice? Yeah.
Quito is a cool town, i took the bus yesterday and it was an hour and a half before i got home (there was a bit of walking involved) but i was really proud of myself. Usually someone can pick me up but i wanted to make sure i knew how to get back that way. Unfortanatly because i live so far a cab is like $6 at night. On the way home i can split with someone halfway but getting back to where the university and all the restaurants, bars, and other people are is expensive. With some good planning i might be able to save quite a bit though.
There was a little excitement on tuesday....18 of us went to a bar and then to a club. We were sitting outside and it was raining so we went inside and split up and they charged us twice for everything. Luckily another Sarah's homestay sister and her two friends were there and able to straighten everything out. I went and got them when I realized the guy who was the most drunk was trying to fix it. And being an ass. Great. I think I thanked the Ecuadorians about 10 times. One of the friends even came with us dancing which was good because being the one trying to get everyone to move from one place to another was not fun. I mean they were all saying they wanted to go and I was like "Well we need to go now because I have to get back at a reasonable hour". (my family has an alarm system so they need to wait up....although they did tell me the code today.
Anyhow the club was crazy packed but it was fun. i was only there for an hour but I had a reasonably good time. I don't want to go back...it was a little to crazy for my taste. Apparently it has a reputation and there are other places that are better.
i went to a museum yesterday, its kinda like one of the smithsonians. It has Incan gold and pottery as well as modern art, etc. It was pretty cool.
I also went to dinner with some people at this Mongolian restaurant that was all you can eat and EXCELLENT. Dinner was 7 but in the US it would easily have been 20 something.
Here is a list of other restuarants we want to try:
Thai place, Fondu place, Red hot chilli peppers (mexican), indian place, and strawberry fields forever....a restaurant completely dedicated to the beatles. (i have pictures sara)
This weekend we're going to the coast and spending at least one day on the beach. We will have to watch out for: Rip tides, jellyfish, and well other normal stuff like sharks and stingrays. They have man of war down here, but not the kill you kind, just the hurts like hell kind. Someone got stung one year and both professors have been caught in a rip tide. Apparently down here they run parralel to shore as well as out to sea. So we swim perpendicular to the flow. We'll see if i go in. I definitly WILL NOT be swimming at night. Thats when sharks hunt and also when there isnt as much light so if you did get caught in a rip tide.....
We will be having a big bonfire though and another day will be spent doing work. The third day is us seeing some sustainable agriculture.
So yeah. Oh forgot to mention someone tried to pickpocket me. Luckily i took appropriate precautions and was fine. Some other people have had attempts but have also been ok. No worries.
Oh and in case you think we dont have work...i do have a lot of homework. It's not toooooo bad though., as you can see I am still having lots of fun and am staying safe.