Keeping Busy

These days in Quito aren't easy. Long days of orientation have kept us all occupied, and it's been hard to get to a computer, much less to write down some thoughts. The last few days have seen health meetings from a Peace Corps nurse, a tour of Quito in which I stupidly didn't recharge the battery to my camera, thus having nothing to show for it, and learning how to be a teacher, which is no small feat.

Tonight, in just a couple of hours, I'll be leaving for a 10 hour night bus to Machala for a site visit. Unfortunately, my host family is going away for the weekend, as well as my site director, so I won't get to achieve much, but it's important to see the city and say hello to the family. I'll be coming back to Quito on the Friday night bus, rolling in early Saturday morning.

The weather in Quito truly is strange. In the morning it's like winter, by afternoon the spring has let up into a hot summer day, and after some rain it could be back to fall or winter again as the sun sets. On cue every day, the sun rises around 6-6:30 and sets at 6:30. The only way to prepare for the day is to dress in layers that you can shed and quickly put back on again. Unfortunately, I'm constantly fooled by the cool air and overcast conditions, winding up red as I get out of the sun in just a few minutes time.

Ecuador is playing Bolivia in a WorldCup qualifying match on Saturday, and we're hoping to get some tickets for what will surely be an awesome experience. For now, I'll have to keep my head focused on getting to Machala safe and with all of my belongings.