Good start

After months of preparation, including a ridiculously frantic last couple of days packing that stretched all the way to an hour and a half before we had to leave for the airport (3:15am), we made it to the airline check-in!  Somehow we managed to pack a 2 bedroom 1 car garage townhouse into 4 suitcases of 70 lbs each.  It just so happens that there’s a luggage embargo and we can’t even buy more space on the plane for additional luggage.  I hope Keith, Chelsa, and a couple others who are planning to visit soon don’t change their mind, otherwise we won’t be seeing any of the stuff in the other 3 suitcases we left behind (ok, so we packed the house into 7 suitcases, not 4)!  So, despite the 1 1/2 hours of sleep, we made it to the airport on time, all 3 flights were on time, and next thing you know we’re in Ecuador – home sweet home for the next year or so.  I thought we might have to find a place to stay in Quito since we arrived so late in the evening, but a sister here was able to get a brother that she didn’t even personally know pick us up from the airport and drive us the 2 hours from Quito to Atuntaqui (thanks Jill and Roberto!).  When you’re packing 4 large suitcases, 2 small ones, and a couple backpacks, along with 3 people in a typical little car here – it gets kind of tight.  We did the drive with my knees jammed in the dash and seatback all the way forward in the front passenger seat and Sam smashed against the door by the suitcases in the back seat.  We actually managed to get in a little sleep in those contorted positions.  Between the lack of sleep the previous nights, though, and the altitude (over 9,000 feet) I had a raging headache when we arrived – nothing that finally getting a decent sleep wouldn’t cure.

I have to tell you that we feel so fortunate to be staying in Rose Cyrus’ house right now.  Her house is one of the nicest we’ve been in in this country between both trips.  It’s a comfortable, modern oasis in the middle of an often dirty, typical developing country.  When we’ve ventured outside and ridden the crazy buses or walked around the town dodging dog and cow bombs on the sidewalks (cows can make a seriously large mess on a sidewalk) or get engulfed in the black smoke and nauseating smell of exhaust from a passing diesel smoke factory (aka bus) while walking down the street…there is this huge sense of relief that comes over you when you walk in the front door into a CLEAN home that is modern and decorated and comfortable just like what you might have in the States (will take more pics later – the one below shows a little of the house).  Maybe its a crutch – I don’t care, its helping us break into this place a little more softly.  I hope that whatever we find to rent is at least somewhat similar to this one. 

There are lots of reasons that it is inexpensive to live here in Ecuador.  One is the cost of food.  We went to the SuperMaxi the next day in Ibarra (next town up), which is usually the more expensive place to buy stuff (compared to the local market) and we still walked away with a ton of food for a fraction of what it would have cost in the US.  Sam was so impressed that she had to take a picture after we had spread it all out on the counter.  This will last us for a month!  QFC eat your heart out!  (sorry Mike :) )  Oh yeah, and the market!  We went to the market yesterday and Sam bought three huge bags full of fruit and veggies for $9…just crazy!  Here are a couple pics of the market.

Afterwards, a bunch of us gringos packed into a sister’s Jetta Ecuadorian style – EIGHT of us…NOT Ecuadorian size though…

(Sam was taking the picture and afterwards piled on top of us in the backseat)

Our Spanish improvement is starting to pick up a little already in just the 5 or 6 days of being here.  As you would expect, seeing and hearing it all around us is having its positive impact.  On the other hand, the discouraging part about this learning process comes when you know the Spanish words for what you want to say, you actually say them exactly how you know they should be said, and the person you’re talking to just stands there and looks at you like you’re a Martian.  Que?  Ok, maybe I just didn’t enunciate well enough…lets try again.  Nope, same deal, still a Martian.  So, with a dejected sigh you resort to the usual hand signals, grunts, finger counting, and nods to communicate.  How long is this gonna take, anyway?

That’s all for now – will add more pics on the next post – things have been too crazy to take many pics so far… :(  We miss everyone and look forward to hearing from you…email us!