- The view: There is nothing more fabulous here than looking around at the mountains – whether it be a beautiful clear sunny day where you can see the snow capped mountains and volcanos (Cotopaxi!) some distance away, or the clouds wrapping splendidly around Pichincha and the mountains surrounding the city. It takes my breath away almost every day.
- Clouds of Doom: Quito weather is funny, you can have four seasons in a single day. The best is when it{s a bright sunny day, and then you notice the huge, ominous Cloud of Impending Doom gliding towards you, bringing with it an impending deluge. Then of course, right behind the dark black mass, is further deep blue, cloudless sky. Fabulous.
- Fruits and Veggies: All fresh, all grown within driving distance. Delicious.
- Fresh Bread: Bread from neighborhood bakeries is cheap, and cooked fresh several times a day. At about 3 or 4 cents a roll, with a cup of tea it makes the most declicious breakfast. Hot, cheap, delicious bread…all the time.
- Illegal movie stores: They{re so bold, they advertise themselves by displaying their illegal, incredibly cheap movies outside their stores. And, they{re everywhere. I donñt think i{ve seen a store selling legal movies yet. It{s hysterical. At 3 movies for 5 dollars, any requests??
lol
- Colonial Quito: Amazing. That is all.
- Freshly fried peanuts: It is impossible to tell you how good these were. Except that I couldn{t stop eating them. Each bite is like being struck by deliciousness. Next time i{m in the colonial center I will def. get more.
- My host family: They{re so great. Over protective, yes. Is that hard for someone as independent as me, yes. But they are some of the nicest people I have ever met. I{m really glad i{m staying with them.
- Artisenal Markets: Gorgeous. Lots of fun.
- Menu: Full course meal for between $1.50-3. And generally really good. A great way to eat.
- The language school: Great people, great students, very helpful.
- Futbol: World Cup Fever – you try being in a room with four Ecuadorans when Brazil lost and resisting the urge to laugh at their reaction – it{s hard. But seriously: Brazil, Argentina – WTF
- Museums and Helpful Museum guides: The museums I{ve been to have all been beautiful and really interesting. And they always seem excited to offer you a guide.
…more to come.