I have experienced and learned a lot, in my first week of my language course. Get up every morning at just after 6 – I felt like being back in school. But I had to get to the other side of Quito during rush hour. So I had to plan in about 90 minutes for the journey to the language course. The Spanish lessons are fun and I can use what I learn. I can also understand a lot more than last week and am able, at least from time to time, to participate in a conversation with more or less complex subjects. Speaking is still more difficult, but the long list of adjectives and verbs helps immensely.

On Friday of the first week we did a tour of the old town and looked at many churches from the outside – I already know a lot from home – but we also had a tour of the presidential palace. And the ‘Museo del Ciudad’, which shows very clearly the life and appearance of the city in different centuries.

The nice inner courtyard

View on the Grand Plaza from the Palace

The Ecuadorian Flag and the President’s sash

Part of an artistry, which shows the discovery of the Amazon river

The President’s meeting room

A ceremonial hall for banquets

A few presents for Raphael Correa, which he displays publicly

Last Saturday we were for a few hours at ‘El Panecillo’, a statue of the Virgin Mary, who looks more like an angel because of her wings, with a brother of Sara, who is our Host Mother. It stands on a mountain in the middle of the city. It is with its base about 40m high and consists of many plates of aluminum. One can climb onto the base – Quito’s own Statue of Liberty ;-). The view is very impressive during the day.

One can see to all sides the city and even see the Kotopaxi with its more or less high ash clouds. I also made photos with my phone. Unfortunately I forgot my camera at home: /.

If the view is already great during the day, then one just has to wait until the sun shortly after 6 disappears behind the mountains. Because then the lights are switched on and in the city the historic center. When the full moon is rising, then one can hardly believe that one is still on mother earth.

After that, we went in the La Ronda, an old trade route, on which are many restaurants, bars, and Salsotheken, today. We sat down in a small restaurant and tried Canelazo. That’s similar to apple punch, which you can get in a variety of flavors and it is served hot.
After this refreshment and a small supper of empanadas, filled pasta, we went into one of the Salsotheken. The music was way too loud and even though none of us really can dance salsa, it was great fun.

On Sunday two of the chickens, owned by the family, were killed for lunch and supper. Too bad that it was not the rooster – he wakes every morning very nice, so we would not sleep too long. Now I know how to gut a chicken.
The second week of the course went without a lot of excitement. On Saturday I will go with two other volunteers from ICJA to Otavalo. I learned a lot in the two two weeks. If I think about what I could understand and speack on the day when I left the camp, it is amazing, how fast I learned. Just my vocabulary consists of way too few words. Speaking also got better slowly, even though it must sound terribly halting.

After class during the week, we have done different things. Once we did a “self guided” tour of the party district ‘Mariscal’ or sometimes explored on our own the old city and discovered very good and affordable restaurants and an old ice cream shop/ café of 1860. Here in Ecuador the ice is made with water, not with milk and there are varieties of which one has never heard of. We even had a try of all unknown varieties.

Today we have cooked for the first time on our own and we had Thai curry with pineapple, coconut, squash, chicken, zucchini, and chili. I had the task of taking apart the chicken halves. It is always to be the butchers and the food tasted excellent.