First Few Days

Well where do i start, ha. Its been a wild first few days filled with adventure and chellenging situations. I arrived at Quito and exited customs to find a welcoming room absolutely filled with people. I´m talking probably 600 or more people all asking if i need a taxi or with signs indicating who their wating for. I just kept walking trying to pretend like i new what i was doing. Finally i saw the sign that said John Bradley, and told the man holding it that that was in fact me. He called for a driver over the walkie-talkie and soon i was on my way to the Windsor Hotel. All the rumors i heard about the crazy driving in Quito were 100% true if not understated. The lanes, stoplights, stop signs, and any types of road rules are all merely suggestions. The taxi drivers are all experts at narrowly avoiding crashes and drive at a frantic pace in order to get paid and move on to the next customer. After a 20 minute drive i arrived at the hotel. After a short argument between the management and the driver about when he would get paid(the school left money for him at the hotel) i got my room and went to dinner. At this hotel clearly catered to tourists, i´m embarassed to say that i had a hamburger. The next morning i woke up and had breakfast with Jade, a guy from my rugby team, and we waited to meet our host familes. Talk about a stressful situation, we knew nothing about the families and were just waiting in the lobby expecting the worst. Finally the first family member came and picked up one of the students. She was an elderly grandma with a very kind smile, this managed to calm my nerves a bit. One by one students were taken by their families to their prospective houses until there were finally only four left. The family coordinator got the call that my family was coming and that it would be better if i met him outside (the traffic in Quito is rediculous). She informed me that he was the man in charge of all security at UTE, my university. Great, i thought, im going to have a general as my host family member this will be interesting. When he arrived he was a stocky man, in his thirties, with sun glasses on and a very stern expression on his face. Lillianet, my professor, explained that i was a nice guy and that i could understand spanish relatively well. He nodded and grunted his understanding. I got in the car, and as i drove away from the only people i knew in ecuador i couldnt help but feel a little anxious. He asked me what i like to do and i told him that i liked soccer. With this statement he relaxed and began telling me his plans to put me on his team and how we could play every weekend if we wanted. He laughed as i attempted to explain what position i played and what else i liked to do in my free time. He drove me around for a while, showing me the campus. Quito is a city unlike i have ever seen before. Nestled between two mountain ranges it is rediculously beatiful but at the same time intimidating. Any former thoughts i had that it might be rural or not very modern were soon put to rest. Its a hustling and bustling city with lots of people. The views are amazing with a multitude of multi-colored houses. We went to lunch at this resturant where we had fried pork, empanadas, fried plantains, and papas fritas. We talked a little bit about the plane crash in france but for the most part conversation was stinted due to my insufferable lack of spanish. We then wen to his appartment and i met his Mama´. She is a wonderfully nice lady that immediately asked me what i want to eat. I told her we had just eaten. The appartment is very nice, with wood floors and very nice antique furniture. I have to go to class now but there is a ton more to talk about. I love you all very much and miss you more than you could imagine...

I´m getting used to it here but im still not comfortable yet.


still to come...
the tour of the city
the first night (when i went to the club)
my first day of classes
the school and students
etc.

Love, as always, Carlitos