Running out of time...

Where to begin... I’ll just touch on the big things that I can remember. Then you aren’t all stuck reading a very detailed, pointless recap on my previous two weeks here. After the 20 somethings group on the 2nd I made some friends who told Maria and I that we should meet up with them on that Thursday for this girl’s birthday. So we did and it was a lot of fun : ) We went to CoffeeTree and then to a discoteca called Bungalow (but just to play pool and hang out). Then Friday I hung out with Cathy’s son, Danny, and his girlfriend, Caro. We went to the teleferico (cable cars) and visited the Centro Historico of Quito. It was a LOT of fun! Then that night I ended up going back to Bungalow with my friend Fernando and we met up with some other people. It was pretty fun but mostly just North American music was played. Saturday I went to Otavalo with Xavier, Ann Marie (Annie), her sister & her sister’s friend who were in town visiting. I bought LOTS of things!! : )

Then there was a whole lot of nada, or at least just randomness that isn’t super important, until the next Thursday night (11th)… when I went out for Indian food with Jenny, Tammy, Chantal (Jenny’s friend from Canada), and Maria. It was soooooo delicious. After dinner Maria and I met up with our friend Ivan from church and we went to El Café Mosaico. It had a beautiful vista of Centro Historico. I hope to go back there before I leave! Friday night (12th) I went salsa dancing with Maria and Ivan and his friend Enrique (nicknamed QiQue – no idea on the spelling… haha). It was a lot of fun but I’m not that good (so... Michael, you need to teach me. You know how to dance, right?).

Wow, I've caught up pretty fast. Just this past weekend I went to Mindo with Jenny, Chantal, Maria, and Ivan. We visited the butterfly garden which was super cool because they just landed on you and stayed there and they were ginormous. They made you kinda scared and jumpy… haha but it was still awesome. The hummingbirds here are amazing. There’s SOOO many and they aren’t as skiddish as they are in Minnesota. They are definitely more used to people. On Sunday we went on a hike to Cascada Reina. We didn’t spend as much time at the waterfall as I would have liked to... but we kinda had to go. Bummer. Oh well, next time! : ) Then I went ziplining with Chantal and that was very, very fun as well. Then we headed back to the town, grabbed some lunch, and went home.

Sunday night was officially my worst night here. I was sicker than I’ve ever been before – in my entire life! Must have been food poisoning or something but whatever it was, I never want to experience that again. I couldn’t sleep all night. I felt so absolutely, positively, horrible. I didn’t go to school on Monday but by that evening I was all better. Thank you Lord!

So here we are, it’s my last week of school. Tuesday I went to the 20 somethings group for the last time. Today I went to the market por la ultima vez with Cathy’s daughter, Stephy, and her friend Anthenela (I think…), and bought my final gifts. : ) Then Maria and I went and got manicures/pedicures and how it is time for bed. : )

Not sure what the rest of the week is going to look like for me but we shall see! Hopefully not too crazy busy, but at the same time filled with lots of fun and amazing times for my last week here. : )

See you all very soon!
Chao,
amc