Ecuador!

As you all know, I am traveling around with my friend Melinda in Ecuador! We are having a wonderful time thus far - we are based out of the Colonial district of Quito and we are staying in Mel's friend Marco's parent's house, which is huge and a great place to stay. Marco has been amazing and has helped us navigate the city and the country. We went to a famous market town, Otavalo, where I did suprisingly little damage. I did buy a really beautiful necklace that Otavaleno women wear - it's gold plated crystals and is muy bonita. I am developing basic Spanish skills at a freakish rate - Mel can back me up on this. I need to spend a few months somewhere at some point and gain fluency. That and French.

What else . . . we went to the coast and hung out on a beautiful beach called Las Failles in a Machlilla National Park, and the next day we went out and saw blue footed boobies (best thing EVER and humpback whales and some frigate birds tried to eat Mel. Not really. But she thought they were going to. We then spent two days in a surfer town, Montanita, which was eerily comfortable for two girls from Boulder and Portland.

Tomorrow we fly into the jungle where we hope to see piranhas, an anaconda, giant spiders, caimans, minkeys (misspelled on purpose and I really, really reallllllly hope a capybara! Or five! And an ocelet! And a JAGUAR! Ok, no, but my roommate Sarah got to stay somewhere with a half domesticated capybara, and I will cry if I don't meet one.

Pics and funny stories to follow!

Ask about . . .

squirt bottles
street names
what is wrong with the sky
and other stuff I forget right now

Besos,
Lisa