Our apartment!!

Since I last wrote, our lives have taken a drastic turn for the the better. In fact, the day after I wrote, complaining about our living situation, we found our dream apartment. In my last post, I gave a hint of an apartment I was hoping I would love in Guapulo- I insisted that we go and see it. Meanwhile, my host family was trying to push other unsavory locations and stating "Oh, he says its VERY small" several times, I had to be very persistent.

It was the fist apartment we saw- as soon as I saw it I told the landlord that I didn't need to see any other apartment and that I absolutely loved it and wanted to move in immediately. He said I could move in that afternoon, so Oliver ( my host family's son-in-law who totally rocks) said he would drive me back to the valley, let me pack up my stuff, take me to the bank to cash my check, buy sheets and blankets, and drive me back to the apartment before 4pm (when his license plate numbers aren't allowed to drive in the city). Getting this all done in 2 hours time is no small miracle in Ecuador time. That night, I was unpacking our four bags into our own sweet place, so sublimely happy to finally have a place of our own. It's ideal that we could only bring 2 bags each on the plane, if we had any more stuff, the apartment wouldn't work. As it is, we have a place for everything and it is just perfect.

The interior is all decorated in old wood furniture, and has a rich yet rustic feel to it. The walls are stone, the floor is tile, and the windows are immense. Our view is absolutely breath taking. We are perched high on a hill, overlooking Guapulo, with a view of town scrambled below us, the tiny streets zig-zagging below. Our patio garden is filled with ancient relics, tropic plants, and an assortment of rock collections. A huge church dedicated to the Virgin of Guadelupe sits regally below us and the mountains and valley are panoramic. It is exquisite. Guapulo is known as an artistic, hippy, and indigenous neighborhood. My landlord explained to me (he speaks very good English!) that most Quitoans look down on the neighborhood because of their lack of respect for the indigenous populations. For me- it is a perfect mix. It is on the edge of the city, yet a $2 cab ride to most anywhere, clean air, close to school (our school bus picks us up at our door), and our neighborhood is filled with nooks and crannies to explore.

Our first weekend was the Guapulo annual festival which is no small affair. From Thursday night to Monday night there were loud and color festivities right outside our doorstep. We got an official invitation from the Mayor to come to the church for an event, we decided to walk down the hill to see what it was all about. After waiting around a bit, a bunch of police showed up and a little guy jumped out of a car with a huge smile, walking right towards me. I smiled (as I always do) and he patted Uma on the head and then was received by the rest of the crowd. It took me just a quick second to realize it was the mayor.

During the service, a beautiful golden retriever strolled into the magnificent church, and just hung out during the assembly- something one doesn't normally see in the states. Uma got a bit wiggly so we exited just in time to see two different parades converge at the church. I haven't yet figured out the symbology or significance (although I have asked several people) but all the kids and adults in the parades were dressed up as either clowns or in gorilla suits- there didn't seem to be any other option beside a more indigenous knit rainbow mask cowboy get- up. Kids in gorilla suits were walking all around the neighborhood, it was a bit creepy. Loud music and dancing went into the night every night- it was almost absurd how loud it was in our apartment. Sunday night, the famous "orange throwing" parade occurred when trucks wind down the alleyways, and folks throw oranges into the crowd, while packs of boys try to intercept and end up making it quite a chaotic and messy event. We scored at least a dozen oranges and have been juicing them daily for good luck. So far, so good.

Thus far, the only thing we are lacking is internet access at home. I can check email at school, but Facebook is blocked. Ay curumba! Hopefully this will change soon and I can Skype and Facebook to my heart's content soon. Next posting will include details about school and our adventures into town thus far. Much love and besos!