Week 1 in Ecuador

Well it has been a full week that we have been in Ecuador and it has been eventful to say the least. We spent the first few days in Quito. We had to meet with people at the university, get visas, pick up my truck, etc. To make things crazier, Amalia got the flu or some such. It mostly resulted in a fever and her feeling miserable but her fever did go as high at 104. Being locked in a hotel room in Quito didn't help things as her brother was going crazy, the city is dirty and loud, and there isn't much to do when you are sick.

Moving to Mindo was a relief. Amalia was feeling better and the drive to Mindo is beautiful once you escape the sprawl of Quito. We stopped at the Pululahua crater north of town. Its a little tourist stop that has a nice view point on the edge of a crater. Quite spectacular view to look into a crater. The inside is all farmland now but you can definitely see the outline of the crater. Camilo thought it was cool to be on the edge of a volcano.

The drive from there to Mindo is long and very windy. The descent is probably 60km and goes from over 3000m elevation to around 1400m. There isn't a straight stretch of road so the going is slow and easy except that the crazy ecuadorians still drive like maniacs. Blind corner approaching? Who cares, got to make that pass!

Settling into living in Mindo has been pretty easy. The town is very small with a central square and lots of restaurants and such arranged around it. The main business is tourism so there are lots of people here on the weekends but its quiet during the week. We are starting to find our way around and have identified a local bakery, market, pharmacy etc. We have been getting loads of help from the people who own the place we are staying at. They have registered the kids for school, helped us find books and clothes, etc.

The biggest change in our lives has been enrolling the kids in school here in Mindo. They are going to the catholic school. It is private, but not in the american sense of the word. In fact, we haven't even been asked to pay anything which is kind of odd. Our kids are in 3rd grade and pre-school. Their grades don't directly align with ours but the kids are in with other students of their appropriate ages. Camilo's teacher is Susanah. She is very nice but strict, which is probably a good thing. Camilo is having a hard time adjusting and each day he does not want to go. Hopefully he gets better as he starts to make more friends. Amalia had a rough day the first day but since has been doing better and better. There is a girl in her class, Sabina, who has an american mom and she speaks perfect english. So it is easy for Amalia to get help from her. The teacher, Profesor Pedro is very kind and lets Amalia sit next to Sabina and talk to her in class. The highlight for Amalia has been soccer. Her first full day we went to pick her up while her soccer match was still going. She is by far the best player. She scored two goals and her team won. All the other girls worship her. Then the next day they had some kind of field day that meant they were outside all day and had a soccer match against another class. Amalia scored two more goals and her team won. She already has a reputation and parents and other students have come up to us and told us how great a player she is. In summary, Camilo started school fine but is having a hard time adjusting and Amalia was terrified the first day and is now looking forward to school each day.

The worst thing that happened all week was on my return trip to Quito last Wednesday. I drove in and got pulled over by the cops. Quito is trying to decrease congestion so on Wednesdays you cant drive if you license plate ends in 4 or 5. Guess who forgot? So I got pulled over and the truck was impounded. I had to pay a $106 fine and was supposed to pick the truck up the following day. To make a long story short, I went to the police station and begged some chief or something the release it early. He agreed to give it to me at 7:30pm after the traffic regulation ends. That meant I didn't get home until almost 10pm but at least I made it out of there. The good news that day was that I got a lot done. I got the truck's registration paid, got our visa stuff done, found school uniforms for the kids, etc.

Its been a long week but a good week and we are doing well!!!