EcuadorSabbatical

Tom, a post doc in Ecuador these past two years, came to pick us up in his boss's Toyota white Landcruiser, the perfect vehicle for the jungle and the Andes. Maya and I sat strapped in the back seats which were placed along the sides across from each other instead of facing up front, and were surprisingly comfortable. We drove to Cumbaya, a valley away from Quito, and stopped at a 'Ferreteria', which appeared at first to be a hardware store, but seemed more like a version of Home Depot. Maya, Eric and I bought our rubber boots for the jungle, but there are quite a variety of goods to purchase in a Ferreteria, including tools, gas masks, sinks and toilets, machetes, and so much more for both homes and businesses and construction sites. We got gas (quite a bit less expensive than the US ), and made a 'SuperMaxi' run, where we bought water and snacks. Cosanga is half way to Casa del Suizo, so Eric and I had just been on this road in March. The first part of the drive i...

We experienced a redeeming moment today. After revisiting the apartment Eric most wants to rent because of its incredible view, reasonable price, and Bohemian look, we were rushing back to pick Maya up from her ballet class. It was 5 PM and the traffic was heavy and we were later than I wanted to be. After reconnecting with Maya, Eric had a moment of panic when he discovered he did not have his wallet with him. There he stood outside of the dance school with the 'deer in the headlights' look, patting all his pockets and turning them inside out, asking me if he had opened the wallet in the taxi and when I had last seen it. It was definitely lost, and without a local address and only foreign identification, it was unlikely we would ever find it. Suddenly the taxi driver drove up waving the wallet in the air. He had evidently found the wallet on the seat of the car, and hoped to find us by driving back to where he had dropped up off! We were all so relieved to have had such a po...

We have fallen into a routine. Maya wakes me up by 7:30 -8:00, and is ready to get moving, but Isabel and Erika are night owls and are up late. I take my time with the shower, dressing, getting organized. By 9:00, we wander downstairs (going down too early can trip the alarm, and we try to avoid that) to a huge breakfast (Isabel reminds us that we must breakfast as kings!). I choose yoghurt and 'mora', a kind of blackberry which is popularly made into a juice. Papaya and banana and canteloupe are always on the table, with freshly squeezed juice as well. Maya will eat omelettes, pancakes, bread with nutella or jam, pain au chocolat, cinnamon rolls etc. I savour my Ecuadorian coffee, which has been dripping during the night, and is mixed with lactose free milk warmed up in the microwave. Maya and I leave for the swimming pool after 10:00. Today we stopped at a tailor to have her ribbons sewed on to her pointe shoes for $1.50. I ran back an forth along the Rio Coca to pick them u...

When I tell Ecuadorians about having been robbed within a few days of my arrival, they all express dismay and want to reassure me. Sometimes I hear that it happens all the time. Today I got a mouthful about this being because of the Columbians, who come to Ecuador in droves. I was assured that the perpetrators are not Ecuadorians and that of the 12 million inhabitants there are 2 million Columbians who have traveled over the poorly policed border, and are the source of all crime in Ecuador. They are the ones who "kill our children' and contribute to the drug problem and the robberies. Whew! When I was robbed in Rome, I was told it was the 'Chilean gangs'; in the United States, crime is often blamed on minorities. I do get the sense that Ecuadorians feel genuinely distressed that I should have had such a negative experience and want to reassure met that it is not about me being an 'estranero'. I worry about the poverty. Seeing children on the streets selling can...

It is time to get serious about finding a place to live. I wanted to take it slow, take my time, but Eric has decided that we need a place by the end of the week so we can move on and start living our lives here in Quito. I found a gorgeous old home fully renovated and with a 50 metre terazza with a lovely view of old Quito, but the colonial centre is simply too far away from Maya's school and in fact too complicated to get in and out of to be practical. I like an area called Guapalo, which is on a hillside with a view to Cumbaya and Tumbaco, but it too is inconvenient for us. We plan to try to live without a car, and that is entirely possible. The city is spread out north to south, and is very long. It takes time to get from one end to the other, but the bus system is extensive and not difficult to figure out. I have taken the 'Trole' several times form the historic centre to JipiJapa where Erika lives, and today, I took the 'Ecovia' up and down the Seis di Diciemb...

Eric arrived at about 3 in the morning. It was the same flight I took from Miami, but was only an hour or so late! The airport was busy this time, and only five minutes from the house. Large groups of people came to pick up family members loaded up with too many bags all wrapped up in plastic. It was odd to be there in the dark with the city quiet and empty and suddenly encounter such liveliness and activity. Our search for an apartment began in earnest today. I felt that I did not have a good sense of the different areas in the city. I have seen apartments here and there, but I wanted to get a better feel of the different areas. We started at University Catolica, where we met Santiago, one of the professors that Eric will be working with. We saw Eric's new office, and drove to a coffee shop under the Swissotel ( I read in a guide book that this is the most expensive hotel in Quito and Eric informed me that the Iranian leader Ahmadinejad stayed there). I have yet to find good coff...

It was dog visiting day today. Isabel has rescued an English pitbull, and it has been in training for six weeks. It is important to visit the dog weekly with Prieta, Erika's huge beloved dog (which is as big as a small pony), and practice the commands that Sayyid has been learning. He will be home in two weeks, and Isabel has to be ready for him. Her grandson Mateo, visits every Sunday, and joined us for the occasion. Mateo was quiet and reserved. He seemed to be an older person in a very young body, and spent the day studying us with his dark brown eyes. The sky is incredibly sunny and bright. Erika recently had Lasik surgery on her eyes, and was advised by the eye surgeon to wear prescription sunglasses at all times, that the Quito sun was far too strong and causes Quitenos to have a higher incidence of cataracts and other eye problems. I have no problem with that since I wear sunglasses all the time, but I am noticing that I must attend to sunscreen on any skin that is exposed,...