It's All In the Look

The training continues. To give perspective, the year-long volunteers get an entire month of training. Us summer folks pack it into 10 days! Needless to say, days are long and sleep is optional. The day starts with us walking to the Spanish school for lessons. Along the way, we pass students, dressed very neatly in uniforms, waiting for el autobus. Then we come back to the Hotel 6 de Deciembre where we have guest speakers: 1) Guy from US Embassy to talk about safety in Ecuador. I won't even go there!!! 2) Professor of Education from the University to talk about the education system. What I took from it...SHOES!!! Teachers are judged based on their shoes!

We lunch and dinner on our own which is fun because we find local places to endulge in. Twice we've eaten lunch at a place we call the Garage. It is a little hole in the wall, no name on the outside, but the best deal in Ecuador. $2.00 for a HUGE plate of rice, meat, plantains. For 6 of us it cost $13.50 and that included a 3-liter of Coke. Yesterday, it cost $1.50 for a soup, an apple, huge plate of chicken fried rice and a juice. How am I ever going to be able to $1.00 for a hamburger or $3.00 for a Chai tea ever again??? Magic Bean last night for a more traditional meal. Oh....Mama Colinda also for CHICHA!! I had to introduce it to our group. :o)

Ask questions if you want to know anything....