June 22, 2008

Today I woke up at 7:00 am and went running with two other volunteers: Lauren and Carlos. I couldn’t go as far as a wanted to because the altitude was bothering me; I got a little light headed. When we returned I quickly showered (the water was actually semi-warm!) and then went for breakfast. I actually had a filling breakfast because I managed to obtain two extra platos de huevos. Score!

Cissa, my instructor, arrived around 9:30 and Lauren, Kat, Margret, and I departed for Cayambe with her. The drive to Cayambe was gorgeous. It is really pretty in the Sierra, but I really don’t want to be placed in here. I don’t like the cold! I am praying for la Coasta.
When we arrived in Cayambe the five of us dropped our stuff off at the instructors’ place and followed Cissa around the town. We ate lunch at a greasy fast food place and then went to the market to buy shower shoes and chocolates for my family. It started to pour and we got trapped in the store for around 15 minutes. When the rain finally began to let up we returned for our belongings. Once we had all our stuff Cissa took us to each of our families.

So my family is amazing! Six people (besides me) live in this house. But Mama Inés has seven children and lots of grandchildren that are always over here. When I arrived today Mama Inés was not here but three of her daughters and three of her grandchildren gave me a warm welcome. We talked for a bit and I showed them pictures of my family. They told me a look like my mother. Then we watched the ‘Beautician and the Beast’ in Spanish and ate popcorn and tomatoes with way too much salt. When the rest of the family returned we sat around the kitchen table and drank coffee and tea and ate pan. Afterwards, the son Marcos took me, two other sisters (whose names I can’t remember) and the three kids to his sister’s house. We spent a few minutes visiting each other and playing with the baby and then we piled back into the car and Marcos drove us around the city pointing out different sites to me.

When we finally returned, I ate a small snack, paid Mama Inés, and unpacked all my stuff. I have a nice small room with a desk, a bench, a chest of drawers, and an (uncomfortably hard) bed. Anyway, yawning now. Must go to sleep. I have a long day of language classes tomorrow. Hasta mañana!