because I did not dejar de escribir in my blog I am updating about Semana Santa, the last week of school, and the past few days.

As I sit here with only four days left in Ecuador I feel an extreme mix of emotions. A few of my good friends from my program already left to go home and it really hasn´t been the same without them these past few days. I don´t really know what I am feeling at this point because I know in four days I will be leaving Ecuador but I won´t be going home to see the people and things I´ve missed so much at home. I am so excited though at the same time because I will be seeing Jacquie and starting a new adventure with her. Ecuador has been an amazing experience which had its ups and downs. Well really it had ups and one down. Everything about my time in Ecuador has been such a great learning experience. I not only only learned about myself but about another culture and my knowledge of the language expanded. I saw some of the most beautiful places on this earth and I feel so lucky. Ecuador is truely a unique place. Unfortunatly the university that I attended did not quite turn out as I expected. It didnt please me and it made some days difficult to be here. I really don´t like talking about it much because I don´t want it to be the part of the story everyone hears. I came to Ecaudor mainly to speak spanish and thats what I did. My host mom Paulina is a caring, loving person and we were able to talk almost everyday about whatever. My oldest sister Carla was always very friendly and we got along great. We had a lot of similar interests and were able to spend some time together. My other sister Pamela was also very nice and we were able to talk as well. The men of the house, my host father and brother are interesting to say the least. They are both very nice. Ivan my house father clearly would have been more interested in a male student for when my brother came to visit me they got along great and some how managed to have conversations even though Ivan hardly speak english and my brother knows maybe 6 words in spanish and I bet you can guess which ones they are. My host brother Nico spoke to me about twice he said once that he got nervous around me because I am so cute. hahaha. I got to meet some of there friends and attend a few family birthday parties which to me was probably one of the most exciting things. The last spanish speaking birthday party I had been to was mine in Argentina so it was really exciting to see the differences in how people celebrate and of course I was pumped to sing happy birthday in spanish. You see this is why my university doesnt upset me thatttt much... its because I wanted more out of this experience than just a few credits. I am in no rush to graduate from Salem State because I really don´t know what I want to do in my life so why not just stay there till I figure it out. I can tell you straightout though that I LOVE SALEM hahaha. I am going to miss my family here and for the last two weeks Ive been feeling sad about leaving them and my home here. Paulina brushes my hair for me everyday, we discused the other day what I am going to do when I leave. haha I have no idea because Jacquie hurts me when she does it ahhaha. Ive also grown fond of our empleada as well. She comes two days a week and since I have class later in the day we usually talk in the morning and spend a few hours together. She is a really nice woman and has gone through so hard times especially recently with her 3 year old daughter. Her name is also Elena so we had an instant connection lol. Speaking of friendly people. I met a lot of random people here too. Ive had people ask me directions before assuming that I was from here but then as we talked more it became obvious that I am not but it iniciated long conversations on the 45 minute bus rides to school. There are a few things about city life that I dont particularly like. Such as alarms at all hours of the night, dirty polluted air, random smelly patches of the side walk, ect. But despite those things Quito and the everyday things that happen here have become a part of me. I am going to miss riding the bus with people selling things all the time and the bus drivers playing their reggaeton while they speed down the crowded streets zipping through the lanes like they were driving a sports car. I am going to miss being able to walk to the store, I am going to miss 50 cent ice cream, I am going to miss talking in spanish everrrrrrrrrrrywhere I go. I wont miss being callled mi reina as I pass every man on the sidewalk though haha.

A few weeks ago was Semana Santa and my big brother came to visit me. He got here late Thursday night so we went out to the Mariscal for some dinner and drinks. My journal got wet on the hike from hell which I will explain to you later so I dont remember exatly what we did or where we went but Ill do my best. So after eating he wanted to check out some of the bars and clubs so we hit up a few of the places he thought looked cool. He was amazed by the modernization that sourrounds quito. He couldnt believe that a bar in ecuador would have posters of some of his favorite bands of all time. He said to me look we own or owned almost all those cds on that wall. When he was saying this I thought well duh its not like we are in the middle of no where I mean Ecuador listens to music too. But then I thought about it for a minute and well yea the city is pretty modern but just a few hours outside of it there are still people who live up to their indigenous culture and its interesting to see the two diversities living together in one tiny area. After that bar we moved on to another one then ended at Bungalow where I had been once before with some friends. We met a group of people who said they were singers and in a band. I hadnt heard of them before but they were very nice and we danced for a few hours with them. The next day we went to historic quito. It was the friday before easter so there was a huuuuuge ressurection parade thing going on. we followed the parade all over the city. They were praying over the loud speaker... thank you austin prep spanish class I knew the Padre Nuestro! People where carrying giant religious symbols and jesus statues and there was a group of people dressed like purple kkk people holding a huuuuuuuuge wooden cross... probably about 70 men. Later it started to rain so we went back to the house for a while and got some food then probably went to the mariscal again for dinner and dancning. The next day we got up early and climbed cotopaxi this time was much better for me because I wasnt sick. It was much colder than before though and it snowed a lot!!! Ill have `pictures of that later. Probably after central america, when I get home. Then the next day we went to Mindo. Mindo was cool. We went on the zip lines which were sooooo fun then we hung around the hostel with this little 11 year old boy named Diego. It was fun for me to translate everything for them hahha. We went fishing in the pond out back and at the lake down the street with him. The next day we returned home and i took a nap because I was so tired and we had to catch a midnight bus for my archeology field trip later on that night. We did some things in Quito that day. Then we headed out. At midnight we all met at USFQ. At three in the morning we arrived in Riobumba where we picked up some of the students from there. At 6 we arrived in Alusí and ate breakfast (I am pretty sure this is where I got sick AGAIN) then we took the bus for about another half hour until we were told we could go no further in the bus but that the people could arrange for us to ttake a pick up truck. So we all squeezed into the tiny truck that had a canvas roof which we put all of our stuff on. LEt me tell you that we had three days of cloths and food with us plus a tent and sleeping bags for the 25ish people on the trip. So after we were almost crushed by our stuff we arrive at a little pueblo where there are supposed to be donkeys waiting for us to carry our stuff. BUt when we arrive there are no donkeys and the towns people are drunk and do not want to find donkeys for us. So we wait around for SIX hours until finally someone decides to give us donkeys and guide us on our hike. Since we started late we didnt get as far as we were supposed to on the first day but we did make it to an Incan resting site which they used back in the day on there trips from Cuzco to Quito. We camped there that night and the next day started again. I have never seen such terrible rain and wind. It made for nasty hiking conditions. As dusk started to approach we realized that someone was missing. One of the Riobambam boys had wandered off and hadnt passed anyone. Of course now we were stuck near the river with no place to pitch our tents and we were all in cold soaked clothing. The guide and one of the chaperons went to look for the boy on horses. Unfortunatly the guide was the only one who knew the way to keep going so we had to stop and wait. It was much to cold to sit around and wait but it was our only chance and like I said we were near the river so it was basically swampy all around us so we couldnt even start a fire. Then someone remembers that not too long ago back we passed a few cuy houses. These are the small houses made of mud built into the side of the mountain. So we all take off our clothes and Anthony started a fire in one of the houses with open sides. After drying out our clothes by the fire which they didnt really dry we snuggled up in one of the houses and tried to sleep. six hours later at midnight the guide returns with good news. They had found the boy, but he was in bad condiciion and needed to get out of his wet cloths immediatly and get some food. Anthony, Sonia, and Diego (other one obvs) took care of him while the rest of us were stuck in our massive pile of people in the other house. The next day we put wet cloths back on and started hiking what we were told was only going to be three more hours until the next town.... yeah right that was more like 6. We finally arrive in San Jose which we were supposed to continue until Ingapirca but we all just couldnt take anymore wind, rain, and cold. Plus we wanted to get Adrien to a hospital as soon as possible. From San Jose we took a pick up truck to some other town I cant remember the name then caught a bus to Cuenca. In Cuenca all I wanted to do was take a warm shower and sleep. A lot of people wanted a warm shower and food. I had no dry clothes so I had to sleep naked and Jaimee my room mate for the night didnt want to go out either so Kallie and Rebecca brought us back some french fries. Oh and of course the hostel had no hot water until morning. The next day we took it easy and spent the morning in Cuenca. Anthony bought a guitar. Like always. Then we went to Ingapirca. FINALLY. The reason for the trip was to go here to see the archeological sites. This was the only time the whole trip I took my camera out which almost got ruined along with most of my stuff from the rain and mud. We saw a really cool Incan city right along the trail. The sunset was beautiful there as well. I have pics! Then instead of taking the bus the next morning we hopped on an overnight one which brought us back to quito at 6 am sunday morining. Of course by this time I was feeling really sick like had the last time I got sick. But it was Anthonys last day so as I rested he went the park La Carolina right by my house. The next morning I brought him to the airport, brought back our tent we rented, and went to school. The next day I went to the hospital. I had gotten an infection. I knew I wasnt crazy or faking it. I was out of school for the rest of the week and the medicine I was on made me not even able to walk for more than like 5 minutes.
In the next few weeks after that the semester was wrapping up thank gooooodddd. Sonia had to back to Canada early so we took our final and got our grades. I got an A in archeology which was good considering we all went through hell for that one hundred dollar field trip!!!!! lol.

Well I am sick of writing so bye now. Keep reading as Jacquie and I venture our way through central america in just four short days from now!!!