Welp tonight I played soccer after class and ended up at Shwarma, my favorite Greek bar in Ecuador. After meeting a fun group from Esmeraldas (the coast), I hung out with an Ecuadorian soccer player who plays at KU and a guy whose dad is a somebody in Ecuador. I wasn't sure whether this was the truth until we drove around in his bulletproof lexus. We went the wrong way down a one way street and had to bribe the cop with $20 to let us go. He invited me to his gym to practice MMA tomorrow so we'll see if he pulls through. Vamos a ver.

American Purchasing Power

I may have funded this super fun party for the Ecuadorian Policia

"Kemosabi, Jump on it, Jump on it, Jump on it"

 

This weekend we packed up and headed to cloud forest of the El Pahuma Orchid Reserve, which is a very unique habitat that hosts a lot of rare species. We spent Friday thru Sunday waking up early to watch for toucans, hiking and learning plant biodiversity all day, eating great meals by the fire in the evening, and going on late night hikes for frogs. I killed at least 4 animals of endangered species! - just kidding. But we were able to see a lot of rare animals & plants and some amazing waterfalls. 

Video of the Waterfall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erh6xHJzdj4&feature=youtu.be

Topical Bungalow

 This is kind of what I look like when I hike through a cloud forest.

Yumba Trail. This was the ancient trade route between the high sierra and the coast for hundreds of years. The path is "sunken" because it was used so frequently.

S'more friends. 

Penguin

Walking Stick.

 The world is a classroom. Learning is fun!

A funny looking dog with 8 legs and big teeth

How Fun!

Traveling with women.

A plant from Avatar. 

Dental hygiene is important no matter where you are. 

Friends can help you stay on task! (Thats me on top)

Alpaca 2-tha-face

Today I went to the park around high noon for some more futbol Equatoriano. The park is immense and there are small soccer fields, basketball courts, volleyball courts, street vendors, and a painted 737 plane that acts as a playground for the ninos. Upon my arrival, I saw the goalie I played with last night and he directed me towards another field with a bunch of kids my age. They were very skilled, and there was a bit of money riding on the games. It's very different because its 6 v 6 with smaller goals, its on (very fast) pavement, and the ball has an extremely hard shell (so it doesn't bounce on the pavement).  I had an absolute blast and played for about 2 hours, as you may be able to tell in the following pictures. Also, I made some Ecuadorian friends and exchanged numbers so I can play more regularly.

After, I went to La Mariscal and found an Irish bar with my friends to watch the Packer game. It was nice to eat a 1/2lb hamburger and watch Futbol Americano, but disappointing to see the Packers in such poor shape. I wanted to get in a fight with the Danish New York Giant fans in an Irish bar in an Ecuadorian Province because I figured it would make a great story, but instead I chose to"make good choices" as Momma-Momma saays. 

Regardless, another successful day in America del Sur. 

Question: What type of shirt did I wear today? 

A.  my alpaca sweater

B. "the cruiser"

C. a tanktop

D. a Billabong rash guard SPF 50+

-My host family refers to this as my free Ecuadorian undershirt. 

I think they get a kick out of Esteban the Gringo

Blisters that aren't from the sun.

Que pasa mis gringos de la casa? All is well at 0 degrees latitude. La Universidad de San Francisco de Quito is incredible and I've been getting my Mambo #5 on in the clubs of La Mariscal. So far I've learned how to handle the tap water from the faucet, have found a lunch place that serves fresh juice, soup, chicken & rice, & desert for $2.50, and have perfected the surf to class on the green (long) bus as it shifts through the mountains. More importantly, I've found a beer named Pilsner that is 24 ounces, tastes like MGD, and only costs $1.50 at the bars.
In other new, today some buddies and I went to el mercado in La Mariscal and I bought 2 extremely nice alpaca sweaters and an XL green shirt with native stitching that I like to call "the cruiser."After, we went to the park and joined in with the Ecuatorianos for a game of soccer in the rain, which had a real adventurous feeling.  Eventually, we made our way back to Bungalow 6 for some night life.
Mi Madre considers me part of the family and is very patient and with my Spanish. She wakes up in the morning to make juice and cut fresh papaya, pineapple, and other native fruits for me. My brother is 21 and studies medicine at the local university. All of us live together with Dunga, the golden retriever, in a small apartment that is a 20 minute bus ride from the university and a 3 minute cab ride from downtown.

Unfortunately, I have yet to meet my 5'2" 240lb Ecuadorian wife. Until then, Salud! and GO PACK GO!

My classroom. 

A view from the center of the campus. Its a cheeseburger in paradise. 

"The Cruiser"