Staying in Quito

Today was a gorgeous sunny day in Quito. The sky was blue, the mountains were visible all around the valley, it was warm and inviting. The weather is unpredictable here. I never know what to wear. I always have several layers with me and I am constantly adding and removing layers, feeling cold, then too warm, opening the window of the car and then hastily closing it. Over the last few days there has been rain, sun, mist, cold and wind, each alternating with the other. 

I worked on recognizing the origin of people selling things on the street. Most are from Otovalo, wearing long black or dark blue skirts with one pleat on the side and a white underskirt. Cuenca women wear a shorter pleated dark skirt and wear felt hats, which the Otovalenos don't. I want to return to the museum at the Mitad del Mundo, which has an exhibit of each indigenous group and their traditional attire. It is remarkable that the indigenous people still wear their individual identifying costume.

I learned today that there are many apartments available at a convenient price and that this will not be a problem when we are ready to rent. Whew!

No schools were open, so we did not visit any. My daughter was relieved. We did visit with a friend of a friend in Baltimore , and had a wonderful time playing with their three dogs ( an Akido, a bulldog, and a yorkie, quite the combination) and talking about schools and a place to live and the obstacles we can expect to encounter in Quito. I am reassured that we will be fine, that Maya will be fine, that the year will be wonderful.

I wanted to eat Ecuadorian  food for lunch, but my host brought me to a crepe restaurant and so we ate crepes and salad and I indulged in a cappucino-- I cannot accustom myself to Nescafe, which is what many Ecuadorians drink. I enjoyed drinking a more familiar kind of coffee and it calmed me down for the rest of the day. Pizza was ordered for tonight, it was thicker and heavier than I am used to but recognizably pizza.

Tomorrow will be a tourist day. We will try the Teleferico if the weather cooperates, if not, we will have to choose a museum.