10,000 ft and feeling good

Here is the thing about living your whole life at sea level...living in a city that is 10,000ft above sea level is kind of hard to do at first. When I arrived in Quito...walking uphill on a street was like running a marathon, I felt exhausted. Everyone says that you need a few weeks to adjust to the altitude and they were not kidding, it takes a while. This is entering my fourth week in Ecuador and I finally feel like I am back to where I was before I left. I went for a hike in these hills outside of Pesillo with a few other PCTs (that is what we are called...Peace Corps Trainees) and actually felt really good, it felt great to actually do physical activities again and it is good to have people around me who share that passion. Also, the other thing I am getting used to is being at such as high elevation right on the equator...I got burned even though it was cloudy that day and I already put on sunscreen in the morning. So, I am putting on sunscreen even if it is snowing around here.
My birthday was last thursday and I, along with other sustainable ag volunteers got to go to this town called Puembo and spend a day learning organic agriculture practices on a farm. It was a beautiful day and the food was excellent (it all came from the farm!). WHen I got home, my ¨parents¨surprised me with red roses and a delicacy in Ecuador...Cuy! Cuy (guinea pig) is only eaten during special fiestas and days. I had been wanting to try it forever and I got to...pretty good I must say. It tastes like a gamey chicken with a duck-like crust. I enjoyed it a lot (and a good change of pace from the rice!). Things are going by pretty quickly down here, next tuesday (24th i think) I will find out where I will be spending the next two years of my life...very excited, think I will be happy wherever I go...Ecuador is a very beautiful and ecologically diverse country. Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone!

Ashta Cama