Creating Our Life in Loja

In the past days, we have spent much time orienting ourselves to the city, arranging our living space and preparing ourselves for teaching at the school. We have taken many walks in the city and yearn for the day we can venture on a trail into the mountains surrounding us. We have a beautiful view of the mountains from our 3rd floor apartment, and the sky is a magnificent blue when the clouds leave in the afternoon. The temperature changes only slightly throughout the day, not even at night does it feel much cooler, staying around maybe 70 degrees or more. Our hallway receives fresh air and natural sunlight from the atrium. We will post pictures soon. We took the 7 year old Pablito to the park Jipiro on Sunday. It was like a fantasy land for all-- horseback riding, paddleboats, soccer fields, bicycle/skatepark, indoor swimming pool, small avian zoo, playgrounds- all in 10 square blocks! It was swarming with families and young people.

Our Ecuadorian meals have been taken mostly in the home, as our family has a daily maid/cook who prepares a grande lunch (the largest meal of the day for Ecuadorians). It always includes fresh glass of juice, soup, meat with rice, fried plantains, and fresh fruit for dessert. We generally eat with the family and afterwards a strong cup of coffee to ward off sleep. Jose Miguel, the father of the home, took us early Sunday morning to the fresh market before the crowds arrived. You can imagine pigs heads, chicken feet, and the miscellanous raw meats strung up. He shared with us the "best" places for our vegetables, fruits and fresh ground coffee. We did have one meal out- Sandy´s Pollo because many Ecuadorians were there to watch a national soccer game. It was the Ecuadorian version of McDougals from the movie Coming to America!