1. Altitude
My lovely host city Quito can be found at 9,351 feet above sea level, which makes it the highest capital city in the world. The altitude difference upon arrival was pretty shocking, and continues to be quite difficult at times. The biggest difference is how tired I feel through out the day. Activities that never have posed a problem for me in the US, like walking up stairs, have become daily struggles. I haven't felt physically sick like some students, just constantly drained. Yesterday I played pick up soccer for the first time, and after a few minutes of running around I was exhausted and it was hard to inhale because it doesn't feel like you're properly filling your lungs. By the second half of a 15 minute game I'm pretty sure I was two seconds away from cardiac arrest. Also, Quito is a very hilly city as it is in the mountains, so after walking a mile this is how I feel:
2. Prices
Arguably the best part of Ecuador is how cheap the food is. Near my university the food can be pretty expensive because the mall caters to a lot of the American students and has Dunkin Donuts, Subway, TGI Fridays, ect. However, in the city the restaurants are incredibly cheap, I'm talking three course meals for $3. Also, the supermarkets are very cheap and the mercados where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables are even cheaper. Public transportation is equally cheap, my hour long journey to school in the morning consists of two buses, each only 25 cents. It feels good as a college student to feel like your not murdering your bank account with every purchase.
3. Buses/Driving
Speaking of the public transportation, the buses here are wild. I take one bus from La Luz, my neighborhood in northern Quito, to Rio Coca. From Rio Coca I take a second bus to Cumbaya where my university is located. The bus from La Luz isn't too bad. I usually have a seat, and it never really fills up all the way. The second bus however is a different story, it seems that everyone and their mother needs to get to Cumbaya in the morning, and they all seem to return at the same time as me in the afternoon. First and foremost I need to tell you that there is no limit to how many people can fit on a bus, during orientation a teacher made the following joke: "How many people can you fit on a bus here? Answer: 15 more" which could not describe the situation more accurately. Essentially to get on a bus you have to put your head down, box out, and occasionally throw some elbows. This whole situation is made better by the fact that the drivers don't always come to a complete stop, but decide to roll as people are battling to get on. Once on the bus, all personal space is void, you get up close and cozy with people from all walks of life, which I guess is making me grow as a person. Also, the driving here is insane. I'm from Boston, MA and I know that MA drivers are considered some of the worst in the bunch, and let me tell you.. we have NOTHING on Ecuadorians. There is absolutely nothing like the thrill of rounding a tight curve in a packed bus going sixty miles per hour.
4. The Dancing
Going out in Ecuador is a wonderous thing for various reasons, $1 beers being one of them, and dancing being another one. There is none of the white boy shuffle that is so common on college campuses across America, the dancing here is legit. Ecuadorians hips don't lie, they don't even fib. Along with the stereotypical reggaeton at clubs there is salsa, cumbia...the works, and watching the locals dance is a thing of beauty. As of now I'm staying on the sidelines and observing...I'll get in there someday. Meanwhile, the more confident gringos are out there like:
5. Lack of Personal Space
I touched on this earlier in the bus section, but it definitely is worth expanding upon. The stereotype here for gringos is that we are very cold. Here, when meeting someone for the first time it's customary to give them a kiss on the cheek. It's more than just when you meet someone though, here's a list of situations in which I've determined it's appropriate to kiss the person you're interacting with on the cheek:
- when you see them for the first time in a while
- when saying goodbye
- when you're arriving at the dinner table
- when you're leaving the dinner table
- when you're going outside for five minutes to make a phone call
- when you come back from that five minute phone call
- before you go to bed
- when you leave the house
- when there is a group of strangers, and you know one person in the group, you kiss all of them
- whenever you feel the impulse to be affectionate
This is a little overwhelming at first, and there have been various awkward moments when I wasn't expecting it and turned to find someones face .2cm from mine. This part of the culture is nice though, it makes you feel closer with people early on. The cultural difference in what is deemed as appropriate personal space goes far deeper. For example, I had a short stint in an improv theater class, that they eventually kicked me out of once they realized I had none of the pre-requisites. On the first day of class we had to do an exercise with movement. We had to chose a partner in the class, poor Camila was stuck with the gringa, and face one another from about three feet apart, making eye contact. Then, we had to take a step forward...then another...still making eye contact so we we're about four inches apart from one another staring into one anothers eyes. Let's keep in mind not only have I never met Camila before in my life, but making eye contact with anyone at such close proximity is very intimate. The teacher then proceeds to tie a rope tightly around the two of us facing one another. The next ten minutes were spent moving around the space, not breaking eye contact, and not letting the rope become slack. It was the longest ten minutes of my life, and I found myself contemplating trying to make myself faint about two minutes in to avoid having to stare into Camila's eyes any longer.
Ecuador is awesome though, I'm definitely excited to see what the next four months have in store.
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