Days 19 - 21: USFQ

Monday, September 8, 2008

Today started off with a bang. The President's motorcade passed us on our way to school, and it was our midterm for Tropical Ecology. While Andrea had told us it would be a pretty easy test, it wasn't as easy as she made it sound. I was happy I didn't waste time studying more though because the stuff I was going to look over was not on the test at all. Overall I am sure it went fine, I just really don't like that class...nor does anyone else taking it...

After class we all grabbed lunch at the dinning hall and then went to our usual spot by the lagoon. I did some reading because I had my oral presentation to do Tuesday. That ended after a while, and Steph and I just bummed on the lawn until 2pm when the bus was supposed to pick us up. Unfortunatly there has been a lot of miscommunications with the company and David had to call them - the bus didn't even get to school until almost 3 so it was 3:20pm by the time we actually got home.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, getting my phone figured out, playing on facebook, and working on my oral presentation as well as my group paper and presentation. Then it was to bed.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Today on the way to class the President's motorcade passed us again. One of the security guys waved at me so I waved back. My presentation of the Rain-Shadows in the Paramos of Ecuadorian Andes was pretty cool - mostly because I had pictures of Chimborazo and Antisana. Class was pretty boring as usual, but we did get out a little early so that was super exciting. Then it was the same old routine: lunch, hang out by the lagoon, try to read but fail miserably, people watch until the bus arrived at 2pm. Back at hotel Walther I tried to work on my group paper, but the internet was being fussy and then my computer battery died and I had nowhere to plug it in. Steph and I went to pick up our laundry, came back and hung out around the room until dinner. After dinner we had a group meeting with Haruna about the bras that have been going missing. That whole situation is just really weird and I am just glad mine got returned. The talk went on forever - so finally around 8:45pm I went upstairs to start working on my portion of the paper. Turns out there is not so much information on Fungi in the tropical rain forest and it took me a lot longer than expected to crap out the introduction. It was nearly midnight by the time the power point and paper were complete; I went to bed and fell asleep immediatly.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Same morning routine of getting up, getting breakfast, taking a 30-40 minute bus ride to school in Cumbaya, but no presidential motorcade today. Class was alright - the second half was consumed by all three groups presenting their power points from Tiputini so it didn't seem too long. After class I got money from the ATM and got a phone card so I could call people again, then went to lunch. I wasn't really feeling like doing anything because the three day week I had was really stressful so several of us Gringos just went to the lagoon to chill until 2pm. I fell asleep in the sun listening to my music - it was the most gorgeous weather today and we all got a little burned, but not bad.

Once back at the hotel, Lianne, Sam, Danielle, Katie D, and I went to the mall to go shopping. I got some stuff from SuperMaxi that I needed before Riobamba, as well as an Ecuadorian soccer jersey. I got a kids one made of cotton so it was only $8.50 - It's sweet and now I have my token Ecuador shirt with the Andean Condor on it. After shopping for a while, Katie and I came back to the hotel. Several of us were going to go to La Mariscal to watch the Ecuador vs. Uruguay futbol game, but it was nearly half over by the time we got back and decided just to rest in the hotel. While eating dinner the Marine Ecology group arrived back at the hotel - I was really excited to see Lisa, Kelly, and Maddelyn again. Unfortunatly, none of the other Ecuadorians are coming to Riobamba with us. As Jose put it, it is just for Gringos. He is kinda funny.

Now I am just hanging out in the hotel, waiting to go out dancing with Mateo and some other people in a little while. I have to pack for our trip to Riobamba and Cotopaxi as well, so I should get going on that. Buenas Noches from Quito!