15.10.09 and 16.10.09 Flight and arrival

Yesterday was a long day. Dad and I stood up at 4:30 am and my flight Berlin – Madrid was at 07:30. Everything went very well. I got on the right airplane in Madrid, even sough it said “Guyaquil”, which is another city in Ecuador, on the screens. It would land in Quito first, I learned.
The flight was very long! 10 ½ hours, that gives space for 3 meals, two films and a lot of reading! But it was all forgotten when we circled over Quito to get in the right position to the airport. The view was overwhelming, mountains and the city climbing them. I got my luggage at once and found the driver very quickly. It was very warm and the first thing I did was to put my rain jacket away. The drive through Quito was almost as exciting as the landing and it was the first time it was good that my camera is water proof because I was pretty nervous to meet the family and my hands where sweating. I really had no reason for that, because it was a very warm welcome. I met Elsa my host mother. She is fantastic! She showed me the house and my room. It is really nice! Elsa needed to go and work in her little store, which is next to the living house. I packed out some presents for the family and said “Hola” to a kid in the backyard. He thinks I am crazy or stupid or both because I speak no Spanish. I think he asked several times what I was doing in Quito speaking no Spanish. Good question isn’t it? Then I went to call home, which was much easier than I thought because there are about 3 internet cafés at the place where my new home is. Afterwards I went to see what was going on in the store. Elsa and Pepe’s store is mostly for paper and school stuff but you can although buy make up and a lot of other things.
At 20 o’clock Elsa closed the store and we went inside to eat something, it was pasta soup with chicken. After that I took a shower and went to bed after 23 exciting hours! I slept very well in my new bed, but had some weird dreams.
This morning I woke up at 6 o’clock. I stood up slowly and at 8 there was breakfast. Papaya, banana and toasted bread, nam nam! Then Elsa opened the store and at 10 o’clock there came someone from the Simon Bolivar School and showed me the way to the school and important things in the area. Afterwards I had a meeting with Monkia, the manager of the school. I could now ask all my questions and that was really nice. At 01:30 I was at my new home again and ate lunch. We had soup, rice with meat and vegetables and some white beans for a snack. To drink there was the fantastic fruit juice Elsa had made in the morning.
Things are happoening so fast. The evening yesterday was great. We drove around the city, both the finiacial district and the old town. In the old town we had an ecuadorian snack and drink. An member of the family wh is american is on visit and he explained and translated a lot for me.
Today I will meet Ellen, who I met in the school yesterday we will look at the old town again, by day. It still has not rained even it is soposed to be rain reason! Actually I got a sun burn yestersay, because the sun is so stong here.
Your Lynn, overwhelmed anf happy!