Quito, Friday, Sept. 7, 2018

Quite an experience yesterday evening!  It was almost over before I realized what was happening.  I was talking on the phone when the room around me began to shake and tremble.  The whole building was swaying.  I adjusted my glasses and when that didn’t work, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I was going to be sick…no…earthquake.  By then it had subsided somewhat and I was able to show Blake, Kinley and Rebecca my vibrating water bottle on the counter!  I peered out the window and life seemed to be going on as normal on the street below, so I wasn’t too worried.  Santiago thoughtfully sent me a message saying that it was a tremor and the last one here of that magnitude was about a  year ago.  It was 6.2 or 6.3 on the Richter scale and the epicentre was a few hundred kilometres south of here, east of Guayaquil and just north of Cuenca.

I taught my first English lesson yesterday.  Next week I will be teaching 12 hours.  I’m also starting Spanish lessons.  I will be taking formal classes at Inlingua on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as Santiago and I are going to trade English and Spanish lessons on an informal schedule starting today.

It is so nice to be in my apartment!  It has been challenging by times.  My landlord speaks only Spanish so Santiago and his girlfriend Pamela, were instrumental in negotiating the terms.  I was able to get a 6 month lease, paid $800 damage deposit, $400 rent/month and $104/ month condo fee.  Power will be about $50/month and internet about $25/month.  This is in American dollars.  Of course, I don’t carry that much cash on me so it was an experience to get that amount of cash up front.  I was able to get some on Visa, and Kim sent two transactions with Western Union (which we had never dealt with before).  Cash is the preferred way to do business here but it’s a little scary carrying around that amount of cash.  I use my backpack here but carry everything else in a small purse that I wear in front of me.  I thought I would be taking the bus more but too many people have warned me about the skilled pickpockets so taxi it is when I have to travel far.  Fortunately, all my work and everything I need on a daily basis, is within walking distance.  The internet was hooked up yesterday-hopefully by the time I have to pay the bill, my Spanish will be good enough to figure out where and how to pay it!

I’m off to another new experience…laundry day!