hailstones and popcorn

This week I´ve been mostly in the northern ´burbs of Quito without internet access!!

not entirely.. I did make it to Seseribo, Quito´s most famous Salsoteca (salsa club) after an afternoon of lessons... and i´m now addicted. I´ve called off my surfing plans on the coast because of floods, and subsequent dirty water and mosquitoes, which put rather a dampener on things (excuse the pun) so i´m hiding out in the city for another week !!!! i´m staying put at the hostel i was at last week, going to spanish school in the mornings and salsa mid afternoon. With all this culture, i´m quite the would-be-Quiteno!

But the weather here is really lousy too - today it is hailing ice the size of popcorn!!!

I have a new favourite word - chucicaqi - meaning hangover. I learnt that the morning after our trip to Seseribo, whilst doing a test in spanish class! I didnt mess it up too much... apart from doing the entire second page of the test in the past tense, and not the present, and having to redo it! Turns out my spanish isnt half bad after a week with Senora Varea discussing south american politics over breakfasts and dinner! She´s 86 and the best conversationalist I´ve met in a long time. Age isnt everything, right? That said, I´ve been surrounded by young 20-somethings all week in school, and feeling the need for some grown-up company again, so quite glad to be back with the travellers at the Secret Garden.

Currently counting dollars to make a trip to galapagos the week after next!.... well, why not, while i´m here, right???