I arrived in Puerto Lopez this morning at 7:30 AM after an 11.5 hour bus ride from Quito.I traveled here with Ida, a friend from Norway, and Antonella, a co-worker from Italy.I am so happy to be here, in the sun, at sea level!The weather in Quito in general, is very schitzophrenic!It rained for 3 days straight at one point which (obviously) I am used to, but it is different in the sense that when you walk outside in Quito when it is REALLY raining you are instantly soaked!In light of the soaking rain I wound up spending an entire day in the hostel, reading, writing, catching up with old friends, and making new ones.The pictures in the album "El Cafecito" (the name of the hostel) tell a decent story.We had so much fun relaxing by the fire, eating good food, and visiting with all kinds of people.When it stopped raining around 10 PM we decided to celebrate by going to a club. Needless to say, we danced.. and danced! That day in El Cafecito really made me appreciate the hostel scene.There is a special comradary that exists amongst travelers. Even though you may be traveling alone, you are never really alone.I feel like I meet a new friend on every bus ride, at each new café, on every corner when I am lost, and on average, every hour while spending time at my favorite hostel in Quito, El Cafecito!

Also in the picture album are pictures from the trip to Otavalo.Otavalo is a town two hours north of Quito.The town is known for its grand Saturday market with hundreds of local and distant artisans and traders lining the streets with their crafts, art, food, even animals.The Otavaleño's are one of Quito's indigenous communities who were enslaved by the Spanish settlers and exploited for their weaving.Today many still dress in traditional Otavaleño style but are more modernized in the sense that they have become business people; many make a living by selling their incredible weavings and hand-made clothes.

Well, we unfortunately we missed the Saturday market, but Ida and I decided to go to the town on Sunday hoping to encounter a smaller version of the festivities.We didn't find an artisan fair though we did find an amazing farmer's market.You can find pictures of some of the beautiful tables of vegetables and fruits in the "Otavalo" album.

As for Puerto Lopez.. so far it's great!Our living quarters are just two blocks from the beach.All of the employees at Equilibrio Azul live together in a two story house with bunk beds and hammocks all over the place.I layed down in the hammock on the porch this afternoon, closed my eyes, and when I woke up almost two hours had passed.After my nap, we went to a local hostel/restaurant and ate an awesome lunch of fresh fish, rice, and some kind of delicious soup with vegetables and cilantro!

In the late afternoon I went down the beach for an evening walk and discovered all kinds of new and interesting creatures.First of all, there are hundreds of frigate birds and they just circle the sky all day long.Frigate birds are awesome sea birds in the sense that they can stay in the air all day and expend hardly any energy. Here they are kind of pesky as they hang out and wait for a free meal and are not afraid to take it right out of your hand; whe they do feed in the water, they are very fun to watch as they bomb into the water full speed ahead! ..Some of the more interesting beach findings included skate egg casings, huge sea stars, a washed up Puffer fish and Parrot fish, lots of what I think were Vallela Valella's (related to jellies), and all kinds of cool turquoise rocks. There are also a million holes in the sand where crabs are living.They blend in with the beach but if you look closely you can see them retreat into their homes as you move towards them.