Living in Cuenca, Ecuador

      Today was our second day in Cuenca.  It almost seems like we're living here.  We are staying at someone's house, so instead of going out for every meal, we get home cooked meals.  We always get cereal, eggs, hot chocolate or tea for breakfast.  We always get soup and some sort of main course with rice for lunch and dinner. Of course, the juices are incredible.  There is always some sort of juice with a fruit that we don't know.  Tree tomato, or some sort of kiwi tasting juice.  The house is really nice.  We each get our own room, and mine is the one with a view of the city.  The lady that we are staying with, (señora Elena) has a big, kind family.  She has five children and eight grandchildren.  On Sundays her family comes over for dinner and we eat with all of them.  On week days, since most schools get out around lunchtime, her grandchildren come over and do homework. 

      Now since we're in Cuenca, we also started going to school every day.  Spanish school of course. We walk there every morning at eight o' clock and get tutored one on one until twelve thirty.  The tutoring is really fun.  We all go to Mini classrooms.  Sometimes your teacher takes you outside.  Today I went with my tutor, Alejandra, to a cathedral, an art gallery and a flower market.  She had me ask people what time it was, ask people how much things cost, and say in Spanish if I liked a painting or not.  Tomorrow, I'm going to a school for some of the poor children in Cuenca.  

       The picture above is of the view from my room.