Ecuador bits & pieces

Hi friends,
I am still in Ecuador and still loving it to bits. Of course there are plus and minuses like everywhere, but I am really happy to have chosen this little paradise for my trip.
In the last two weeks we have experienced daily power shortages of up to 7 hours, with all the consequences you can imagine: no light (=eating in the candlelight and walking down the street with the light of the mobile!), no power to use hairdryers, internet or even charge your phone, quite annoying to be honest but what can you do, we are experiencing one of the dryest times of the last 40 years, so no water for the hydroelectric power centrals, hence no power. It's supposed to be winter since October in Andean Ecuador, which means rainy season, but so far it has rained like 3 times since I have been here and it's so hot and sunny it feels like August... global warming is a huge thing here as well, as you can see.

Today I am writing from the computer of a hostel in central Quito...this morning, together with other 2 volunteers (Anna from France and Kayla from USA) we have left the family we were living with in the small village of Conocoto and moved to the city. We were a bit fed up with being away from Quito as to go out at night we always had to take a taxi to Quito, which can be dangerous as well. I am so happy to be here and on top of it we pay less! This area of the town is called Mariscal and it's full of bars, discos and restaurants, quite a few tourists around here but also lots of Ecuador people hang out here so it's a lot of fun.

The other night we went salsa dancing, but it was quite frustrating for me since every-single-body dances really well, they are born with the rhythm...while I am not!!! So I have decided to take some lessons, maybe next month.

One thing I really hate of Ecuador is the amount of street dogs, you find them everywhere while there are virtually no cats in this country...definitely a minus, given how much i looooove cats :)

The work at the nursery is almost at its end, this will be my last week and I already feel sad, they are all adorable even when they scream or cry and you wish you could throw them out of the window :) but I love them all and I will definitely miss them and visit them again. Now I will go to a children shop to buy lots of toys and other stuff for them with the fundraising money you guys gave me...we will make a party on Wednesday and can't wait to see them screaming with excitment at the sight of all their new toys and tools.

I will definitely post some pictures soon, and will also tell you all about my last weekend in the Spa town of Baños (=Baths) and the trip to the Amazon forest :)
Have a great week!!