The Middle of the World, Trolls & Puppy Chow

I had a pleasing and relaxing weekend in Quito. On Friday I went to the equator with an Australian that I met at a bar on election night. There is a touristy site- well, actually two- that you can go to. The first is a huge monument that was the original site, which was measured incorrectly but still impressive and fun, called Mitad del Mundo; the second is a museum (Museo Inti Ñan, if you are ever here), which is quite cool. It has various archaeological exhibits and some of the stereotypical equator experiments, like a sink which demonstrates how water goes straight down instead of funneling (really cool!) and the ability to balance an egg on a nail due to magnetic forces... or something like that.

Then Saturday I went out to a Korean restaurant for lunch with three friends (delicious... who would've thought, in Quito!) and to a museum in the historic district. We wanted to go to another one, but it is closed for three weeks of renovations. On the step to the closed museum were hundreds of nails sticking up, waiting for the sorry foot of anyone who attempted to enter... not me. We also went to a delicious lunch/snack shop, Fruteria Monserrate, and shared banana splits... EVEN MORE DELICIOUS. The museum we visited was Museo de la Ciudad, which was pretty cool, although I have to say the highlight was getting yelled at (in English) by a guide leading a Spanish tour after taking a picture of Ali posing next to a knight, yes, in shining armor. (Tal vez nos debe DECIR si no quiere que tomemos fotos... dios mio.) Ay.

We found our way back north and had the amazing idea of making Puppy Chow. Yes, PUPPY CHOW. For those of you who are deprived enough to not be familiar with this beautiful creation, envision: Many grams of melted chocolate, mixed with peanut butter, thrown in a huge paper bag with a box of Chex, shake it like a polaroid picsha, and then adding powdered sugar. Clearly, a synonym would be HEAVEN. We actually used Special K cereal because there is no Chex, and it is so much better. You don't have the dry spaces in between the Chex. Try it. We also made sandwiches for dinner. (Editor's note- as I am the editor- I don't usually eat that much here!! I've lost a fair amount of weight. This was just a pig-out day, probably the most I've eaten in a day during my time here! Also, I split my lunch entree, so there.) We also watched Chocolat, great movie, and Mulan- CLEARLY great movie- that night before going home. No wild times this weekend, sorry!

Sunday was nice because I spent the day tanning on my roof (LOVE IT) and catching up on homework and cleaning my room, which looks wohhnndaful now. Wondaful I say. I found the part of my camera charger that was missing, and then today, my friend returned my Model UN reader I'd lost in the bubble tea shop! The workers there saw me leave it, remembered I was with him, and saved it for 5 days and gave it to him today! I guess there are some good people here. I'm sure my parents are shaking their heads right now, unsurprised at my disorganization. Maybe I can make some money. Write a book about it or something.

Speaking of that, I had a bad dream a few weeks ago. If you know me at all you know I am messy, especially in my bedroom. Once I lost a waffle for a period longer than I am willing to admit. Don't ask. No, it didn't have syrup, thank god. Anyway, I had a dream that my mom told me my room was so messy she found two dead trolls in it.

Pause for laughter. Two dead trolls? Are you kidding me? Like garden trolls. Ohhh boy.

Anyway, moving along. I also made a delicious soup on Sunday for lunch. I've made it before, it's lentils from the Mennonite farmer's market at Beloit, and you add water, tomatoes, carrots, celery and cabbage. I didn't have the last two, but it was still very tasty.

I spent this morning notarizing a bank form from home (due to my disorganization...) and trying to plan a trip for this weekend which is stressing me out way too much. We are trying to go to Tena, a town in the Oriente (eastern jungle- well, there is only one jungle, it is in the east), as it's their festivals weekend and should be really fun. We made reservations at a hostel two weeks ago, and after calling today they said they had no such reservations- bastards. Luckily another place still had room, but I am going to reconfirm tomorrow (and every day) because I don't want to arrive and have to go sleep in a tree with a monkey or something.

Now I have to finish writing a story for my literature class, it's due tomorrow morning but it is coming along (only 500 words). I chose to write it in Spanish- he said we could in English if we preferred, but why on earth would I do that? Granted, I've looked up about 15 words out of the first 200 or so, but that's what I'm here for. I will post it in an upcoming entry... so Jenny can read it, I guess. Maybe I'll translate it to English. Probably not.

This was a long entry, I hope it was good. I am leaving in 41 days... not that I have a "countdown," I just remember, but sometimes I am anxious to be home, it is difficult here at times. But I know I won't be back for a long time and I need to appreciate everything I can do now, and what is available here which is not in the US... Latin men.

Just kidding, mom.