I've got two days left in Ecuador. It's a little sad, but I have a feeling I'll be coming back some day (hopefully soon). We've visited most of the big museums by now. Honestly though after the run-ins we've had with would-be thieves, I don't feel too bad about leaving Quito. I love the family I'm staying with, but the fact is, as my Peace Corps friend Zac told us, Quito is the most dangerous city he's lived in. It comes with all big cities, but nevertheless.
Yesterday, Brad (a student at the Spanish school) invited us to a presentation he was to give today. He's from South Carolina, so he spoke about his state and its relation to dance. At the end of his presentation he demonstrated the Carolina shag and taught us the step. Then after fifteen minutes of shag, he momentarily stepped out and returned wearing a baggy hoodie and talked about hip-hop in the South. Rapping in Atlanta (Ludacris, Lil' Jon?, and Souldjaboy) is much faster than in Cali or NY, at 160 beats per minute. Then we learned how to dance to Souljaboy...
After getting some tres leches cake at a pastelería, Land I visited La Casa de Urrutia. Afterwards we visited El Parque Itchimbia, and the crystal palace around it.
This was not before we walked down some of the shadiest streets in Quito, though. I'm talking about a crack house, with barbed wire fencing, busted out windows, broken furniture on the lawn, and vagrants skulking around the yard. It was the first time in Ecuador that L wasn't willing to explore a new neighborhood. I didn't complain.
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