Sunday, July 31, 2016
First week pictures
Our first week in Quito.
Quito is a vibrant and bustling city. All of the Ecuadorians we have met are friendly and kind. Very, very few people speak English although everyone has been patient with us. Our days are very busy and it has been a steep learning curve. We arrived at our apartment on Saturday morning after spending a night in a hotel in downtown Quito. Our apartment is spacious and offers tremendous views of the surrounding mountains and city. We live on the third floor of a three-story building. The neighborhood is upscale with nice restaurants and our close neighbors are the official US Embassy residence adjacent to our backyard and a police station across the street. The building itself seems like it has not been updated for decades with paint peeling and floor tiles popping up underfoot (annoying). The plumbing barely works and there is no hot water except for one very small hot water heater that is mounted above the shower nozzle ( says Emmett, "which really means "no hot water". There is a non-functional bidet and a waste basket next to the commode because toilet tissue cannot be flushed. Considering the neighborhood, I imagine our accommodations would be considered a luxury in Ecuador.
Our first week was very busy. Each day we take the bus to Spanish classes scheduled from 9 AM to 12 noon. Much of our time is spent shopping for food, transporting potable water and finding where to access essential tasks such as getting laundry done or buying writing paper. For the first few days we purchased all of our food at a tiny neighborhood store called a"tienda" until we discovered a larger grocery store. When we go shopping I use a backpack and Emmett and Annalise help carry goods. It has been fun and challenging for us to learn how to navigate the city. It took me a few days to locate a functional map. I rely on Emmett to help me navigate the city and Annalise also has made some helpful suggestions along the way. Traffic flow is very different from home. No drivers ever stop for pedestrians and it seems driving aggressively is standard procedure.
So far, the climate does not vary much: high 40's-low 50's F at night with days in the 70's. Quito's elevation is 9300 feet and we are located on the Equator so we are very diligent with sunscreen. Emmett and Annalise are mostly patient with me with this. Our days are usually busy with some time set aside for needed respite. In the evenings we often try to relax in a small park across the street and Emmett usually finds some local boys to play soccer with.
Emmett and Annalise have been very resilient and more than a few times have exclaimed, "I love Ecuador." We miss our friends in Tacoma and having video "FaceTime" with Kate helps immensely. So far, Quito has been a good transition for us to balance learning how to manage in a foreign country with fun activities before we embark on our mission to support Kate in her work at the Guadelupe Medical Clinic.
Above are the Landys with the pilot in the airplane cabin and below having breakfast at the hotel kitchen
Our first week was very busy. Each day we take the bus to Spanish classes scheduled from 9 AM to 12 noon. Much of our time is spent shopping for food, transporting potable water and finding where to access essential tasks such as getting laundry done or buying writing paper. For the first few days we purchased all of our food at a tiny neighborhood store called a"tienda" until we discovered a larger grocery store. When we go shopping I use a backpack and Emmett and Annalise help carry goods. It has been fun and challenging for us to learn how to navigate the city. It took me a few days to locate a functional map. I rely on Emmett to help me navigate the city and Annalise also has made some helpful suggestions along the way. Traffic flow is very different from home. No drivers ever stop for pedestrians and it seems driving aggressively is standard procedure.
So far, the climate does not vary much: high 40's-low 50's F at night with days in the 70's. Quito's elevation is 9300 feet and we are located on the Equator so we are very diligent with sunscreen. Emmett and Annalise are mostly patient with me with this. Our days are usually busy with some time set aside for needed respite. In the evenings we often try to relax in a small park across the street and Emmett usually finds some local boys to play soccer with.
Emmett and Annalise have been very resilient and more than a few times have exclaimed, "I love Ecuador." We miss our friends in Tacoma and having video "FaceTime" with Kate helps immensely. So far, Quito has been a good transition for us to balance learning how to manage in a foreign country with fun activities before we embark on our mission to support Kate in her work at the Guadelupe Medical Clinic.
Above are the Landys with the pilot in the airplane cabin and below having breakfast at the hotel kitchen
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Starting out
It's official - the Landys are moving to Ecuador for a year. Many people think what we are doing is really cool -- and others think we are totally crazy. I think probably both are true.
We are a family of four -- John, Kate, Emmett (age 10), and Annalise (age 7) -- and we make our home in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. For a long time we have been thinking about taking the kids and spending a year in Latin America, to volunteer and to learn all we can. This is our year! The kids are at the perfect age for it: they are old enough to remember and get something out of it, but young enough that they still think we're cool and want to hang out with us. It's the golden moment to take a family sabbatical.
We are a family of four -- John, Kate, Emmett (age 10), and Annalise (age 7) -- and we make our home in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. For a long time we have been thinking about taking the kids and spending a year in Latin America, to volunteer and to learn all we can. This is our year! The kids are at the perfect age for it: they are old enough to remember and get something out of it, but young enough that they still think we're cool and want to hang out with us. It's the golden moment to take a family sabbatical.
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