Kicking it in Quito

It felt like the pilot decided to land on a rooftop. The landing strip is very thinly weaved into Quito's center, and we had an intimate view of the mountains that tightly frame it. So far, Quito is fascinating-- both familiar as a 21st century metropolis and deeply different as a sprawling Andean city. Large roads. Screaming billboards at every red light. Characterless buildings. American dollars as the official currency. But also-- station wagons with three or more giggling kids squished into the trunk. Women with long black braids swaying at their hips. Clubs blasting salsa (extremely refreshing to my over-technoed ears.). Thin breaths of air as a reminder of the altitude.

The count so far:

ONE- mulberry fruit juice for breakfast. Electric purple. Fresh. Perfect.
THREE- number of times the coockoo clock coockoos every hour. No joke. My host mother lived in Switzerland for a number of years. I was greeted by a flag and semi-kitschy pictures of snowy peaks.
TWENTY seconds, time I have to press the button on the gas heater in the courtyard to guarantee a hot shower.
TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY, meters of altitude at which I'm writing these words.
A HUNDRED, percentage of excitement as I set out for the city this morning :D