Morning
I had a slower morning again today! I woke up at 8AM, had breakfast at 9AM, and then had some work to do! I met Kim at school at 10AM. We decided to try going to the market again (Kim is crazy for the fruit here. I, on the other hand, am only craving good, healthy, American food, like Twinkies and Captain Crunch…). We got there around 11AM (it was open this time) and we marveled at the great wonders which vendors were selling. There were juices, Ecuadorian foods, candies, fruits, vegetables and, of course, my favorite, flowers! 
After the market, we went back to school and continued to plan our weekend trip. This weekend we are going to Mindo (which is a city North of Quito that is like a mini jungle). Kim, my new friend, Andrew and I will leave early morning tomorrow for this adventure. I will save the details and descriptions of that for my next post!
We planned and planned and then went to the bakery to try Ecuadorian cookies! They were sweet, but different than American cookies. They were much harder and drier. After that, we hung out in the lounge for a bit until class.
Afternoon
Today was my last day of Spanish class! My professor and I studied for one hour and then we left to do something extra special!
We went to “La Calle de Cuy” to try the famous Ecuadorian dish “Cuy”. For those of you who don’t already know, “Cuy” is Guinea Pig. Here, Guinea pig is not a pet, but instead a delicacy. It is a famous and traditional dish and is very expensive ($6.50 for a quarter of Cuy, which is very expensive compared to other food here). We took a bus north of Quito to get some of the best-prepared “Cuy” in Ecuador. The buses are similar to ours. On our way to the city, I got to view the highest active volcano on earth, Cotopaxi. 
The "Cuy" actually taste really good, but you have to eat it with your hands because there is not a lot of meat and the skin is very tough and crispy. I was going to try the head, until I flipped it over and saw….TEETH! I then opted out of eating the head! But…I ate everything else!
After that, I took the bus home, said goodbye to my professor and thanked him for a great week!
Evening
After classes, we all went to the artisan market (La Mariscal) to get some items. Kim needed a new bag and some of the other kids wanted Ecuadorian pants. We were there exploring for an hour and then we walked home! Another German, Matthias, arrived today and he happens to live with a host family right down the street from me so I have a new friend to walk me home so evenings are not as intimidating anymore! We walked home and I joined my family for a lovely dinner again! They had some cousins over that were my age to join us for dinner! They were so sweet and I enjoyed wonderful conversation and great laughs with my family. I am now just preparing for my trip to Mindo. Therefore, this is my last post until earliest Sunday! We will be staying in a Hostel and traveling a lot the next two days so I will not bring any electronics so that I have less to worry about as far as safety of items. But do not worry; I will take great notes to bring back to share with you all!
Besos (Kisses),
Danni
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