I missed you, Ecuador!

Just got done with a very tiring and rewarding day in Ecuador :) I'm currently staying in Lumbisi (outside of Quito) with some friends until my host family gets back from Cuenca after Carnaval vacation is over (Wednesday). I arrived at the airport last night only to wait an hour in the baggage claim area for my bag, which they decided needed to be checked in Dallas even though I had just been able to fit it in the overhead bin on my Austin'Dallas flight. So they didn't bother to give me a receipt or ask me what airline I was flying on to Quito, they just assumed I was on American because my Austin-Dallas and Dallas-Miami flights were American. I wasn't, I was on LAN. Luckily I got my bag an hour later when the American flight got in, so in the end it wasn't a very big deal, I'm just annoyed at the people who took my bag at the gate.

But on to more positive things!!! I arrived at the same time as a volunteer group from Vanderbilt with Manna Project who is working in Lumbisi for a week. They are building a fence and also helping out at a preschool here called Muñequitos. For the first few days I'm working with them and helping out a little by answering questions about Ecuador/Spanish/etc Today we began to build the fence around the organic garden here in Lumbisi. I got preeeettty sunburned :( but I should be okay, it might just be a little difficult to sleep tonight. The fence is looking really good, and tomorrow I'm helping paint at Muñequitos.

After working all day I took a little trip to the grocery store with Ashley (one of the Program Directors for Manna, staying with us) and Zack, and we had an awesome taco salad dinner.

I'll update with pictures soon, I hope! I love being back here and cant wait to see my familia!

Chao Chao!