Hello all,

THis is a link to a Map one of  my brilliant companeros made...shows where we all will be for the next two years.
 ttps://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z3kcB0jc1I6I.kFTcpSP1DEMw

We got our site assignments last week...I'll be going to Portoviejo...an hour from Manta which is on the Pacific.  From what I can tell, its a pretty non touristic town...very Ecuadoran..lots of fruit and veggies grown there.  I will be living with a 62 year old woman and her daughter, as far as I know at this point.  They want us to live with a family for the first 6 months at the minimum and after that we can live alone in an apt. or house or whatever we can find that Peace Corps will approve.  I'd like to find a family that I am compatible with so I can stay with them.  I know it will have a beneficial affect on my Spanish if I do that so that is my  plan at this point.

I am leaving on Wednesday moring to travel to my site to visit for a few days...I'll meet the family and visit the school and the teachers where I'll be working.  If time permits, we can visit the beach and get acquainted with the town.  Below, you'll see some pics of some of the other trainees who will be in my town, or nearby.

We had a few days off for Semana Santa, Easter week so I got to do a little touring around 

 I bought a little book on this cathedral when we were touring it;  its referred to a the Basilica here in Quito.   Learned it took 100 years to build it....the founder got asassinated and it took a long time after that to get the interest and funding together.  Its huge..quite impressive. 

underground burial crypt for "heads of state."

Picked this picture to show the gargoyles ...hummmm...what are they all about? There are tons of them on this building.

 

One of the "tombs" located all around the inside of the basilica....this one has the Nicaraguan flag with the Ecuadoran flag...don't know the significance...just interesting.

One of the many pretty plazas in the historical district of Quito.

I just love these places. They often look so shabby from the street view and then you go in and find these beautiful interior plazas.  This was a private home at one point..now, a restaurant.  The only sad part is that they were built by the Spanish occupiers many years ago.

Just a photo of the pretty stone road way..  some are paved  with asphalt but this is in the historical district and they have tried hard to keep as much as they can of the historical portions.

This is Calle Chile in the historical district, no cars here and the road is paved with ceramic tile.

This is the catholic church in our town, Nayon.  Semana Santa, Easter Week, is a big deal..lots of masses and processions.  The processions have various purposes....the big one is on Good Friday when Jesus carries the cross through town, escorted by Roman Centurions and Cucuroochoos...the people in purple robes and hoods.  More about them below.

This is Jesus and the others.  The procession lasted 3 hours and went from the church all the way down to the river at the bottom of town and then back up again, stopping at the 12 or  14 stations "of the cross."  Not sure about all these details.  The cucuroochoos have something to do with members of the congregation who are walking to repent for their sins....have to read up on this.  Some of them beat themselves on their backs as they walk in the procession.

I joined the procession for its cultural value.  I found another old lady and walked with her and we had a nice chat.  Times like that give me faith in my Spanish.  It was a nice experience.  I have no idea how much she understood of what I said..I know there was a lot she said that I did not get but did not want to  irritate her by asking.

This is the family I have been living with for two plus months.  Really nice people.  Too many people for the small space but it seemed to work for the most part.  The two daughters and the mom ( and the two perritas) are beside me, I am doing this with a selfie stick ( Christmas present from the Greenes) Hernan, the father is behind me and Carmen is next to him.  She is the sister of Juanita, the mom and has just started living here...not sure what the circumstances of that are.  Lots of mysteries.

This is Juanita and Hernan...they do actually seem to love each other.  So sweet.

We got a presentation from the relatively new ambassador....Chapman, I think.  He actually seems like a really good guy.  We are having our swearing in ceremony on April 12 at his house.  This picture was taken at the main Peace Corps office in Quito.  We don't go there much since we are still trainees but once we become full fledged volunteers, this is where we will have our most contact.

We took this group picture right before the Ambassador left.                                                      

These three great young folks, Marvin (from N. Carolina), Brooke (from West  Va.)and Delia ( from Vermont) are all going to be in Portoviejo with me for the next 2 years.   Brooke will be at my school and the other two will be at another school nearby.

Abby and me with our language teacher, Paulina.  She was in this get up to celebrate our site assignments.  I think she was trying to look indigenous.

This photo is out of place.  I was behind this couple in the procession.   That sweet lady carried that umbrella the whole three hours ...carried it over that man's head...............ack !!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the whole group that is assigned to the costal area of Ecuador.  The coast runs from the Andes west to the ocean.  I will be only an hour from the ocean but some in the costal region are a few hours from the ocean, right up next to the Andes.

Took this in Otovalo.  These are the outfits the indigenous women wear as everyday clothing....and it looks beautiful.  I'm just not comfortable taking photos of them so this was an easy way to capture their clothing.

A little lunch group in Otovalo...notice the great table.  Its probably some tree from the Amazon....too late now.  :(

That's all for now...going to bed.

Love and thanks again for paying your taxes.
Pat