At lunchtime on the first day of school, all of the students got together and went out for lunch to a vegetarian restaurant.  I had soup, rice, salad, bread, corn, and a bottle of water for the grand sum of $2.70. 

After lunch, one of the teachers, Sila, took another one of the students, and I on a tour of the city.  We rode buses and the trolley down to Plaza a la Independencia.  Sila cautioned us to watch our belongings wherever we were.   Here are some photos around the Plaza:

Quito Ecuador-Plaza de la Independencia

Quito Ecuador-Plaza de la Independencia

Quito Ecuador-the Plaza

Quito Ecuador-all the statues have ornate architecture

While in the area it started to rain.  Luckily, part of the tour was inside a church, so we could keep dry.  We had a guide, but she spoke such fast Spanish that I really couldn’t understand much of what she said.

At the end of the afternoon I met up with Jim at school.  He was leaving to return to OKC on Wednesday.  He had never eaten the national dish, roasted guinea pig.  It Ecuador they call it Cuy (pronounced “Cuwee”).  It is not particularly one of my favorites, but Jim wanted to try it.  I knew of a very good Cuy restaurant named Mama Clorinda’s where I had eaten it before.  So off we went to gnaw on a few guinea pig thighs. 

Quito Ecuador-Inside Mama Clorindas restaurant

Quito Ecuador-A big plate of Cuy at Mama Clorindas

We were the only customers at Mama C’s, so we got really good service.  We ordered 1/2 Cuy, empanadas, and some ChoCho ceviche.  The Cuy came with vegetables.  We split the entire dinner.  Cost was $21.  I thought the Cuy was a little too slender.  Jim thought they kept him on the treadmill a little too long.  But, we were stuffed anyway!   Nothing like a good dinner of Cuy.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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