We went on a tour of the historic center of Quito today. We visited Panecillo, a hill in the center of old town that has a statue of the Virgin at the top, as well as several cathedrals and the presidential palace. The old town has a European feel to it and is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Once again, the vistas from anywhere in this city are stunningly beautiful.

It’s been nice being in our place and getting things taken care of.  We only moved in yesterday but it seems days ago.  Things that are still punch list items for other teachers were already done when we moved into our place.  Furnishings down to bed sheets, internet, and TV; we feel very fortunate.  Everything’s been put away, except our boxes which are still in transit, though it’s hard to remember what we even shipped other than clothes so we’re not sure what more we need than what we have.

This afternoon we were able to take a walk around our neighborhood and take in some views.  We can’t wait to discover the neighborhood restaurants and explore Parque Metropolitano. 

We arrived in Quito on Thursday night after a long but relatively easy day of travel. After being greeted by the school director and elementary principal, we were taken to another teacher’s apartment which was where we have been staying until today. After apartment hunting all day on Friday and Saturday morning, we finally found a place that we can call home while we are living in Quito. It is a fully furnished apartment that has a private yard and is close to two large parks. We spent most of today moving in and are getting settled just in time for me to start in-service days on Tuesday. More pictures and posts to follow. Buenos tardes!