Feels Like Home.... almost.

So today we drove on a real blacktop paved road! It had painted lines and everything!! It made me a little homesick.

The driving here is the funniest thing. Our bus driver, Juanito, is amazing. Our bus (Tricia and I named it Azul) has gone through the most ridiculous places thanks to the skills of Juanito. It has trekked to the jungle, through giant puddles, over rickety bridges, and through the tiny cobblestone streets of Baños, Montañita, Quito, and the five million other places we've been. As as testimonial to how amazing Juanito is, here is his best moment thus far: We were late for an activity and the bus was trying to navigate a narrow road. There was this little car parked directly in the way. After an attempt to get around it (foiled by the edge of a roof we were close to hitting). Juanito got out, opened the door of the car, hot wired it, and moved it out of our way. Needless to say, we made it on time--and Juanito became the God of all motor vehicles.

So not we are in Quito! We know the streets, the restaurants, and the good internet cafes (hence this post). It almost feels like home! Well, except for the fact that we are back to cold showers with tubs that don't drain.

Yesterday we were at Cotopaxi and we actually got to climb the glacier as high as our guide would let us go. The view was incredible. It was freezing cold and it started to storm so we had to turn around go back to the lodge, but it was okay because we were all dying--the trek to the lodge was about an hour, straight uphill, at 4800m--and that was just to the lodge. But anyways it was amazing.

Today, we went mountain biking and rock climbing. It was a lot of fun, and a nice rest from the extreme sports we have been doing (puenting, glacier hiking, ect.). So anyways, everyone is going to dinner and they are waiting for me to finish up here sooooo ¡!ciao!¡