Balloons as fireworks

Today we had a meeting at one to meet with our cook, Doña Margo, and show her our school in San Martín.  We ended up raising way more money than we would need, so we decided to hire someone to cook lunch for the kids (for a lot of them it's their only meal of the day).  She was so nice!  We took the bus to the school and banged on the door and waited.  Apparently the principal forgot about the meeting and left early that day... But it was good to see the school (only ten to fifteen minutes by bus - much closer than everywhere else that we go) and one of the students from last year ran up to Sarah and it was a preview of all the cute kids to come.  So excited!  We were supposed to start teaching today, but there was a mixup with schedules and they have final exams this week.  Which means we might leave for the jungle on wednesday!!!!!

A few of us went to the historic district afterwards and visited La Plaza Grande and the presidential palace.  We wandered around for awhile and went on an intense hunt for stamps.  Seemingly only one place in Quito sells stamps and the directions that we were given led us in circles.  We went inside the Church of the Society of Jesus (I'm standing outside it) and everything inside is covered in gold.  We weren't allowed to take pictures, but maybe next time we'll be sneaky.  We just wanted to sit and take it all in.  We ended up taking the trolley back at rush hour - never a fun time.  We barely made it on by pushing ourselves into everyone and Juhee's poor shoe got caught in the door.  We almost fell out.  Could not do that day in and day out.

We had a feast for dinner - traditional hamburgers and chicken and cole slaw and lemonade and ice cream and s'mores.  Oh and then some cuy (guinea pig).  I can now say that I have tried it.  But that led to a food coma.  Señor Lema and his mariachi band showed up and played songs for us.  In the middles they popped a lot of balloons to simulate fireworks and it actually sounded like them.  He then proceeded to pull his huge van into our courtyard so we could have loud music - dance party anyone?  We were listening to country music before, but we are now saved :)  Happy Fourth of July!!