Living in the Valle de los Chillos just outside of Ecuador's capital city of Quito provides us with the best of both worlds: we get to enjoy some peaceful moments here in the "suburbs" while still being close enough to enjoy everything the big city has to offer.

This week I spent some time in downtown Sangolqui eating helado de paila [a special way of preparing ice cream in a large bronze pot...it somehow makes it extra delicious!] and enjoying people watching. Even though there is less to do in Sangolqui than in Quito, there always seems to be something interesting and particularly Ecuadorian going on... like hornados [whole roasted pig, famous in Sangolqui] in the market place, or pick up soccer games in front of the main church.

This weekend I ventured outside of the Valley and also spent some time in Quito, exploring Parque El Ejido with friends. We also discovered that this week is the beginning of the Festival de Cine Latinoamericano [Quito's Latin American Film Festival], and are looking forward to spending our free time taking in some awesome movies!

Its seems like our time here is flying by, but I am so excited to continue discovering the amazing things that Quito and the Valle de los Chillos have to offer.

~Carley Clement~