Well last night I ended up going to another Pub Quiz with Keith (Irish guy), Helen (British girl), Atlanta chick, and Melanie and Fabien (Swiss couple)! AND WE WON!! It was only me, Keith, and Helen on the team because it was a 4-person limit, and I really didn't contribute (maybe 3 answers) but we won! 2 big pitchers of beer was the prize, and between maybe like 4 of us sharing all evening, we had 6 pitchers. Watch out. I've been converting to a beer fan since arriving, but it's everywhere, and it's cheap. I can see how traveling for 6 months would get VERY exhausting, though; the hostal way is definitely the social way! We ran into an Ecuadorian and a Peruvian that I guess Keith had been hanging out with the previous night (when they showed up to the pub, mistakenly thinking it was Tuesday quiz night :P) and we ended up all talking and laughing until around 1. Since the evening out started at eight o'clock or earlier, we retired early and headed bacl.
The number of Irish-Scottish pubs around here is actually fairly impressive. The Mariscal-Sucre district has everything, and despite being dubbed "Gringolandia" by guide books and travelers, I would (will) definitely return. I met a guy who's been here for a year and a half working 20-days-on-7-days-off naturalist guide for jungle treks, and he said he hasn't yet found a reason to leave, and may even move here (originally from Germany). I can definitely see that being a "problem" for a lot of people, Ecuador is an interesting place. And I haven't even left the city yet!
This morning I awoke naturally at 8:30, thinking I had to get up and find the bus station, because Naturalist guy said that he thought buses to Mindo left only twice a day from Quito! Around 9 I asked the hostel receptionist and she kindly called the bus station for me and got me directions, and I learned something of interest. The buses leave every half hour. So now I'm awake and dressed and packed early in the morning for no reason. But I'm sort of glad. I thought I'd hop to the internet cafe for a minute, and then when my roommate wakes up we're going to the market because I NEED a sweater now, and after asking a random in the pub last night how much she paid for her gorgeous knit, hooded sweater, she said NINE DOLLARS! AH! So I'm off.
Keep adventurin', everyone! I'll try to update from Mindo, and take lots of pictures to get put on my journal :)
