Been here a month already!

Well, it's been kind of a rough week.  I was feeling pretty sick earlier this week, but decided to go to school on Wednesday because we were going on a trip to the páramo.  On the way, my phone was stolen...buses get packed and people are right up against you.  So I was bummed about that because I would never steal from someone random like that, so it was frustrating.  But I am trying to look on the bright side and remember that it could happen anywhere, not just Quito.  And I was lucky it was just my phone, because that is pretty easily replaceable.  Then I temporarily lost an expensive piece of equipment for measuring the height of trees.  But it was found so that was a big relief!

Continuing to be have stomach issues, I decided to go to the doctor on Friday, where I found out I have parasites, probably Giardiasis....Not the best news, but again, could be worse.  Here if you have parasites, they say "estás con bichos" = literally you are with bugs.  Was definitely hoping to avoid getting parasites here, but oh well!  Giardiasis is from contaminated water/food, so I think it was probably from when I was in Plaza Gutierrez, but who knows.  Got some medicine for it, and I feel like a totally different person now than earlier this week!  I couldn't eat anything without getting these shooting pains in my stomach, which was bizarre.  Gladys was convinced it was the peanut butter making me sick, so she wouldn't let me eat it anymore.  So I guess the silver lining of having parasites is that I can eat peanut butter again?

High point of the week was definitely my first fútbol game tonight!!  SO fun.  It's pretty incredible, people are singing team-specific songs and chants literally the entire game!  La Liga de Quito was playing Espoli, another team from Quito.  Both are in the highest level of soccer in Ecuador, but the ticket only cost $4!  We had a group of like 17 people go, it was pretty great.  La Liga is the best team as far as records go - they won the South American Championship last year!  My host family are all fans of a team called Barcelona but from Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.  My host brother Jonathon explained that if you're a fan of Barcelona, it's in your blood.  Win or lose you love Barcelona.  But fans of La Liga only like them when they win.  Granted, that's coming from a Barcelona fan!  It's definitely a good time regardless of the teams
La Liga won 3-0!

People take fútbol super seriously here - that banner says "white death."
Police everywhere!  We met an official hooligan too!  Apparently fútbol hooligans
are organized groups/'firms' of super hardcore/intense/sometimes violent fans....
He was looking for beer money, to 'support the firm'

Our wonderful group!

Video - after La Liga scored!

Also - I have added a few more photos to earlier posts, as well as some more facts to my list