As I embarked on my adventure to Ecuadormy mind swarmed with visions of monkeys leaping from trees, luscious verdantmountains, the sun dancing through the jungle's canopy tops, and perhapsdowning a liquado in the company of giant tortoises. Upon landing in Quito, I looked out mywindow at a metropolis of concrete buildings enclosed by emerald mountains. Iwas overwhelmed with the sights of crazed taxis and motorists all seeming tosuffer from terminal road rage, the splendid scent of diesel and wafts ofspices from restaurants preparing their cuisine, and finally scenes of bustlingEcuadorians tending to their daily business. Immediately my mind kicked intooverdrive. Every person I saw, every scent I inhaled, and every sound I heard,I desired to know its story- who was this person, what culture did the foodoriginate from, and why are World War II American Navy tunes flooding thestreets at 8 o'clock in the morning? I knew instantly, I had made the rightdecision in venturing south to Ecuador,and in due time I would have the opportunity to learn some of the stories fromthis elusive country.

My initial exploit in Quito involved anincident whose plot unfolded in my apartment. The first encounter withEcuadorian life came when I attempted to shower in the bathroom. In the United States, when one wants to enjoy thecomfort of a warm shower, all one need do is turn a knob- not so in Ecuador. Iturned the knob designated to emit heat from the shower head and waited...andwaited. The temperature of the water could be compared to that of the Arctic; I believe Marchof the Penguins could have filmed scenes in our shower. First lesson in Quito: heat is controlledby a tiny flame from a gas tank, after simple correction all was right in theworld. This experience is the type that enriches one's travel and makes for agood laugh over empanadas and mojitos.

While my imagination conjured exoticimages of Ecuadorprior to landing, I know outside the confines of the colonial buildings,concrete offices, and thumping techno music lays an entire country full of possibilities.My bags are packed and I am ready to see what these next two months have instore- hopefully the only thing I see leaping from trees will not be nocturnal Ecuadorianswaiting to pounce naïve tourists!