1/3 of the way down

So this week, in light of the need to finish my med school personal statement (that, now that my baby/ best writer I know has looked over, has a bit of correcting to do before I even begin to feel that its ready to show anyone else) I figure I´ll let some pictures do the talking.

Tuesday through Friday, I came down with an intestinal infection. Stereotypical, I know, but luckily my friends/ doctors at the medical clinic were able to run all sorts of exams, ultimately giving me some antibiotics that have since gotten me out of bed. As a result, I was able to visit Otavalo this Saturday with Evelyn Falck, her friend, Lucha, and my new room mate Ajay.



Which, by the way, this past Tuesday we received a new addition to our family; Ajay Premkumar, a recent graduate of Emory University who will be working at the clinic for the rest of July and into August. We´ve already formed a friendship from the start, and it seems like I´m gonna have a pretty good time here with someone to travel with, or at least someone to deflect the dogs.

Otavalo is a small pueblo an hour or so outside of Quito devoted to selling artisan crafts and local foods above other things.


(spices)


(Ajay getting swindled)


(comida)


Basically, it was a pretty amazing place.


After the market we headed to a town that I will not even subject to my poor spelling skills, but it started with a "C." Here we ran into some friends of Ajay´s (really, a family that´s children were having their education provided by Ajay´s favorite professor back in the states- the same one that recommended the program to him)



In all, it was a pretty exciting weekend full of amazing scenery, great food while watching the Final at Elsa and Jorge´s friends house, and transitioning back into not being horribly sick.



(scenery)



(lake in a volcano crater)


(sangria and snacks- viva españa!)

I´ll keep you up to date in the coming weeks, but hope that the U.S. is treating you all very well

hasta pronto

drew