I have been truly traumatized. Taking a taxi today got my heart racing, tears flowing, and intense fear. But all progressed without incident. Whew. I had a meeting at Maya's school at 8 this morning, and decided to walk to the Sheraton to ask the concierge for a safe taxi. I talked to 'Hector', owner of a private taxi associated with the hotel....illegal of course) at length and we agreed to organize a ride to Maya's school, to her violin lesson, and home for the evening. He is contracted to work for the hotel only and never to pick anyone up off the street. He was helpful and reassuring, but I was frightened anyway. My meeting with Maya's teachers was very positive. I wanted to be sure she was doing well and that when we leave, she will have records that will come with her to New York. Eric wondered if it was worth finishing the quimestre, and it seems that it is.
I took a yellow taxi to the hospital to check on my finger. I made sure he had the right tags (yellow license plate, four number card on side), texted the info to Tara at home, called Tara to assure her I was alive, talked to the taxi driver about the horrors of crime in Quito, and arrived safely at Metropolitano. I had $130 in my shoe, the only safe place for money perhaps, but that was not enough for an Xray and treatment. I was told 'We are a private hospital and we do not do charity work'. I called Maria, and she sent me to the military hospital, where for $20.23, I had an Xray to show the finger was not broken, but the distal joint stretched out. I was told to stay in the splint for a while.
I walked to the Ecovia, too worried about trying another taxi, and arrived home in time to learn that on the way to the apartment, Amparo was crashed into while taking a taxi and was shocked and hurt and discombobulated. I wondered why we are so unlucky, or perhaps lucky because we have had so many mishaps, but it could have all been much much worse. Amparo feels that we must see a shaman and be cleansed, and perhaps that is what I must arrange. It is a bizarre process, especially if done with guinea pigs, but well worth it if it works.
Eric is in the cloud forest catching birds, his parents are at Lake Mojanda in the north. Tara and I invited Amparo for lunch and I spent a little time reviewing the subjunctive, which I have not used since I last studied with Amparo over a month ago. I then insisted that Tara and I visit another museum. We took a taxi, which was another bizarre experience. I wrote down the ID number of the cab, but when TAra asked which 'Compania' it was, we were kicked out of the cab. The taxiste was afraid that we would denounce him to the police because he did not use his taximetro and overcharged us 'because of the traffic'. Tara was totally freaked out. We caught the Ecovia for a couple stops and visited the Mindalae museum on the edge of the Mariscal. There was little time; we had to get back home to collect the violin, call Hector and meet him at the Sheraton, wind our way through intense traffic, pick Maya up at her school, get her to her violin lesson on time, arrange for a pickup from Hector's buddy because he could not make it that evening, and listen to Mozart for two hours.
We arrived home safely, but our anxiety is obvious to Maya and to all who encounter us. Tara had made a delicious pasta sauce, so we indulged while watching Maya's favourite TV show. She insists that I watch every season of ' How I met your mother'....four or five to go.
Tara is still limited and in pain, and I feel sad that she cannot get out and appreciate the city and all it has to offer. The trauma has certainly affected her as much as her sprain, and I have to really push her to leave the house. She loves her Spanish lessons and takes them very seriously, but then has little energy to do much else. We are doing yoga together daily and that is wonderful. I am so happy to have her here.
I took a yellow taxi to the hospital to check on my finger. I made sure he had the right tags (yellow license plate, four number card on side), texted the info to Tara at home, called Tara to assure her I was alive, talked to the taxi driver about the horrors of crime in Quito, and arrived safely at Metropolitano. I had $130 in my shoe, the only safe place for money perhaps, but that was not enough for an Xray and treatment. I was told 'We are a private hospital and we do not do charity work'. I called Maria, and she sent me to the military hospital, where for $20.23, I had an Xray to show the finger was not broken, but the distal joint stretched out. I was told to stay in the splint for a while.
I walked to the Ecovia, too worried about trying another taxi, and arrived home in time to learn that on the way to the apartment, Amparo was crashed into while taking a taxi and was shocked and hurt and discombobulated. I wondered why we are so unlucky, or perhaps lucky because we have had so many mishaps, but it could have all been much much worse. Amparo feels that we must see a shaman and be cleansed, and perhaps that is what I must arrange. It is a bizarre process, especially if done with guinea pigs, but well worth it if it works.
Eric is in the cloud forest catching birds, his parents are at Lake Mojanda in the north. Tara and I invited Amparo for lunch and I spent a little time reviewing the subjunctive, which I have not used since I last studied with Amparo over a month ago. I then insisted that Tara and I visit another museum. We took a taxi, which was another bizarre experience. I wrote down the ID number of the cab, but when TAra asked which 'Compania' it was, we were kicked out of the cab. The taxiste was afraid that we would denounce him to the police because he did not use his taximetro and overcharged us 'because of the traffic'. Tara was totally freaked out. We caught the Ecovia for a couple stops and visited the Mindalae museum on the edge of the Mariscal. There was little time; we had to get back home to collect the violin, call Hector and meet him at the Sheraton, wind our way through intense traffic, pick Maya up at her school, get her to her violin lesson on time, arrange for a pickup from Hector's buddy because he could not make it that evening, and listen to Mozart for two hours.
We arrived home safely, but our anxiety is obvious to Maya and to all who encounter us. Tara had made a delicious pasta sauce, so we indulged while watching Maya's favourite TV show. She insists that I watch every season of ' How I met your mother'....four or five to go.
Tara is still limited and in pain, and I feel sad that she cannot get out and appreciate the city and all it has to offer. The trauma has certainly affected her as much as her sprain, and I have to really push her to leave the house. She loves her Spanish lessons and takes them very seriously, but then has little energy to do much else. We are doing yoga together daily and that is wonderful. I am so happy to have her here.
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