Gringolandia

A lot of people have asked to know more about my apartment and the neighborhood I’m living.  This post contains pics of the apartment and discusses the joys of living next to drug dealers and sleeping on a block of wood.

For five weeks in Quito, “Gringolandia” is my temporary home.  That is really what they call this area of La Mariscal, a section of the New Town.  I am surrounded by tourists from all over the world: the US, Europe, and other parts of Latin America.  There must be hundreds of hostels within a 15-block radius.  There is a wide range of restaurants, mostly overpriced for the tourists or cheap fast food ($1.00 hamburgers and hot dogs) for the young travelers trying to scrape by on a meager budget.  There are lavanderias, kiosks, clothing stores, internet and phone booths, and small tiendas selling fruits and veggies.  Many signs and restaurant menus are in English.  There are night clubs and bars everywhere, and every night they blast  80s, 90s, early 2000s, and even some current songs from the US into the early morning.  A small sampling:  Total Eclipse of the Heart, Tom Petty, 50 Cent, Lady Gaga, and I’m pretty sure I heard New Kids on the Block at a restaurant one day…. As I type this, Salt ‘n Pepa Shoop! is playing.  I really need to start writing the songs down because it’s pretty amusing.  Every once in a while, you get to listen to Latin American electronica, cumbia, and reggaeton, which I prefer.  It’s a good thing I can sleep through anything because most people would not be able to deal with the noise I hear every night through the thin walls and windows of my apartment.  Gringolandia is definitely a party atmosphere.  People are here to drink and dance and hook up.  My favorite quote from a disenchanted American girl staying at my hostel who came here to volunteer…. “I didn’t come here to party and talk to white people.”  Well, unless you get out of the center of Quito, that’s what there is to do.

In my guidebook, it says that La Mariscal is the only part of Quito that has a late-night scene, so there are actually Quitenos here as well in the evenings.  It is not safe, especially for women, to walk alone at night, so I do not go out often.  But when I do, I’m shocked to see the skimpy clothing the women wear out here.  At night, it’s around 50 degrees and feels even colder sometimes, and you will see Latin American women in itty-bitty shorts and skirts, super-high heels, and skimpy tops.  I can understand trying to look good, but bring a jacket.  Wait a minute… I may have just described Park Street in downtown Columbus.  Now that I think about it, this type of scene exists in every major city.  La Mariscal is like Park Street on crack.  Maybe I’m just getting too old for this.

My hostel is right in the middle of the party zone.  When I leave through the locked gates in front of the house at night, I am supposed to look to the right before I walk out because there are drug dealers on the corner.  When you walk by them, they ask, “Cocaina?” (Spanish pronunciation of course).  There are police everywhere in this area, so I don’t understand how there is still so much crime.  I assume there’s a lot of corruption.  I have spoken to many people who have been robbed, either pick-pocketed on the bus, mugged at knife or gun-point, or had their bag stolen in the street (like me – click here for my account of getting robbed in Quito my first day).

Fortunately, I have found a few favorite places to frequent, and when I wander down different streets in the area, I always stumble upon interesting places to try just off the Gringo-trail.  There is an excellent place to grab a delicious and very filling traditional Quito lunch for $1.75.  The almuerzo (set lunch) comes with soup, a main course with your choice of meat and rice and menestras (stewed beans), a 100% pure fruit juice and often a small dessert to take with you (e.g. packet of cookies).  They change up the menu every day, and I have yet to be disappointed.  I also frequent a little tienda on the corner near my school where I pick up my fruits and veggies and eggs.  They also make pure fruit juices (about 10 different flavors – I plan to try them all) for 75 cents, and they make them right there when you order.  Sometimes I pick up a very filling snack for 50 cents called chochos (some type of bean) with tomatoes, onions, chifle (fried plantain chips), and toasted corn (not like our corn).

I am happy to have a private residence here, since I’m still getting used to the idea of being away for a whole year alone.  I also need a quiet place to study and do my Spanish homework.  My apartment is actually pretty sizable, larger than I expected.  And I was amused to discover a little something to remind me of home (see picture).  I think it’s a good sign.  My apartment is split-level, the bedroom is downstairs and the dining, kitchen, and bathroom are upstairs.  I like the space, but I have three main complaints:  cold water in the shower (until I just discovered the trick to make the water warm), the apartment feels damp, and I feel like I’m going to freeze to death at night, probably because it’s damp.  I know I can find better for the price ($250 for a month), but I’ve settled in at this point, and the owner Maria is really great.

Without further ado, here are pictures of my temporary home in Gringolandia.