Next to a volcano, the amazon rainforest, the pacific ocean and in the Andes... Quito

I'll skip the semantics of the how, where and what happened since we've arrived and catch you up to date.
Kristen and I are staying in a lovely hostel called Casa Bambu that features great security (two locked doors before even getting into the hostel, self locking doors on all the rooms), two kitchens, a lovely rooftop breakfast restaurant (full continental breakfast and eggs, $3 thank you very much), hammocks, swinging chairs, wifi and laundry... and, oh yeah, a view of Quito and the surrounding volcano/mountains. It's awesome.
We are enrolled in a school called Yanapuma to learn Spanish for two hours a day.  Through the philanthropic branch of the school, we're going to be volunteering for 3-4 weeks in either day care centers, schools or orphanages - great volunteering opportunities considering our basic-intermediate level of spanish. That will start on Monday.
Since Friday we have been visiting Quito's museums, monastaries, old town (simply charming) and made a trip north to the EQUATOR or 'Mitad del Mundo'. On Sundays they have live music and dancing in the complex that features museums and explanations about how Charles-Marie de La Condamine proved that this was indeed the EQUATOR.  We did the gross cliches that the locals must have to erase a la Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind every day, like putting one foot in each hemisphere, pulling each other into a different hemisphere, telling each other how the weather is in different hemispheres... we hate ourselves just a little (you have to do it).
We have eaten lots of cheap Ecuadorian food (rice, beans, meat, rice, beans, meat - I'm in heaven) and have drank plenty of $1.20 Ecuadorian beer (will there be a Pilesner tent at Oktoberfest soon?)
That sums it up so far!
I'll be updating the blog twice a week, so I hope you all read and post comments!
Adios amigos!
(you think that's cliche? I was saying 'hasta la vista' until Monday...)