My first visit to Shell, Ecuador

In December, before I returned to the states for Christmas, I was able to visit Shell for a few days. Shell is where I will be working after I have mastered the spanish language (if that ever happens). This was the first time I had been to Shell. I have to admit it is a lot smaller than I expected, and there is really nothing to do there. But it is a cute little town and the people were all very nice. I am glad I got the opportunity to go there before my time in Cuenca is over. Before I went to Shell and before I knew any of the missionaries in Shell, I was not too excited about leaving Cuenca. I know Cuenca now and I have made many friends here. I did not want to leave to go to another new place where I did not know anyone. But now that I have been there and I have met several people, I am excited to get there and begin working. (I actually met almost all the North Americans associated with the hospital becuase they had their christmas party while I was there and I was invited.)

I spent some time in the hospital with the doctors to see if my spanish is sufficient to begin working. It is not, at least that is my opinion. I got to eat each meal with a different person in order to meet more people. It was a very nice stay. Below is a photo of the hospital.

This is a photo of the house I will be staying in during my time in Shell. It is a duplex, I will be living on the right (when facing the house). In the other side is a single nurse who has been in Shell for a long time. The hospital is just beyond that fence to the right. The house is in a fenced in community of missionaries. In front of the house right now is lumbar. The house was infested with termites (this is true of most houses in Shell), they have gutted it and replaced the wood with cinder blocks. It is not finished yet, but will be before I get there.

The most adventurous thing I did in Shell was walk across this suspension bridge. I was not too sure about it at first, and I did not like it either. I was staying at the guest house and I had to walk across this bridge to get to the hospital. The children who attend the Nate Saint school have to walk across the bridge everyday. I do not envy them. It took about 1 1/2 min to walk across, it is probably a 50 foot drop below it. It doesn't move side to side, only up and down a little. It is solid metal, not slats and the cable is metal, not rope. This bridge is maintained by HCJB, there is another suspension bridge in Shell that is maintained by the city, the missionaries advised not walking across that one.

Overall it was a good visit to Shell and I am excited to finish my languge training and begin my time in Shell.