First impressions of my house and city

After my family took me out for pan de yuca, which we've already established is definitely amazing...we came back to the house. It was hard to really tell what my neighborhood looked like when we first pulled in because it was dark but I got the feeling I was driving into some kind of resort or something. I live in a gated community of houses with guards who are there 24/7 and make me feel very safe. Our house is gorgeous. My room is the only bedroom on the first floor and I have my own bathroom with shower and cable tv in my room. Huh? It's only ironic because we didn't grow up with cable TV and I am used to sharing a bathroom with at LEAST three other people. It is just not at all what I expected...although I'm not really sure what I expected. Did I mention I have my own bathroom? As it turns out I live in a very affluent suburb of the city I told everyone I would be living in. Samborondon (where I live) is an island but a bridge and a ten minute car ride will put you right in the middle of downtown Guayaquil. All of the houses here are in gated communities like mine and it is much safer in this area than living downtown. We still can not take public buses at night (and are cautioned to avoid them as much as possible during the day) and yellow taxis here are never safe. To me it feels like a beach town though. It's hot during the day, breezy in the evenings and there are palm trees and iguanas everywhere. I am so blessed to be living where I am.