Our Family Adventures 2018 / 2019

For our last day in Quito we decided to stay close to home and visit the Botanical Gardens located about 3 blocks form our apartment. I am glad we decided to take it easy, since we are all walking around like zombies. You see, except for Terran, no one could sleep last night. I think we are all anxious, and excited to get in that plane, and head home. I have really enjoyed our trip, we have seen, and done so much, but we are 100% ready to come home. Wyatt has been planning home improvement projects for around 5 months now....hehehe. I am excited to help with that, and see our home change, The kids have missed their friends, family, and their school, so yes we are ready to go home. Orchids from the Botanical Gardens

For our very last Saturday in Ecuador we decided to go to Otavalo. I have heard about this place since I was a child, and I was just so excited to go. Throughout our time in Ecuador I have observed the beautiful people of Otavalo at all kinds of markets, at church, and specially at the LDS temple.I don't know why, but there was something about this town that drew me to it, and here we are now walking the markets, and experiencing it live! Woman in typical Otavalo dress in the Mercado de Ponchos 

My side of the family, and specifically my Mother's side of the family is HUGE! My Abuelito Lama had (that we know of...) 29 kids! and so in our travels so far we have met a lot of family. My Mom is very close with a few of her brothers, and sisters, my Tia (Aunt in Spanish) Neli, my Tia Anita, my Tio Lucho, and my Tia Maruja. I was fortunate to see my Tia Neli as she happened to be visiting her son Aldo, who lives in Quito. Karen, Dylan, Caroline, Rosie, Aldo, Tia Neli, Terran, Wyatt, Maija, and Monica all with big smiles after enjoying a yummy chicken dinner.

Yesterday we arrived in Quito, our last major stop before returning home. As we mentioned before, we had no idea that we were travelling during the busy Easter long weekend, but I have read that Easter is really cool here in Quito, so in the end it all worked out. A view of the Panecillo from the Historic Center in Quito

All throughout Peru and Ecuador, the locals use available building materials in all sorts of creative ways.  One of my favourites is their use of rebar.  In addition to its normal use as concrete re-enforcement, I have seen it used as bars on windows, as furniture, as fences, in art, as tools, as BBQ accessories (and grills themselves), as wagon frames, on decorative railings in churches, as car ramps up curbs... the list goes on and on.  Here are a small fraction of the places I have seen it being used: This entire market stall is selling stuff made from rebar Car Ramp Window Bars Drain Grate Restaurant Grill Cart Frame Collapsible Street Vendor Display Table Decorative Railings on the Largest Neo-Gothic Basilica in the New World Catwalk Structure in the Basilica

Due to a "lack of forethought and planning" (the phrase which comprises my middle name), we didn't realize that we were scheduled to move on Easter Saturday until we had booked both the Cuenca and the Quito apartments.  Too late to change things up, we decided to make the most of it and do as much Easter stuff in Cuenca as we could. On Tuesday we hit Feria Libre - a large market on the west side of town.  There I found a hairdresser willing to buzz my head for $2.  She seemed leery of my request for 'numero zero' buzzers, and asked us multiple times if we were sure.