Coming Home!

This is a bass ackwards way of writing about our adventures in Ecuador, but we are packed and ready to fly home from Quito after nearly 3 weeks. I have had no access to a computer other than the Nook Color we took along which turned out to be pretty worthless when it came to accessing the web. I was able to use it to keep my journal and we took dozens of great photos so I will be reporting on the trip beginning when we arrive home on August 4th. The reports will be transcribed, edited as needed, then posted chronologically.

As a preview, you should know that the trip was fabulous. We spent 1 1/2 weeks in Quito initially while Leslie taught at the International Choral Music Festival here. She taught her daily classes (4 hours a day) in Spanish! Then we always spent the rest of the day with new friends and students where it was necessary for her to speak Spanish as well. My Spanish even improved out of necessity, but it was pretty intense!

Part of these days were also spent traveling to the outskirts of Quito, even several hours out to visit small towns, sometimes as part of the entourage on mini choir tours and sometimes just being tourists. We traveled to Ambato where we ate Chuy or guinea pig. We visited Midel del Mundo, where we stood on the equator. We traveled with a former student of Leslie´s to Mindo, where we took a harrowing ride hundreds of feet over the canopy of a rainforest, saw colorful butterflies, orchids of every color and size, and dozens of hummingbirds zipping about feeding. On our bus ride to get there we watched, heart warmed as her student patiently sat with a local teenager, who had hopped on the bus to sell candy to make a few pennies. She read, at his request, the Bible because he didn't know how to read.

The next 5 days were spent cruising through the Galapagos Islands. This segment of the trip is worth reading about if you have any notion of going there. We had snorkeling adventures where we had up close and personal encounters with sea lions, sea turtles, fish of every size and color, sea iguanas and cormorants diving for food, Blue Footed Boobies sat on their nests. Fantastic! Then we returned to Quito for another 3 days before our departure home.

I hope you will join me as I try and retell our amazing adventures here in Ecuador. See you soon!