Monday, February 18, 2008

Marta's house
















Marta is one of the women who works at the soup kitchen. Last week a strong wind blew over a 8 ft cement wall next to her house that came crashing through their metal roof, breaking their beds and belongings. Fortunately, neither she or her 3 children we in the house at the time. She has moved in with a sister until her roof can be repaired as her house is now totally exposed on top. You may also notice that the walls are built completely of cinder block and the floor are cement or dirt. In some of the houses we've visited, roofs and walls are created by layering thick pieces of cardboard. This is very typical here as only the upper class can afford tile or wood. The little girl in the picture is one of Marta's daughters on the day we brought by mattresses and linens so they wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. We wanted to post some pictures to show you the reality of people's lives here. Most of our blog postings have been about exciting things that are happening here, but there have also been a lot of heartbreaking things we've witnessed and this is one of them.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Feliz Dia del Amor y Amistad









Juan, Ricardo, Maria Jose, and Kevin wish you a Happy Valentine's!

Friday, February 8, 2008

El Centro Historico












Here are some pics of the historic district of Quito. We like to come down here to chill when we have free time. There are tons of beautifully architectured cathedrals to visit. You can always find someone inside paying homage to Mary or the Virgen of Quito at one of the many shrines. You can buy just about anything here at the fresh fruit and vegetable markets, clothing stores and great cafes. One of our favorite places is a small bakery that sells the most delicious chicken empanadas you've ever tasted! My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

The Cloud Forest





















Here are some pictures of Mindo, the cloud rainforest about 2.5 hours north of where we live. We went this weekend to visit a butterfly farm, hike to waterfalls, take a cable car across a ravine, and sleep in a cabin by the river. It was very relaxing and a nice break from city life.....