The Markets...

Here are some colorful pictures of the market places where we buy bulk veggies, potatoes, beans and fruits for the teams that we host as well as for the soup kitchen. After you purchase a large sack of items you pay a human carrier to strap your sack on their back and carry it to your vehicle. It is quite impressive to watch a tiny Ecuadorian woman strap your 100 lb sack to her back and carry it as if it weighed nothing! I'm sure this also accounts for the early onset of arthritis and back deformities. We don't buy our meat at the markets (we aren't that brave) but wanted to include a picture of that as well. They sell everything from cow hooves to pig skin, cow stomach lining, live chickens, rabbits, goats and guinea pigs. It is quite an experience but not for those who don't like to be around a lot of people.

Rain, rain, go away....

February has been a very soggy month for us. Ecuador has a rainy season and we're in the midst of it. It will be sunny and 70 degrees in the morning, but by afternoon the temps will drop to 50 and we will be without power during hailstorms the size of dimes (making us very thankful for our waterproof shoes since our umbrellas were stolen last month)! Besides longing for the dry, sunny deserts of Arizona, we have been helping our soup kitchen children stay warm by bringing homemade cookies and hot cocoa to their houses. Last week, we were invited over a friend's house for dinner. When we arrived, we found her house flooded from all the rain so we spent the next 3 hours helping her evacuate all the water using shovels and old sweaters as mops. Twenty large buckets later, we had most of the floors dry and were able to sit down to some potato and pig skin soup.

Equator Fun!

This past week we went to Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the Earth) with our friend Vasanti from Arizona. We got to do some fun tricks on the equator because of the way magnetic forces and gravity work there. You can check out the video of watching which way water swirls on the equator and in both hemispheres. Greg was able to balance an egg on a nail head, and we all took turns using a blow dart gun used by some tribes to hunt. None of us hit our cactus targets. We were also lighter (approx 4-6 lbs! ) on the equator. We also learned about the indigenous cultures of Ecuador and saw some shrunken heads (but we didnt get any good pics- sorry!).

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.

Feliz Dia del Amor y Amistad

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

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!

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.....