Don't miss the bus!

   We had a great weekend exploring more of the city. While many will tell you that there isn't much to do around Quito, as a friend of mine put it, just walking down the street will be something new and different. How true that is! The culture here in Ecuador is so interesting. The people here are such a beautiful mix. Walking down the street you will see the indigenous people in their traditional dress, women in colorful dresses, with gold beaded necklaces, sometimes wearing a shawl or poncho of some sort, and usually wearing a panama or fedora style hat of what appears to be boiled wool. You will see a local Caucasian in modern dress who some might assume would be from the US, but they too are born and bred Ecuadorians with roots from the Spaniards who arrived here many years ago in search of gold. And then you have the mestizos who are a mix, and fall somewhere in between the two extremes.
   We went to a couple of the markets in downtown on Saturday. While there are many vendors selling the more commercial souvenirs like keychains & t-shirts, there were many who were selling more traditional handmade items like alpaca sweaters, shawls, and blankets, hand embroidered dresses and blouses, flutes and guitars, hand carved bowls, vases, and statues, and jewelry made from seeds, bone, and different stones. It really was a feast for the eyes...the sights and sounds were almost overstimulating for this foreigner who is still adjusting to the altitude! The kids were fascinated by everyTHING, and everyONE was fascinated with our kids! Yes, the blonde haired, blue eyed, fair skinned children definitely stand out :)
   That evening we went to dinner at the home of our sponsors. Like I said before, they are awesome and definitely a God-send. Shay and Malia made instant friends with their kids and that has definitely made their transition much easier!
   On Sunday, we took the advice of another Embassy family and went on a bus tour of Quito. But this was not just any bus, it was a double-decker-open-topped bus! What a great way to see the city! I don't know if I've mentioned before in my posts, but the city is very narrow and long! With the traffic and the crazy drivers, it takes a long time to get anywhere (yes, the past year in DC traffic has definitely prepared us for this!) The historic part of Quito is located in the south, and many parts of it are really beautiful! I had read about it in books before our arrival, but I really was shocked by some of the sites, and I can't wait to do more exploring in this area. One thing we really wanted to see was El Panecillo, which is a huge statue of the Blessed Mother which towers over the city. I'm not sure of the story behind El Panecillo, so I will have to do some research and get back to you! But I love knowing that She is watching over us and this statue is a very cool reminder. This is not an easy place to get to because of the winding narrow roads leading up to it. But with the bus tour, we were able to spend 40 minutes walking around it and enjoying the views from the hilltop. The snowcapped mountains that surround Quito are breathtaking. Shay was very excited to see the peak of the volcano Cotopaxi, for which his future school is named after. The tour guide on the bus was very sweet and wanted to make sure that we were ok with the tour being given in Spanish. He spoke perfect English and was willing to do the tour in both languages. We assured him that we would prefer hearing the Spanish because we needed the practice. To my amazement, I really was able to understand most of what was being said! If only my SPEECH was on the same level...sigh. Oh well, at least I've been able to order at a restaurant, hail a taxi, and tell the lady at the hotel desk that my key card was not working! I will be fluent in no time! Ha! Here are some of the pictures from our tour...Bienvenido a Quito!