My Face Hurts From Smiling!

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Hola Amigos! This Blog will document a 15-day adventure I took recently with my good friends, La Familia Simonello (no, that's not salmonella!) Julia, Michael (hubby) & Michael (son, age 12) were repeat visitors to the coastal hotel I manage here in Ecuador, but they hadn't seen much of the rest of the country. I planted a seed when they came last November, setting forth ideas for an itinerary which would include Andes & Amazon adventures. They took the bait and flew into Quito on July 9th. My friends Annie & Orlando who started up "The Laughter Club" convinced me to join them in donning a clown wig to meet Julia & family at the airport!









Since Julia & her two Michaels are all great photographers, I didn't bother shooting any photos of my own. The following pix were gleaned from over 2000 shots (taken on three I-phones & one fancy Nikon). With their permission and blessings I present some favorite moments from our awesome journey! Thanks, Simonellos, for sharing these images, and a joyful fortnight of travel and awe.









Blog readers - since this blog is mostly photos and very little text, please be sure to scroll all the way down and click on NEXT to see all of the photos and read their captions. Hope you enjoy sharing our Ecuador travel adventures! Thanks for reading!

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Photos

Airport Fun!
They convinced me to wear the mohawk wig sideways! My friends' flight was delayed an hour, but in the meantime it was fun to greet other folks arriving and to play with the kids waiting for them!

Quito's Basilica
Great day for climbing the cathedral's steeples and admiring views of Quito's historic Old Town.

Cotopaxi Exhilaration!
We were able to drive all the way to the snow line - my sleeveless driving blouse was not exactly the right attire for this altitude so we snapped the foto quickly!

Snowball Fight
Twelve year-old Michael's first time in the snow!! Joyful fun & a chilly, damp massacre!

Black Sheep Mascot
High in the Andes we visited this cool permaculture Inn. A cuddly black sheep was on my bed!

Loo with a View
Black Sheep Inn is famous for its stunning composting toilets -- greenhouse gardens within, huge valley views beyond.

Black Sheep Weight Room
Love the use of bottles all over this place, and the cement block weights on the gorgeous wood bench. This structure has one of the best views around!

Making Cheese
We watched the whole process: after the curd slush drains and forms they cut the rounds and weight them in these perforated draining tubes. They even let us nibble on wayward curds.

A Tub O'Cheese!
Floating mozzarella is kept cool naturally in this high-altitude tiled basin. Fresh & delicious low-tech process!

Quilotoa Crater
I love seeing the expression on people's faces as they first glimpse the wondrous beauty of this 12,000 ft high lagoon, formed by a collapsed volcanic cone.

Breathtaking Panorama!
This photographic technique was surely made for views like this one! We had a glorious day - clear skies are reflected as vivid blues in the crater!

Quilotoa Mask Vendor
After buying a mask Julia asked this boy to pose with his brother, so he put it on the little kid's face!

Construction Delay
Occasionally we had to wait while they built the road right ahead of us!

Family Transport
Great shot taken by little Michael out the car window. I've seen as many as six on a motorbike, but it's hard to snap a picture in time!

Old Man in Isinlivi
Julia followed this viejito around town, snapping fotos of him. He is rather cute!

Old Lady in Isinlivi
The Italian priest has set up a woodworking shop behind the church. Check out the doors! After this picture was taken the old gal gave me a kiss!

Colorful Bee Boxes
Bees are alive and will in this high Andean village!

Juive Chico Kiddie Park
That's my two-story white house in the back. The park was built after I moved in. Lots of noise and kids climbing the wall - oy!

Tree Tomato Harvest
Each week this I see this scene at the neighborhood shop around the corner from my house. Tree tomatoes (also known as tamarillos) make delicious juice and are used in hot sauce.

Baptizing the Kitchen
Chefs Michael & Michael made scrumptious pizza and a heavenly pineapple/babaco/strawberry tart. They also made a big mess which they also cleaned up. I like this kind of visitors!

Banos from Above
Viewed from Cafe del Cielo at Luna Runtun up on the hill, Banos fills the valley below!

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