Winding Up Ecuador

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

We were a success in all the cities we visited.  Lots of great schools, teachers and students.  Both conferences were big for the country and cities, 175 in Quito and 85 in Cuenca.   We're not very popular yet in the country in terms of English.  We are better known for our texts in Religion and Spanish.

Yesterday and today we visited schools in Amabato.  Great town but known for its severe earthquakes.  The last major quake in 1949 pretty much leveled the city.  It was rebuilt in two years by the government and the citizens.  Very narrow streets and sidewalks but what do expect from a city founded in the 1600s.   I didn't have much of a chance to get out but last night I went for a brisk one -hour walk and this is what I saw.

Cathedral Our Lady of the Elevation in the main plaza.

Taken from the lobby of the hotel so you can see how narrow the streets are.

The drive back to Quito this afternoon was amazing.  Dark clouds hovered overhead and rain storms threatened between breaks in the clouds.  The country is a virtual garden with greenery at every turn.  The countrysides look like a place where I would want a cabin with solar, pump my own water and have a couple of cows and a vegetable garden.  

I enjoy watching cows.  These guys are happy to be free roaming in the cool air.

Provincia de Tungurahua is the route for four volcanos that are still active.  Signs on the highway warn of impending ash fallout and evacuation routes.   One volcano has a small hotel with rooms facing the cone so tourists can watch the lava flows at night.  Ash has been known to go as far as the coast which is 270 km.

You can see we reached 3400 meters or 11,150 ft.  Walking up three flights of stairs is harder than you think.

Imagine fuel prices like this.  Diesel is $1 per gallon.  That would make anyone switch to a diesel class B motorhome.  

More tomorrow, I have my flight to CDMX at 8:35 and then home to Monterrey.  I want to share this quinta experience where I am staying now and also how vehicles and drivers are charged for violations.  Very interesting.