Because We Can

Sunday morning in Quito. All the shops are closed. It is our last day on the tour, but it will be a very, very long and busy one. Actually it won’t end until shortly after midnight when our plane leaves for the US. Graffiti boards? The sidewalk vendors are ready for the day. Our first stop. The Sinamune Disabled Children's Orchestra which helps children with mental and visual disabilities via participation in music and dance. A very special moment for Linda. When it came time for some of the children to dance with the people watching, this girl came out directly to Linda and took her hand. It was meant to be. The girl’s mother. She then wanted a photo of Linda and I with her daughter. Special beyond words. Back in the bus Linda’s smile says it all. Her sister had Downs Syndrome and Betty loved music. There were tears shed that morning by both of us, but they were tears of joy. Sweet Linda. Fruit market. Linda spied these right off. Note t...

Another glorious day dawns in Quito. I had to believe there is a reason to OAT’s scheduling this day between our time in the Amazon and beginning our time in the Galapagos. My own experience was that I was somewhat dehydrated yesterday though a big bag of potato chips late last night and several electrolyte tablets followed by glasses and glasses of water had me feeling normal this morning. So this day is for R&R, if you want to, that is. As you can see, no one selected R&R, as we all piled into the bus for another day of exploring Quito. This photo does an excellent job of summing up Quito. Lofty snow topped peaks in the distance provide an abundant source of water and stunning vistas. The terrain in the city still allows for countryside to co-exist, note the cow grazing in the lower left corner. We see the high rise apartment buildings on the right and the tell-tale mark of modern urbanization, a gray cloud of smog hovering over them. The best of all worlds and wor...