Vacation Week

Ecuador #2

This week we went to Otavalo and an outside suburb of Ibarra.

It was a great vacation week for us starting it off by staying at a very calm and beautiful hotel (that we had to our selves!) where I painted, where we did hikes and relaxed as well. 

It was a great experience and then we rode to Otavalo on a very bumpy road but with beautiful views.

We stayed at a cozy hotel and walked the streets of Otavalo in the evening. This is possible here because it's safe enough, in Quito it isn't the best idea. We walked throughout the markets of Otavalo today. Julie and I went kayaking on a big lake when it started pouring rain... 

We did an amazing hike with a great view of a volcanic lake and a snow covered mountain.

We also went to a cute town called Cotacachi. The main street there only has leather shops and all the people make the leather bags and clothes themselves, sometimes in the shop.

We've had a great time this week and are ready to start off with at least two weeks of spanish classes and homeschooling. 

~ Maura

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Mindo, Ecuador

Mindo, Ecuador

     We went to Mindo for 2 days and it was really fun! Mindo is a little town in the middle of the rainforest 2 hours away from Quito, with lots to do. We stayed in a cute little hostel with hammocks and a view of the forest. The first day we went zip ling over the treetops. There was an amazing view of mountains and lots of trees. Then we went tubing, which is where you sit on a big floaty with 2 other people and you go down the river, over rocks, and down mini 1-3 ft waterfalls! We got totally wet with ice cold water but it was worth it.

     After, we had lunch and then did a chocolate tour. We learned about the history of chocolate, and the steps of making chocolate and we got to try a lot of different flavors. Then we headed to Descending down a Waterfall (that's what I call it). My sister and I hiked up to the top of  a waterfall with a guide. We got a harness and were connected to 2 ropes. Then facing the waterfall you slowly walk/go down. It was pretty scary considering it was very steep and 40 meters tall (135ft). But we made it to the bottom, wet and shivering but we enjoyed it both. A while later we had dinner, and then me and mom went to do a nocturnal hike. We hiked with a guide through his big yard which seemed like a jungle itself. He pointed out many spiders. butterflies, and insects with his flashlight. We also saw bats flying overhead, and an owl sitting by the street on an electricity cable.  

     In the middle of the night, I had to throw up. It was probably food poisoning. I also had a fever. 

Also it was the morning of Maura's 14th birthday! We celebrated her birthday with cards, cake, and a nice breakfast. I stayed home because I was sick while my parents did a hike that included swimming, waterfalls, and going with a cable car over the trees. When they got back we had lunch and started the drive back to Quito.

~Julie

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The start of our trip.

By Yvette
Ecuador #1

Dear Family and Friends,

Yes! we finally left after a wonderful summer in Spain, where Maura and Julie experienced their first burst of spanish during 6 weeks of Spanish summer camps.  

After many efforts to make plans for our 'year trip' we decided not to make much of a plan!! And just  go!

So we flew on August 30, and started way too luxurious in the world business class of KLM from Amsterdam to Quito, Ecuador.  How relaxed was that, before hitting this crowded, polluted and pretty dangerous city.

Already in the plane,  we got overwhelmed by kidnap stories, robberies etc. Wow! How are we going to do all this,traveling with our two blond girls and still be safe?

While staying in the Marriott the first days safety was our biggest concern and we slowly started to get more informed and to feel how we wanted to travel/live in this country. 
Conclusion, we need to stay in good hotels and travel in well known taxis, etc. Never walk with too many valuables and don't walk at dark.

We were lucky on the 2nd day in Quito and found a well organized, dutch owned, cozy spanish language school, a 10 minute walk from the hotel. We decided to start classes here and to stay in the Marriott instead of looking for an apartment. We have everything here, space, internet, which we need for the girls homeschooling online, sport facilities and it is safe.

Maura and Julie are taking one to one Spanish classes, which makes them talk more!  They like it and are pretty focused and motivated. And I joined them too and I love to practice my spanish again. 

In the meantime they are also getting their homeschooling program started by first making  mind maps,so the teacher can adapt the program to their needs and to the way they like to learn. 

By the way, Quito is at an altitude of 2850 meter, so your body needs to adapt.. and this takes time. So we tried to take it easy the first days,but unfortunately it hit Gerardo. It looks like the altitude triggered his SVT (heart tachycardia) and so he ended up in the ER because of his 130 heartbeat on day 3 in Quito. 
Luckily the hospital was very goo  and well developed with doctors who did a really good job! His heartbeat came down after 4 hours but went too far down and it took a while to get it back to his normal 40-50 beats per minute. 
It was quite scary for a while, but he knew what it was, since this is the 2nd time. 
We see it as a warning sign and will be more cautious with the altitudes here, since you can go up to 4.800 meters and higher if you like.

Then the ladies of the house all got a stomach bug which is part of eating in a developing country !

Our first trip out of the city was to Mindo which is a small village 2 hours from Quito. That was super fun,ziplining, tubing, abseiling, a chocolate tour and more.
And that's where Maura turned 14!

(julie will write a bit more about that fun trip to the rainforest)

On the way back to Quito, we stopped at the Museo La  Mitad del Mundo, which is right on the Equator. 
So on her birthday Maura stood on the Equator with one leg in  the northern and  the other leg in the southern Hemispere. A special feeling!

We just planned our next adventure and are off for a week to Otavalo and Ibarra, 3 hours north of Quito.

We wish you all the best and lets stay in touch.

Lots of love,
Yvette, Gerardo, Maura and Julie


Click here for: Ecuador Gallery