At the Parque Carolina
In the science museum. A real stuffed tiger and...
a real stuffed bear.
Playground pictures
The slide that had a hole in it the day before, but to our surprise was fixed when we went back.
The soft landing at the bottom of the slides
Crossing the street in front of our apartment complex.
Walking home from the pool.
A Sunday in the Plaza Grande, the central square in the Colonial section of Quito. Very quaint and busy on the weekends, with tourists and locals out for a stroll.
Jonah playing in the fountain...
...where the shoeshine boys wash their hands after a job.
Maya was quite shocked to see kids her age working at jobs - shining shoes, selling gum, selling newspapers. She kept asking me why they were working. On the bus ride home, we saw a girl about 7 or 8 years old standing in the road selling newspapers to people stopped at the traffic light. In a shocked voice Maya asked me, ¨Mommy, why is that girl in the street by herself?!!¨ Again, I tried to explain that some kids have to work.
Riding the TeleferiQo
The cable car that goes to the top of the volcano overlooking Quito.
The view from the top of Volcano Pichincha, looking down over the sprawl of Quito.
Our first weekend outside of Quito.
Our ¨rental¨car.
It´s not the easiest thing to drive in Quito, as you can see by the stress in Paul´s body.
Though we brought our heavy duty carseats along, the kids haven´t been using them. This 20 year old car doesn´t even have seatbelts in the back, so we had free-range kids on the ride. They love it, but it drives me incredibly crazy. It sort of reminds me of car trips when I was a kid and my brother and I sprawled out all over the back of the station wagon.
At the Otavalo market this past weekend. This is the largest market in Ecuador and purportedly in all of South America. It was pretty overwhelming.
Maya enjoyed looking at the stalls. We went to about 8 different vendors before she settled on this hand-embroidered shirt (in pink, of course).
Paul´s first market purchase.
There was more than just handicrafts and beer on offer.
A bucket of chicken anyone?
Spices to go with that chicken.
Dad got a Panama Hat, which are actually made in Ecuador.
And Maya and Jonah got carried.
Pre-Colombian figures outside of our hotel.
And the ¨green roof¨of the hotel.
The kids dancing at the restaurant.
Our romantic dinner.
7 comments:
Wow glad you got the connections working,kids look bigger already and Paul you are looking the relaxed experienced traveler part. Will you look like that guy who returned from europe when you were 21,full beard? The market looked very inviting and good for Maya only one very pretty blouse? Were there toys at that market or do children just make up their own entertainment,which your kids are very good at.Keep those photos coming. mom
Ah, we didn´t have a picture of the two dolls that Maya got. And this morning she said she wanted to get presents for her friends at home.
The picture of Paul behind the wheel is classic. I was cracking up. The kids look like they are having a blast. Jonah looks ridiculously cute with the bandanna on.
Christine
The shots of the pigs and chickens not so cool.
Christine
I have to echo your mom a little bit here; you're starting to look like someone I knew back in...was it 1991? Sheeeit, guess we are all getting old. Well, you are, anyway. But where is your baja? Where are your big glasses? You gotta get this part down just right.
Maya and Jonah are getting so big! They don't stay little for very long, do they...they're absolutely, incredibly, over-the-top beautiful. Just like their mama.
i forgot about the baja. i think i still have it in mothballs somewhere.
Beck and Paul,
I am playing catch-up (on your blog) and just wanted to tell you that I love the pictures. Ingrid's job every night is to clear table and she said, "I am tired of cleaning table. I can't ALWAYS have to clean table, MOM!" I went into a thoughtful monologue about how I don't want to cook dinner, but I do because we are family and families work together. And 4 year old Ingrid says, "You are so right, Mom, I love you, what else can i do besides clear table?" Okay, that was a LIE. The next time she complains about jobs I will tell her I'll send her in the streets to sell newspapers! :-)
What an experience you are giving your kids.
Love ya,
Kristin
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