Stuck in the middle in Quito

So this is the inevitable post, the one that we knew would happen at some point along our 15 week journey.   We’ve hit a low.   It may not even be our lowest, but the clouds have come for sure.  Things are not pretty in our world at this moment.  Our clothes are a mess, the kids are fighting, and Sean and I are simply tapped out.    For as much as we loved our week in the highlands, the touring and public meals simply got the best of us.   We thought it might at some point, but secretly we hoped it wouldn’t.   Isn’t it ironic then that we’ve thought about quitting in Quito?

Before I paint an ugly mess, I must say that we’ve had the most unbelievably patient and creative guide while here in the mainland of Ecuador.  If Rodrigo isn’t on his way to sainthood, I don’t know who is.  He’s been our shepherd in climbing mountains, bargaining in markets, and traversing across the greater Ecuadorian countryside with us.  In other words, he’s kept our family from committing mutiny. 

    

If it weren’t for Rodrigo, we wouldn’t have taken the time to smell the roses, literally,  Case in point, the afternoon we spent at a historic hacienda, home to Rosadex, one of Ecuador’s top exporters of roses.  Rodrigo had said that our lunch would be at a small local hacienda, but little did we know it would be like stepping into a museum.  

 

Here the original wallpaper from 1914 still adorned the walls.  If we were in Washington D.C., most of this hacienda would have been surrounded by plexiglass.  For that reason,  I pulled a personal Usain Bolt to halt Owen from lowering the needle on the 80 year old Victrola.

After a lunch fit for kings, we were invited for a brief tour of the rose operations facility.   At Rosadex, natural perfection meets operational precision.   Every stem is measured, thorn clipped, and blossom assessed.  Gentlemen, I’m giving you a HUUUUUGE tip right now:  Rosadex is your new go to for fast, beautiful, delivered-to-your-door-ASAP roses.   I didn’t believe it either, but you can try them out here.

The kids were more interested in the operations of playing carnaval, which is an Ecuadorian tradition of “cleansing” someone with a “surprise” water balloon in the face.  Ecuadorians play different forms of carnaval in the weeks leading up to lent.   JP, Owen, & Eamon met their match with three boys who emerged from the grounds of hacienda shortly after our arrival.   Once again, communication was crystal clear amongst the competitors. 

    

Next stop, Otavalo, home of Ecuador’s largest indigenous marketplace.   With a few markets under our belt, Sean was admittedly reluctant to spend additional time wandering endless aisles of more woven goods and beaded necklaces, however the kids and I were determined to find more unique treasures.   Luckily, it was worth it.  It was here that we had a proud parenting moment, watching JP and Owen negotiate in their best effort Spanish for the price of their small treasures for their classmates.  

We’ve also become overnight condor experts.   Ecuador has taken great measures to protect it’s national symbol of strength and power, and for good reason.  Condors we designated as endangered in 1970 and unfortunately the population has been declining ever since.  As they have no natural predators, their threat is simply that of humans, who hunt them and accidentally kill them with poison traps.  Condors are monogamous with their chosen mate or life, making breeding a challenge.   Today, there are an estimated 107 in Ecuador.     

Teachers feel free to command an impromptu presentation by any of the boys. 

    

Of course, when one is in Ecuador one can’t leave without visiting the equator, which is a touristic but invaluable experience.  At the center of the earth, we could realize all the uniqueness of, well, being at the center of the earth.   Eggs indeed balance on a pin, personal strength is greatly compromised, and everyone , regardless of consumption, will fail the walking DUI test.

 

I’m pretty sure that our water bill will surge for the few days after we return home, as the kids will continue to check the directional rotation of the toilet water (hint: clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and counter clockwise in the southern)

WARNING

The following content may not be suitable for rodent lovers, especially for children who may have them as pets

In the spirit of adventure and in accordance with the when in Rome theory, we bravely followed Rodrigo to Fiambres, home of the world famous rotisserie cuy.  I’ll help you out on this translation so we can right to the photos: cuy is guinea pig.  Cuy is a delicacy in Ecuador.

JP and Owen were salivating at the sight of the greasy bronzed rodent.  Sean was skeptical but a gamer.  I was an reluctant bystander.   Eamon fled to the safety of the van where he remained during the duration of our brief meal.

Tip #41: If you have plans to attend an Ecuadorian wedding some time soon, you might want to go with the vegetarian option.

     

I don’t want to spoil the culinary experience for those wishing to venture down this same path, so I’ll will just say that it does not taste just like chicken but it was indeed worth trying, even if only for a bite.

I’d love to say that while in Quito we lived amongst the locals, but I can’t.  Truth is, our tank was empty and everyone’s needs had to be addressed before we could move forward.  We took advantage of having a small kitchen and dined in our room for the next three nights.  I did ten loads of laundry.  Sean exercised away the pains in his neck.  The kids devoured bowls of Kraft mac & cheese and wrestled for hours in the pool.  

We powered on for an afternoon and hit some sights in the Old Town of Quito.

 

Still, despite our needs having been met,  something was missing.   Fighting persisted and our temporarily lifted spirits were once again beginning to deflate.   The words “I’m done” were uttered by more than one of us.   

It was then that we realized the kids needed a day that was theirs, truly theirs.  They needed a place that was free from responsibility, indulgent in the senses, and void of any judgement from others.   They needed to completely spaz out in a safe, fun place.   On our last rainy afternoon in Quito, we drove to a large mall in search of joy, Mr. Joy that is.   

For over two hours the kids pelted eachother with massive nurf cannons, recklessly crashed their bumper cars into strangers, and hurled their bodies into endless pits filled with foam and balls.   I saw only flashes of the boys as they ran from one attraction to the next leaving a trail of glee in their echoing voices.  Happy kids, check.  While the kids played, Sean and I indulged in Mr. Joy’s insanely fast WiFi and shopping ALONE for two uninterrupted hours.  Happy parents, check check.

We should have known…kids are happiest when they are kids.