MORA

We fell in love. With an Ecuadorean fruit called MORA. On our first day in Quito we went to an amazing juice stand on the side of the road, and we haven't stopped talking about the muro juice since. (The dark red one is the Mora... So yum).



Anywho, here's a few snippets from our first few days in Quito. We were greeted by the sweetest couple, Mario y Blanca, whose beautiful hotel in the centro historico we've been blessed to stay in- Casa El Eden (thanks Janet). What a treat to be with these precious people who have helped us navigate Quito for our first few days, and to be cheerfully greeted by Blanca when we come back from a full days of activities.

Our first day we got acquainted with the city on a walking tour that we took with our new Irish amigo Peter (shout out to Quito Walking Tours). We explored the many beautiful historic sites in Quito, sampled exotic fruit juices, found a chocolate shop (duh...did you know Ecudor is the #2 producer of chocolate in the world?), and explored many beautiful cathedrals. The day concluded with dinner at Cafe Mosaico, dining with an incredible view overlooking the city lights. We enjoyed bebidas, ceviche, and sweet time together.










This morning we got quite the early start. 5:30 am to be exact (woof). We took a day trip to Cotopaxi National Park, home to the second highest active volcano in the world. It was quite the day- cold, windy, steep and memorable to say the least. After making a few pit stops along the way (coco tea and llama petting involved), we arrived at the base of the volcano and began trekking. We made friends along the way, most notably our friends from Amsterdam and a young Chilean girl. Also on our tour was a son and mom from Georgia! Ryan, the son, goes to UGA (go dawgs)! After a windy hike up, breathtaking views, and some mountain biking down we arrived at a beautiful lagoon and headed to a local restaurant for dinner. The elevation was no doubt difficult, yet, all three of us were reminded, in the midst of such a magnificent creation, of our own human weakness and deep need for a big, loving God!


In general- well rather, on a side note- we've loved chatting with the taxi drivers (praise The Lord for Lizzy's fluency and mine & mals increasingly improved Spanish speaking abilities), and befriending people from all around the world. It's been so fun to hear their stories and be surrounded by diversified cultures and experiences.

After a long, adventure packed day, we are ready for some needed rest. So back to the Casa El Eden we came, warmly greeted by Blanca, and excited for our remaining three days in Ecuador! Hasta Luego, amigos!