The entrance to the new house in LA PAMPA, QUITO! Grandpa Domingo and Grandma Eva are so happy about their new pad. As
soon as those trees grow in the backyard, I will have a something to climb! Elijah can also pick avocados, lemons and oranges!
The views in every room are amazing. The house sits in a valley overlooking 2 mountains (on of which Mike decided to climb. There are all sorts of myths about this one solitary tree that sits atop this mountain and so people were shocked that this "Gringito" was going to climb so of course my mom and dad told everyone. This picture of my mom on the second floor overlooks Mike's mountain! I am sure Mike will become a myth himself one day. At the top, he carved Elijah's name, buried a treasure and came down with the remains of animal bones (we hope)...
This is the living room and notice the new flatscreen TV!
This is the second floor looking down! My mom is a perfectionist and the architecture of the house was perfect- big windows and a nice mixture of elements from concrete to marble to wood and steel.
Here, Mike enjoys the hammock with Elijah. And you guessed it-his first time was quite an experience since his stomach was not used to all that movement...(yuck).
OUR TRIP TO BANOS! (And where is Elijah in this equation?)
This is Volcano Cotopaxi- the view on the highway on our way to Banos to check out the volcano Tunguragua. We spent four hours on the back of a
pick up truck- Stephanie, Mike, Melissa and Juan. Nicky- the next time we visit we will be throwing you in back-We thought about how much fun you would have had with Uncle Mike and Aunt Stephy! We visited the town and then three days later the town was evacuated since it exploded.
Here Elijah is eating the cottony pit of the guava fruit! Delicious!
Eating a pitahaya! Like eating a very sweet kiwi-yum.
Being so close to the equator can burn you really quickly as you can see (I burned in one trip to the volcano).
The natives sell everything from the succulent roasted guinea pig to a variety of a cherry.
Quito has to be one the most interesting cities I've visited since it has so many climates, views and landscapes all in one place. Just this past week, Travel channel did an entire program on the city. From Quito you can drive by mountain sides, and eat at Pim's Restaurant (next to that winged virgin)- the best hamburger I have ever tasted. I love the buildings and then the terracotta roofs, the cows meandering the countryside and La Plaza Foch for an expresso!
aaaaawwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!! WEDDING BELLS?
We stopped at a cafe and markeplace and picked up some slingshots for Callum, Emelie and Jack! And Brahma (Germanico's golden retriever had fun too).
Mike, Germanico, Victor Hugo and Juan had a Pilsener (Ecuador's beer) and we al tried their queso de hoja which tastes like a long skinnny mozarella roll. Yummy!
After about 2 hours doing 60 mph (?kilometers) Germanico yells, "water, water, water!" We thought he was really thirsty and would stop for a drink when all of a sudden a little girl (around 7 years old) standing by the side of the highway threw a bucket of water out at us! Juan was the only target!
AFTER SOME ATTEMPTS, THE KIDS OF THE TOWN FINALLY HIT US
"Cuy" or roasted guinea pig- fresh and crunchy...
Here are the 2 mountains we go to experience - all it takes is ten people, one dollar, some courage and a few beers!
The chef prepared us one fish each, some plantains, a salad and some aji. After all our Anthony Bourdain sessions, I felt compelled to eat the eye...not bad. And Brahma danced in the background!
TECHNOLOGY IN ECUADOR
OK, SO WE WERE ONLY STUCK FOR 25 MINUTES BUT ELIJAH'S FOOD WAS STARTING TO LOOK PRETTY GOOD...
LINA- These are the jeans you sent him. Thank goodness my mom put him on a diet or else they were so snug on him but no more carbs for him only walks around the house! HEE Hee.
The entrance to the new house in LA PAMPA, QUITO! Grandpa Domingo and Grandma Eva are so happy about their new pad. As 
soon as those trees grow in the backyard, I will have a something to climb! Elijah can also pick avocados, lemons and oranges!
This is the living room and notice the new flatscreen TV!
This is Volcano Cotopaxi- the view on the highway on our way to Banos to check out the volcano Tunguragua. We spent four hours on the back of a 
pick up truck- Stephanie, Mike, Melissa and Juan. Nicky- the next time we visit we will be throwing you in back-We thought about how much fun you would have had with Uncle Mike and Aunt Stephy! We visited the town and then three days later the town was evacuated since it exploded.
The natives sell everything from the succulent roasted guinea pig to a variety of a cherry.
Quito has to be one the most interesting cities I've visited since it has so many climates, views and landscapes all in one place. Just this past week, Travel channel did an entire program on the city. From Quito you can drive by mountain sides, and eat at Pim's Restaurant (next to that winged virgin)- the best hamburger I have ever tasted. I love the buildings and then the terracotta roofs, the cows meandering the countryside and La Plaza Foch for an expresso!
