Ellie: Today Lindsey and I both got the pleasure of being in two hemispheres at once - I know you are all jealous! We got to go to the Equator. We started the day with about a 3 hour bus ride, which we nicknamed the "Peel and Jolt", since the bus driver had a knack for peeling out and then slamming on the brakes. Needless to say Lindsey, and I both took some Dramamine and somehow made it through. When we got to the Equator we got to play on the line between hemispheres, while also finding out that the actual line for the Equator is actually located about 60 meters away in the middle of the freeway! Good 'ol modern day GPS found that out - after the monument was built, of course! Oh well! It is really all about the pictures anyway, right? 
We had a snack and hung out at the Equator - took some pictures and did some shopping. When we were just getting into the bus I found out that the thing I had been trying to find at the Equator, but was told was not there, actually does exists! Oh well. I had been looking for the place to balance an egg on a nail and see the water flush in opposite directions depending on what side of the Equator you were on etc. It's okay - I did get to be in two hemispheres at once!
After the Equator we took another long and eventful bus ride to North Quito, where we saw a huge statue of a virgin angel that looks out over and is meant to protect the city. It kind of reminded me of the Statue of Liberty, but not :)
We got some good pictures of the beautiful and impressive view. The city is SO condensed and it's hard to imagine how many people live in this area alone! 
Next stop was dinner - we finally got to eat! We went to a Waffles and Crepes restaurant in the mall (yes, there was a mall!) that was actually really good and cheap. The highlight though was the Cheesecake Brownie Lindsey and I hunted down for dessert. We were definitely craving some American sweets!
Final stop: the Quito Airport. We were on our way home! We loved Ecuador: the people, the landscape, the food, the music, the shopping & of course the culture...and we're sad to leave it all behind. Hence, the sadface picture.
When Lindsey and I reached the airport we discovered that our carry on luggage was with the other group! Half our group came home with us on Thursday night and the others came home four days later - they stayed to do a few more fun things. We wished we could have stayed but we really were ready to come home and grateful we weren't staying for four more days. We had our good friend do some Spanish translating for us and he got one of the guys from the other group to bring us our luggage - close one. Once we had our belongings we headed off to the check-in line, the exit tax line, the security line, and then an additional security screening where tragedy struck. They went through our carry on luggage one by one. Lindsey and I had put all our breakable items, wooden gifts etc., in our carry on luggage. As they went through our bags they found a beautiful wooden kitten Lindsey had purchased as a gift that had a long, sort of pointy, tail. They forced her to break the tail off saying it could have been used as a weapon. So frustrating! 
We had a snack and hung out at the Equator - took some pictures and did some shopping. When we were just getting into the bus I found out that the thing I had been trying to find at the Equator, but was told was not there, actually does exists! Oh well. I had been looking for the place to balance an egg on a nail and see the water flush in opposite directions depending on what side of the Equator you were on etc. It's okay - I did get to be in two hemispheres at once!After the Equator we took another long and eventful bus ride to North Quito, where we saw a huge statue of a virgin angel that looks out over and is meant to protect the city. It kind of reminded me of the Statue of Liberty, but not :)
We got some good pictures of the beautiful and impressive view. The city is SO condensed and it's hard to imagine how many people live in this area alone! Next stop was dinner - we finally got to eat! We went to a Waffles and Crepes restaurant in the mall (yes, there was a mall!) that was actually really good and cheap. The highlight though was the Cheesecake Brownie Lindsey and I hunted down for dessert. We were definitely craving some American sweets!Final stop: the Quito Airport. We were on our way home! We loved Ecuador: the people, the landscape, the food, the music, the shopping & of course the culture...and we're sad to leave it all behind. Hence, the sadface picture.
When Lindsey and I reached the airport we discovered that our carry on luggage was with the other group! Half our group came home with us on Thursday night and the others came home four days later - they stayed to do a few more fun things. We wished we could have stayed but we really were ready to come home and grateful we weren't staying for four more days. We had our good friend do some Spanish translating for us and he got one of the guys from the other group to bring us our luggage - close one. Once we had our belongings we headed off to the check-in line, the exit tax line, the security line, and then an additional security screening where tragedy struck. They went through our carry on luggage one by one. Lindsey and I had put all our breakable items, wooden gifts etc., in our carry on luggage. As they went through our bags they found a beautiful wooden kitten Lindsey had purchased as a gift that had a long, sort of pointy, tail. They forced her to break the tail off saying it could have been used as a weapon. So frustrating! Lindsey: Let me just say, that the sharp shards of wood that resulted from the bludgeoning of my kitty was much more hazardous than it was to begin with. I was so angry that they broke it and threw the tail away, then handed the rest right back to me, but it really got me going when the woman said, "I'm sorry, but since we already found one WEAPON in your bag, we're going to have to search everything else on your person." Fan-freaken-tastic! Needless to say, the accosted kitty did make it across the border and now resides on Tiffany Porter's desk :)
We then got the pleasure of going on a 30 minute flight South (so not towards Utah at all) to Guayacuil, Ecuador. We had a 40 minute layover where we got our luggage searched again - Lindsey and I both also purchased $7 chocolate bars - we really wanted some chocolate and it was worth it! Then the real trip began. A 6 hour flight back to "Hotlanta" and then on our way back to Salt Lake City. We definitely took the Red Eye and sleep was hard to come by but we were so grateful to land in Salt Lake City at 10:30 AM on Friday, July 25. Welcome home!!
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