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!!
Here's another one that the kids got a kick out of! It's a llama relaxing in a hammock with lemonade! Good times!
The little kids were so darling in their traditional Ecuadorian dress and there was even a little boy in an Indian headdress and the whole bit. 
So much fun! They did a traditional style dance for us first, which we all enjoyed. It was followed but some audience participation. Lindsey got chosen to partner with an older gentleman in our group to do a dance where they had to put a tomato between their foreheads and dance in a circle without letting the tomato fall! It was hilarious! Lindsey and her partner came in second in the little competition. (Lindsey: let me just say one word...AWKWARD!) 
The next one was an eating contest; two of our guys participated and we were all a little worried that the fruit they were eating would make them sick - who knows?! The last, and most entertaining activity was a sack race. First all the little Ecuadorian boys competed against each other and then all the grown boys/men in our group competed. It goes without saying that it was hilarious and there were a few scraped knees and entertaining falls. 
Just as we were boarding the bus to go back to our hotel for a delicious meal while avoiding the guinea pig (cuy) lunch we were offered, the Ecuadorians surprised us with even more graciousness. They brought out a huge bag of the cutest and most colorful beanies - they had one for each of us and they were hand made! There must have been 40 or 50 of them and the women of the village had to have made them all the night before. Amazing, impressive and so sweet of them.
I have to say one of the highlights of today was finally getting to divulge in some Coquiero ice cream. Lindsey and I had been trying to have this delicatessen for days but we weren't feeling well and/or didn't have time, etc. We both devoured ours. A Coquiero ice cream is one of the Top 10 treats to try in Otavalo (or at least we were so told) and since Ecuador struggles in the sweets department, Lindsey and I were on the search for something delicious. While eating our ice cream we did a bit more shopping with some friends, I am sure you are all shocked to hear that news! Then we went back to our rooms to pack our bags and make sure all our souvenirs would fit in our luggage so we could get it all home. It was our last night in Otavalo!
After a while of dancing, presentations were made; Our leaders thanked all of our local Ecuadorian contacts with gifts and flowers and then they thanked us for our service and invited us back. They gave each person a shawl or scarf, a bag/purse, and a book of stories in Spanish (so we could learn for our next trip!). 
They were so nice to us and gave us everything they had - they are an amazing people. We look like twin Pocahantas' but we were very appreciative! After some more dancing, jokes, pictures and laughing we headed back to our hotel for one last night of sleep in our matrimony room.
This morning we also helped paint the outside of the school & bathroom and also started some murals on the sides.
The boys continued working on the roof, prepping for the new materials that hadn't arrived yet.
Now back to Ellie: After the work day Lindsey went with some of our friends back to the wood market to pick up a few more gifts. (Lindsey: We hitched a taxi ride, where we experienced the "3rd lane" epidemic where drivers create a new line right over the double yellow line, in between buses, semis, you name it! It was pretty scary, but we made it!)
Lindsey: I ended up assisting dentists by sterilizing their chairs after patients were done, but then had to go lay down for a while when things went downhill. Also wandered around the eye clinic but didn't have much energy to offer much help, unfortunately. I probably tried to push myself a bit too much by even go outside, but I didn't want to miss out.
We also got a demonstration about what the traditional clothing meant to their culture. Very fun, and it helped that we just had to sit and watch! We thanked the Stake President for his family's hospitality and headed back to our hotel.
We had planned to sing "Lead Kindly Light" during Sacrament so we were all there ready to sing - it went really well. The men in our group that could speak Spanish sang the first verse in Spanish and then the women did the second verse in Spanish and we all did the third verse in English. The congregation loved it. We also had brought some Book of Mormons with us and gave them to the missionaries who told us it was a miracle we had brought them because they hadn't had Book of Mormons to pass out for two weeks! It was a great day, even though I couldn't understand much of the meeting at church.
This is a pic of Andrew, Ellie & I with Dr. Nantu after church. She is pretty tiny, as you can tell! Or...we're just giants! 
The prices were amazing - at least to us - and we each bought a dozen bracelets (for $1.50 each) among other jewelry, alpaca blankets ($10-18 each), bags and other fun Ecuadorian 
We saw fried fish, but not just the fish you eat - the whole thing - tail, fins, gills, mouth and all. Delicious. After the market we went out to lunch and ate a delicious and filling meal at a Pizzeria. Lunch and drinks for 6 people was $12! I can barely eat lunch for just me for $12 in the states!
It was so much fun! I have never gone that fast, or that long, on a horse and I loved it. We rode for nearly 4 hours and I laughed so hard at bouncing around that I nearly fell off laughing! Although, I have to say Lindsey and I were both a little saddle sore shortly after. But it was worth it! We went down some relatively steep and treacherous hills, through a tunnel where our feet hit the walls and through some streams and we loved every minute. 
My horse was kind of a brat and bit Lindsey's horse as well as made some other enemies but it was all in good fun and only brought on more laughter. Lindsey and I were the lucky ones though because two of our party did get kicked by their horses and one girl lost her camera - we consider ourselves lucky for coming out unscathed!
When we got back Lindsey and I went to bed early in an effort to combat the slight sickness we were both feeling. After nearly a week in another country where you can't even drink the water, it's bound to happen. 
The kids were SO cute! And what was interesting was that the girls were brave and didn't cry as much while the boys bawled their eyes out! 
Lindsey: At one of the schools, there was a darling little girl that just wouldn't let go of me! She was so cute, and clingy! Too bad I can't stow away a child on the way home...they are too precious here!
After a day of work we got to go to the wood market in the Plaza of San Antonio de Ibarra, where there are a myriad of stores with any wood carving you can imagine. We found some great gifts and saw some 'interesting' wood carvings that could bring up some awkward conversations if hanging in your living room. We also got the once in a lifetime experience of sliding down a giant hummingbird slide - who doesn't want to do that someday? 
The evening was, to say the least eventful. We all went to "Beto's Disco" and had our first international karaoke experience. There wasn't a single Ecuadorian in the place and so it was about 25 Americans rockin' out to some good old fashioned American music. We picked about 20 songs and sang and danced the night away. There was a little salsa, a little karaoke by an American Idol contestant and lots of laughs. Greg stole the show with his performance of "Two Hearts" and his constant hip shakin!
We learned how the locals make concrete here, which is quite different than I've ever done it. We first leveled the ground, then layered small boulder sized rocks close to each other to cover the area. We then hauled 32 heaping wheelbarrows full of sand, 10 bags of concrete mix, and 25 wheelbarrows full of small rocks and put them in a pile. They covered the whole pile with water, then made a little funnel and slowly mixed the contents in the center until it was really wet, then filled a wheelbarrow full and dumped it over the rocks. 
Back to the interesting stuff...photo shoot with the kids! We had them do "peace" signs and taught them "head, shoulders, knees & toes" in Spanish. There was quite a bit of time when they only used the guys, for some odd reason, so we entertained the kids and took in the beautiful scenery (that oddly looked like Utah county, with additional animals & concrete shanties).
The concrete process took a bit longer than expected, so we were an hour and a half late meeting the rest of the group, who went to see the 
Several who were there earlier were able to hike up the backside of the waterfall and through a cave which was pretty cool...I heard. After seeing the sites, we headed back for dinner and some killer games of Phase 10, followed by a mob scene where I led about 10 people on a search for chocolate through the streets of 
We literally got in 2 long assembly lines and transported rocks from one location to another for the majority of the morning. It was pretty interesting, because several of the local indigenous women, barefoot and in full traditional clothing, jumped in line to help! They were so willing to help, but it was hard to tell them what we were doing because they didn't speak Spanish, only Quichua. I know Ellie & I are taller than the average US women, but we're like twice as tall as the Ecuadorian women!
After a few hours of working hard, nature started to call. I had to use the scary, dark/unlit, spider infested bathroom with a toilet that didn't flush....joyous. The "best" part about it, was that I got locked in! I started pounding on the door yelling, "Ayudame!" (help me) and finally got let out, much to the "satisfaction" of my fellow friends and workers...good times
After lunch, we went back to the construction site and ended up having to move the rocks we had just relocated, back to an area close to where they came from! Not the most efficient method, I can assure you. We did entertain ourselves by playing, "Sing a song starting with the word ____" and I usually had some way to work in "We're coming to America" by Neil Diamond (not so sure why, but it was pretty funny)! hee hee
After work, we headed back to Cotacachi and went shopping with the rest of the group. I didn't get anything much, but many in our group got custom tailored leather coats for $80! If I was a leather coat wearer, that would be a good deal. We headed back to the hotel for dinner, a bakery run, and movies in our room!
