Who got us checked and toured us around Quito today including...

Going to the center of the world

We did some cool experiments here on our quest to learn how being even two feet away from the equator can make a difference

We balanced eggs on nails

Did strength experiments and learned you are 2 pounds lighter and stronger on the equator line. \240We also leaned about the isolated tribes of Waorani people are still isolated, how they used blow darts and shrunk the heads of their dead.

In this video they explained the Coriolis effect changes how water spins counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the south and goes straight down when on the equator. \240The video above is right on the line and they only had to move it three feet in either direction to change the pattern.

We had lunch of sea bass and mais at a beautiful restaurant on the edge of a volcanic crater; one of only two world wide where people have built and live inside the crater

Where Spencer tried befriending a lama

We did a city tour

Saw a 41 meter tall Virgin Mary

And we are wrapping the day up “vibing” in the room with some room service and an early night. \240Late night last night and Spencer has a pretty solid cold. \240We are all winded after going up even three stairs! We were about 2800 meters above sea level most of the day. We were all winded and had some weird symptoms like sore eyes and tightness around the head but we will acclimate.

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Grandpa we all agreed you would NOT do this. \240And the harness situation was not really (not at all) what we see in North America.

We hiked for a couple of hours down to a waterfall and then back up again. \240The size of the ferns and trees were amazing

Doran calls this shot “Spencer in the jungle”..

We came up upon a rope swing so we all gave it a turn or two. \240Press play on the video below

We hiked out and Gavin and Erin had a swim in the pools and then we took about 200 pictures of hummingbirds. we each had to choose one for the Journo. First Erin’s submission

I call it “The Landing”

Now Gavins

Spencer’s which is a slow mo video

And finally the winning submission by Doran...check out the stage lighting effect. \240Just too bad those hummingbirds are so fast

He calls this “A near miss”.

We stopped for road side bananas on the way home. \24018 bananas for one US dollar. \240

Now we are going to find some dinner and have an early night. \240We have a 7am pick up for the biking the volcano day and road trip to our next town Baños!

What is surprising about Ecuador is the cleanliness and the first class rods. \240Highways way better than in Canada and seemingly all new. \240The Pan American highway had lots to see including a million fruit stands, and a section where families sit and wait for people to stop and give them old things they are done with (a tradition after Christmas til NY). \240And the roses

I’m sure all the world gets its roses from here and a dozen is about $3. \240Displays like this are everywhere.

And the weather. \240It’s cloudy and comfortable until the sun comes out, then it’s hot like fire for a few minutes until it clouds over again. \240The temps have bee perfect for us. \240Not too hot or cold. \240

The Samari resort where we are staying is beautiful. \240It used to be a Jesuit retreat that is 300 years old.

The pools are in a grotto..tomorrow we have a few hours of pool time so I’ll get some pics.

What an epic day we had today. \240We river rafted in the Amazon Rain forest! \240We rafted the Pastaza river and the rapids were big enough for the boys but not too big for the parents. \240The area around Baños is known for extreme sports but what is interesting is that it is not developed for westerners like in Costa Rica. The signs are all Spanish and there are very few white people. \240Maybe we’ve seen 10? \240We are surprised at the absence of foreigners but it makes it feel like we are in real Ecuador. \240

After the rafting we headed to the swing at the end of the world which was both terrifying and exhilarating at once. \240Picture worthy for sure

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After this we strolled around town finding some dinner and ended up with Spencer finally buying his own pan flute. \240

It was the best day ever- truely.

Today was another day full of great experiences. \240We started the day renting bikes and biked around 12 K mostly downhill to various waterfalls. \240The first stop was at Ecuador’s longest zip line and it’s just so different with no line and one person waiting there in case someone shows up. \240No waivers or instructions just hop on and go

1000m zip line. Press play

The best part for the boys was the truck that drove them back and they stood in the back holding onto the roll bar 😬.

Then we continued biking and discovered that the tradition on NYE is for men to dress as women. \240The tradition started in the 69s when widows would come to the streets with babies and stop cars and ask for money for the kids. So these men are called the widows and have hijacked the tradition and basically gather money 5 cents at a time and create major traffic jams in the process.

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Our second stop was this shotty cable car run by a car engine motor taking you over a huge canyon. \240I was literally terrified and froze with fear when he stopped the car half way. \240The beautiful scenery was amazing for the boys but hard for me to fully appreciate

Here is a vid of me yelling at Spencer!

We continued to the biggest of the waterfalls...The Devils Cauldron where two glacial rivers join at the spot of the waterfalls to create a dramatic and beautiful falls.

We hiked out for ice cream and took a truck back to the hotel . \240In the afternoon we had some time at the hotel grotto hot/cold/relax pools and I had an hour long massage for $50!

We met back up with our guide at 6 for a true NYE Ecuador experience. \240It was a cross between pride week burning man, , Halloween and the Day of the Dead. \240Everyone was dressed up so we got some wigs and Doran got a unicorn horn and kitten ears. \240We had an eye-full for sure

Doran was a target as one of the only white people we saw all night and he was a great sport

We called it off when babies started to light off Roman candles. \240We missed the burning of hundreds of puppets but I think we saw enough. \240

It was an eventful day that I’m sure we will all remember for a long time.

The local population of Indigenous Chiqua shear then every two years and the money goes to community building. We kept driving up to the elevation of 4800m and we started our hiked up (after an energizing donut in the lodge)

Note Gavins face in this picture . \240He is “not vibing” at this elevation and so stayed back from the hike. \240It looks colder than it was. \240Just at the freezing mark I’d say.

We headed up 200 meters more

The hike was challenging for sure because our bodies were disassociated. \240It was such a unique sensation and felt symbolic to be summiting the highest peak in Ecuador on the first “light of the year”. \240

5040m =16,500 feet. \240For context Machu Pichu is 2400m, Mt. Charleston is 3332m (a summit Doran and I did in 2001). Whistler peak is 2181m. Everest base camp is 5300m.

We had the best hot chocolate ever at the top

The hike down was easy but the drive down the volcano was a bit concerning. \240None of us could really keep our eyes open and I felt like I was going to pass out at one point.we got to the hotel (which is still at 4000m) and had a nap and now we are all feeling back to our normal selves.well, 90% of our normal. \240

We are chilling at the hotel now with a 6:30 New Year’s Day dinner. \240The WiFi is awesome here so it will be an early night with a movie for us. \240Happy New Year!

We drove the distance from Carman to Winnipeg with nothing but bananas as far as you could see..a banana jungle!Press play on this vid

Of course we stopped for a bunch, which was 18 and $1.

We made it to Guayaquil and had an early dinner and are early to bed tonight.

Tomorrow is our last day and the cacao plantation!

Chocolate! \240Need I say more?

We had our last road trip with Ivan and talked about health care (3 tier) and gun control (3 interviews), housing prices (ave $35,000 house) and mortgage rates (9%). \240We arrived to a cacao farm about an hour from Guayaquil and had an excellent time learning about the turning the grit of the cocoa pod into chocolate. \240It starts with harvesting a pod like this once it turns red (which takes about 4 months).

The pod is broken open and the sears which are covered ina sweet white gooey substance are removed. \240The seeds are covered in banana leaves for 2-3 days for fermentation where the sweetness of the covering is absorbed into the seed. The seeds are dried for 4 days in the sun.

They are then roasted for about 10 min to release the flavors. \240Our guide Ivan is doing the roasting

Then the outer layer, like a peanut skin, is removed to expose the pure bean

Then the roasted beans are ground into a paste

And you have pure 100% chocolate. We added cane sugar and water and made an incredible chocolate drink

The farm was so productive with passion fruit

Rice, sugar cane and mangos like crazy that they let drop just to enhance the flavor of the cacoa.

We spent the afternoon walking the malecon of Guayaquil

And boy was it hot and humid! \240We are now tucked in bed getting ready for our 1:40am pick up to catch our flight home. We had an excellent adventure with Juan Carlos and Ivan and we agreed we would recommended this country to everyone. \240It was such a great time for the four of us an was easily one of our very best travel experiences. \240Gavin said “let’s come back next year!”.