signs from ecuador

As usual I have a few pictures that have caught my eye for some random reason. They don't fit into the family photo category but I would be remiss to not include them wouldn't I?

Enjoy.

I'm trying, I'm trying.

"Yeah boss, that sounds like a great name for the machine" said the yes man.

Yo queiro street art.

Je t'aime it too.

dang, and we were going to hike down too.

proof they don't always fight and argue.

was not expecting to see this while touring Ecuador.

I don't get it

Luca had no idea on this one as Lisa lined him up for a photo. (hint: check the green paint)

Why yes I am in fact a member, how did you know?

we put the ffarte in your cafe.

Ommmmmmmm

Bogota Beer Company- solid

I don't often pose for trailhead hiking posters, but when I do I like to pull my socks up... way up.

This made Luca and I laugh in the mens room. Clearly a case of male logic solving a problem. Problem is a man has to clean this bathroom and doesn't want to wipe up the pee anymore. and yes, I peed all over the seat. (not really)

Steve Leigh- you have a home in Ecuador.

This made me think of Dave Bond and the upcoming Lucky B South American tour.

patron saint of... Calamari? (also- check the santa chillin on the bottom right)

Sometimes even a rooster needs to feel fancy

Don't eat them often, but I gotta say I love Doritos. These however were strangely awful.

With innovative advertising like this I found it hard to believe this place wasn't hopping.

You tell me that a street mural containing Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland, anime, and the wizard of Oz would never work and I will just simply show you this.

These are quite common throughout Ecuador and though I assume they are meant to encourage people to see throwing away trash as fun and jolly I found them quite terrifying and refused to use them.

My next moustache

Love this about travel: never in a million years would I have thought my first Quebec restaurant would be found in Quito.

Cuenca, Vilcabamba, Quito- wrapping up the Ecuador trip

Well it was back on the bus and the final legs of the trip: a few days in Cuenca, Vilcabamba and then Quito.

So little known fact here: the panama hat is actually made in Ecuador- Cuenca to be exact. Although these two were close- we didn't find the "just right" lids to buy.

Cuenca was cool, but it didn't really captivate us. I think the reason for this is that we had such high hopes. Since Matt and Diana Scherr used to live there we just figured it would be off the charts cool- but I guess we were expecting it to be like hanging out with them in Minturn or something- oh well- next time we bring the Scherrs.

spot the Wilder?

smart business plan in Cuenca: sell flowers near the church.

Our next stop was Vilcabamba. A little town that seems to attract a fair number of gringo retirees and younger hippies. Luca asked just what a hippie was and  we basically told him that there were many kinds but basically (like the guy walking by at the time) they wear pajama pants all day long.
Big mistake- Luca is now ready to be hippy solely based on wardrobe.

 

Another town, another hike

spot the luca?

We picked a bit of a cloudy day to go to the cloudforest- but it had the most amazing biodiversity per square meter I have ever seen- so good to science geek out. "hey Wilder have I told you how ferns are different than plants?"
 

best hiking snack ever!

Soon it was time to fly to Quito. (no bus thank you very much). Oh and look out the plane window... that volcano I have never seen... it's still in the clouds.

we took the teleferico up and you guessed it- started hiking. Looking back at the kids Lisa and I slowly reached an understanding that maybe, just maybe, they had hiked enough for one trip.

So we cruised around the city, with it's ornate buildings and churches. Seriously, the churches had the coolest gargoyles ever!

 

Lisa shops for a fashionable sweater.

Luca and Innes shop for some fashionable head gear.

 Wilder looking happy, Apostles looking serious. 

Thanks Ecuador- it was a great trip.