Moments!!! Especially Aww-ha! :)

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, AWAKES"

CHORDELEG/CARNAVAL

Jared and I had heard of a little town "30 minutes" outside of Cuenca that specializes in arts, silver jewelry, and handicrafts.  It was also the weekend of carnaval, which is a sight to be seen and the city of Chordeleg was having it's own celebration.  We decided to invite our friends Craig, Ileana and their two daughter's Grace (2 years old) and Sophia (5 years old) to join us.  They are most recently from Portland Oregon and are planning a long stay here in Cuenca, a year and half or more.  We all decided to take the bus, which was our first real adventure on a "country" bus. 

Coco  was VERY eager for the ride

The day was beautiful to start with!! 

Country side

About 20 minutes outside of Cuenca we saw a sign for the town of San Bartolomea, I had read about it in our Ecuador book as its known for beautifully hand crafted guitars and instruments.  We asked the bus driver if we could get off and with some major discussions, in which we were practically begging to get off they finally relented and let us out to see this beautiful village.

This is normally a fountain, but because Carnaval celebrations get crazy with water fights and they LOVE to spray each other the fountains were shut down.  

The girls, watching the local kids filling up squirt guns and water balloons in the city center. 

Our girls were a hit! The town's people were so warm and friendly and gave them streamers to wear for the celebration. 

Since it was a holiday weekend taxis were nowhere to be found.  We started to ask the locals how we could get to Chordeleg and we ended up hiring someone to take us.  Jared and Craig loved sitting in the back.  

On the way to Chordeleg, there were several police stops in which they were searching vehicles.  We weren't sure why this was, but had no problem getting through and weren't even stopped.  We'd later find it hard to get a taxi back to Cuenca, because of the same police stops.

We finally arrived in Chordeleg and found it to be a very cute, quaint town.  Many of the streets were roped off for the "big" parade and as we were walking down the street we could see the kids on the balconies preparing for the water gun shoot out.  I felt like we were in a scene of the wild west, walking down the center of  a dirt road with the kids stationed on the balconies, aiming their water balloons and yet we were surprised at how respectful the kids were and the adults as we didn't get a drop of water on us all day.  They were even dumping buckets from the balcony's on random passer-byes, but they would instantly stop when our little crew passed by.  I don't think that would happen in the states, you know kids would love to soak a tourist if they saw them walking past.

The food market

The colorful parade

Happy Girl!!

Carnaval

Great family!! Craig, Sophia, Ileana and Grace

During the middle of the parade dark clouds began to roll in and it instantly began to pour!! Everyone, cleared the streets to seek shelter, ending the festivities.  We decided to walk to the bus stop and attempt to catch a bus back to Cuenca, which unfortunately was every body's intentions.  Therefore, the bus stop was packed and there was a limited seating area under a little overhang.  The bus arrived every 30 minutes and after waiting only 15 minutes a bus quickly arrived, unfortunately only a few people jumped on as we were told it was full.  We continued to wait and wait and wait... 

I wasn't feeling well and had started to get a headache, we were getting drenched and our fun day was quickly turning into a long adventure.  We tried to call a taxi, but were told because of the police searches no one wanted to take anyone to Cuenca.  After another 30 minutes and all our girls being great troopers the next bus arrived.  Some people began to try and push ahead of us and our girls, but I was again in awe of the kindness of some strangers who began to push the others back and make room for us and our families, saying we had been waiting longer.  :)

As we climbed aboard the bus it was PACKED and had standing room only.  At this point I was nauseated and getting sicker, but figured it would only be a 45 minute ride back to Cuenca.  After about 20 minutes on the bus a young man stood up and offered Ileana his seat so she could rest and hold sweet Grace on her lap. After another 15 minutes a young girl offered to give me her seat for Coco and I to rest in.  I was again, grateful and in awe of the sweetness of the people here.  After about an hour on the bus we realized we were NOT on the same road as the one we had come on and rather we were on the side of a steep mountain on a dirt road.  I heard Jared say to Craig, "Man, don't look down, that's got to be a 600 foot drop of the side of the mountain", Craig responded jokingly "Good thing its not raining, we could be at risk of a mud slide", YEP!!! I was freaking!!!  

After an hour and a half on a bumpy, muddy, road on the side of a mountain, Coco informs us she needs to use the bathroom.  We quickly realize its locked and are told the key is in the front of the bus (remember it's packed), poor Jared has to navigate his way through the standing people make his way to the front and bring the key back.  To top it off, the bathroom was locked, because it hadn't been cleaned in years and stuff (you know) had spilled all over the walls!!! It was by far the most disgusting thing we had ever seen (that's saying a lot especially after all our travels).  

After a 2 hour return trip we finally made it back to Cuenca and were then plagued for the next 3 days with sickness.  If we were to return to Ecuador for any longer period of time, having a vehicle would make all the difference.  I am so grateful we had embarked on our Chordeleg adventure, but it really was an exhausting finish... 

CAJAS NATIONAL PARK

We have been so excited to check out the amazing Cajas National Park, it is always listed as a MUST  do around Cuenca.  We have been so fortunate to have become friends with Sebastian (former MSU student :) :) ) whose grown up in Cuenca and owns a WONDERFUL restaurant.  He had offered to take us to his "favorite" area in Cajas.  We vowed we couldn't miss this amazing opportunity, but the day before we were to go Coco had gotten some new shoes, which she'd worn to school.  By the time she returned home she had huge blisters on both of her feet (they had bandaged them, but it was too late the blisters were bad), we were certain she wouldn't be able to do the hike the next morning.

All I can say is our girl is TOUGH, the morning of the hike she woke me up VERY early and said "Momma today's the day of our hike, right?  I'm going no matter what, hiking is my favorite!!"... I had thankfully brought some blister band aids, which I applied and she was ready for the day and she never complained the WHOLE day... 

Sebastian driving us through the beautiful countryside

We are at about 11,500 feet at the start of our hike!

Happy family who LOVES to hike!!! :) 

The start of the trail

Very lush forests

Beautiful flowers

It was amazing how beautifully kept the trails were.  They had board walks much of the way, especially through the jungle type forests.

It was a magical, mystical day and such a perfect temperature.

This lake was beautiful and also a great place for rainbow trout!

You could hear and see the most amazing birds, many of which were parrots.

This valley was beautiful

As you hike around the lake the board walk takes you up the side of the mountain for an even better view

Crystal clear rivers and lakes

Sebastian was the BEST guide! You could sense his passion for his BEAUTIFUL country!

Sebastian calls this a "Paper Tree", Coco loved playing with it's paper like bark.

Sebastian taking pictures

Wild horses and Wild Alpacas

The Alpacas were so curious!

There were two baby colts

Stopping to pick the flowers

and smell them.. :) 

The buildings in the back are an abandoned brewery.  Sebastian told Coco this is where Tarzan lives!!! :)  She couldn't believe it... 

This was our Aww-ha moment! As we watched the horses and alpacas and reflected on this beautiful journey to Ecuador we realized how HAPPY we are and how hiking and the outdoors is truly something our family LOVES and how blessed we are to be returning home to Montana!

Huge mountains!

Sebastian took this picture of me and I thought it reflected my emotions perfectly from the day!! HAPPY and SMILES!!

I would love to stay in that cabin!  You can actually rent it... :) 

The end of our hike Sebastian played a joke on Coco and told her he had left the keys way back on the trail.. Of course she had to check all the doors herself... :) 

On the drive home we kept stopping to look at all the baby calves! So sweet...

Beautiful rivers, they make up the head waters of the great AMAZON

Some of the countryside reminds me of Lord of the Rings! BEAUTIFUL..

After our hike Sebastian took us to his favorite "authentic"restaurant in Cajas, which specializes in preparing fresh caught trout... YUMMM!!

He then drove us to the top of the peaks at 14,000 feet in elevation...

Not sure if people died due to lack of oxygen, yikes!

Top of the world

14,000 feet!

She is obsessed with driving in the Mountains especially in South America

He then took us to the top of a mountain that his fiance Alex (whose Ecuador's National Mountain Bike champion and who is training for the Olympics) trains on... It was so intense!!! She is amazing...

View of Cuenca!

Such an amazing friend!!! <3

Our little family!!! So blessed and happy!! 

LEAVING YOU WITH A VIDEO OF OUR VERY HAPPY CHICA OR "ISA" AS HER TEACHER CALLS HER...  (please know she does have her seat belt on)...