Hello everyone.  It’s been quiet here the last week or so thanks to my being far, far away from a computer.  We made it back to the US mid-last week but I was too tired to do anything useful besides unpack the suitcase which was made easy by the fact it was all dirty clothes.  Since it’s Sunday, I thought this would be a good time to get back at it.

And since I didn’t read much while on vacation or write a word either — I finished The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma (very good), The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (not bad), and started Before Versailles by Karleen Koen (so far good) — I thought I would share photos from our trip to Ecuador instead.  I hope to get back to my regular posting schedule sometime this week but while I get myself used to sitting in front of a computer again, I will blind you with photos.  Oh, and by the way, it’s better if you look at them backwards.  I started to post them and realized about halfway through I was doing it first to last instead of last to first so it would make more sense and then decided I didn’t feel like doing it all over again. So if you’re interested in flow, start at the bottom.  🙂

Happy Sunday.

Overlooking Quito at night.

The elevation sign at the Cotopaxi parking lot --- over 14,000 feet above sea level. Crazy feeling.

Cotopaxi Volcano. At the base of the mountain, we couldn't see anything but clouds. It didn't clear completely but we did get to see most of the volcano.

Butterflies of Mindo.

Hummingbird in Mindo.

Monument to the true equator. Ignore the compass, it means nothing at the equator. It was our Flat Stanley. We borrowed it from a friend and didn't have a use for it so we began taking photos of it everywhere.

The monument to the equator. It's not the true equator though...

Relaxing in the hot springs in Papallacta. Yep, my toes.

View from Pinchincha Volcano. You can see a view of Quito between the peaks.

Mary that looks over Quito; blessing or judging, your choice.

The Golden Church in Quito's Old Town. You can't take pictures inside but the name is very appropriate --- everything in the church is covered in gold leaf.