Thank God, the journey was uneventful.
(NOTE: Ecuador 2012 posts will be more informal and conversational since I’m writing quickly as often as I get internet access. Don’t expect Pulitzer-prize winning journalism, just some notes from the road 🙂
From loading the rental cars in Fort Myers to checking bags in Miami, the Stateside leg of our mission trip to Ecuador was a smooth ride.
After a wonderful flight on the airline LAN (whose service and amenities are top-notch, by the way) we were met by dear friends at the airport in Quito. Mario and Anjelica Roman, their daughter Mariela and her fiancee Daniel even held up a “Bienvenidos” sign for us to welcome us to Ecuador.
We boarded a tour bus and wound our way steadily through 45 minutes of winding roads with only the occasional bump for a shallow pothole or slowdown for another vehicle owning the road. At last we arrived at a lovely house with tons of room for all 15 of us to sleep well tonight. Our old friend Nathalia Armas is a realtor in Ecuador and one of the homes she’s selling has a very generous current owner who let us stay the night here. It’s a beautiful place, everyone here has been so hospitable and kind and it was great to see Nathalia again. We also got to see Mauricio and Monica Calderon and their kids Emile, Ingrid and Anahi!
We were fed well, a light dinner of turkey and cheese sub sandwiches, complete with potato chips and soda (along with purified water, thankfully). Nothing like healthy eating when you travel 😉
There are plenty of beds, and as we’re all roommates with at least one other person, let the mission trip bonding begin!
Ciao for now,
– Phillip
