Park Play!
We have learned to enjoy Carolina Park across the street from our apartment on Sundays. Every Sunday there seems to be a race or other event that closes off the main roads so we know that it is best to stick close to our neighborhood and save the traveling to other days of the week. This past Sunday almost all the main roads in our area were closed off for a marathon, which was actually great because we did not have to worry about cars zooming by while we tried to cross the street!
One of the things we all three enjoy doing when we get home is listening to Harry Potter on Audiobook. We just started The Order of the Phoenix this week and Rick, especially, is loving following along on my Kindle while we listen. David enjoys it...but still needs his rest time!
On Monday we went to explore a new park, El Ejido, which is the oldest park in Quito City. It was the first completely clear day we have had since arriving in Quito. I did not realize how much the sun would affect me, it was so intense! We only explored a few of the play areas before I needed to go home and get out of the heat. The boys definitely were not as affected as I was so I had to bribe them to leave early with a fruit cup. We will definitely be back to explore this area on the next cloudy day!
Once we were home and cleaned up, we played some card games. One we have really been enjoying is the
Harry Potter Catch the Golden Snitch Card Game. It is so much fun and comes in a little chest with all of the Quidditch balls and a deck of cards. I bought this game on a whim at King Soopers before we left for Ecuador (they were having a buy one get one free on all card games so I stocked up!) and this one is a winner!
Tuesday was another bright and clear day here in Quito. Richard was back with us after reaching the summit of Antisana ahead of schedule. I was much more prepared for the sunshine today and stocked us up on water, Gatorade, and snacks before we headed to
Quito Zoo, which is just outside of town! It was so clear outside we could even see Cotopaxi from the terrace of our apartment having an ash eruption.
The zoo was absolutely beautiful, with so many great exhibits. We saw many species that are native to Ecuador as well as several other animals! Here are Richard and Rick in front of the giant Galapagos tortoises.
This little ocelot was my favorite animal of the day. He hung out right by the window of the exhibit so we got to enjoy his company for a while.
The condor exhibit was another highlight. If you zoom in you can see four condors perched on the tree branch behind Rick and David in this picture. They also had a viewing platform you could climb to get a better look and an educational area to learn about condor rehabilitation. We learned a lot!
We headed back to Quito City for a late lunch at Lucia Pie House and Grill. The kids immediately approved of this place because you could color on the tables! The food was delicious and it was a less than 10-minute walk back to our apartment.
Antisana
Before Richard joined us, he climbed the volcano Antisana with his mountaineering group. He was fortunate to have much better weather this time around so I actually have some pictures to share! We are very proud of him. He only has one more volcano to go, Chimborazo, before he completes his program!
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