Ecuador - July 2, 2023
Papallacta
This area is known for their trout, when you drive through you see fisheries as well as places to do sport fishing. So we obviously had to have some for lunch! Richard had the grilled trout and I ordered the grilled trout with shrimp and garlic sauce. Everything was delicious! The kids opted for rice and shrimp (Rick) and a cheeseburger and french fries (David). Lets just say there were not a lot of leftovers, we had all worked up an appetite!
No meal in Ecuador is complete without fresh juice. We all have come to love this about Ecuador, you can get fresh squeezed juice at any and every restaurant. This sometimes means waiting a while for your drink, but it is 100% worth it. David tried a new mix at this restaurant: mora and guanabana, it was so good!
Our guide then took us back to our Airbnb in Quito! After freshening up, we went out to get some dinner and pick up a few items from the store to hold us over until we leave on Tuesday. Since we had such a late lunch, I voted to eat at Crepes and Waffles to get something sweet. Needless to say everyone agreed! David ordered the waffles with nutella and banana while Rick chose the waffle with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I went for a cream filled crepe with coffee and nut ice cream topped with caramel and chocolate sauce (it was amazing). Richard got a cheese filled crepe with fruit and a really yummy sauce! We also got a chocolate shake to share...delish!
Next we rented a paddle boat! We hadn't had a chance to do this yet and we had a great time! It is a great way to see everything that is going on in the park. We saw: people setting up and walking on a slack line, someone getting a massage, people making and selling fresh juice and all varieties of food, a pop up carnival, and people practice some acrobatics!
It was time for lunch after this. We returned to a restaurant we enjoyed before, Lucia Pie House and Grill. The food is excellent and the kids love the fact that you can draw on the table -- definitely a win-win. Not to mention their coconut lemonade is amazing!
It was a beautiful day to spend together. We then got home and Richard and I started organizing for our return flight. Even though we don't leave until Tuesday, we have a lot to do to make sure everything is in order! After 6 weeks this apartment has become our home away from home. This is just the beginning...we will have quite a bit more once we finish organizing!
We decided to squeeze in one last day trip before leaving Ecuador. On Saturday we scheduled a tour with Gaby from Tours By Locals to go to the hot springs in Papallacta, about an hour and a half drive from Quito and 13k in elevation. Here we are at a lookout of Laguna Papallacta!
We went to Papallacta Hotel and Hot Springs, which was a stunning location. We did not get any pictures at the actual pools because the boys were busy swimming, jumping, and splashing. All of the pools were different depths and temperatures, ranging from freezing cold water provided by the Papallacta river to pools that were so hot you could only stay in a minute! The heat is provided naturally by the volcanic activity in the area. Here are a few pictures of us post swim!
After a few hours of swimming our guide took us on a nature hike through the area. We learned about the local plants and even got a glimpse of the giant organic farm that the hotel uses for its restaurant!
We also all tried another typical dish of this area. It was choclo (corn on the cob) with cheese, avas (the brown beans), and melloco (the round yellow potato type things). It was really good!
No meal in Ecuador is complete without fresh juice. We all have come to love this about Ecuador, you can get fresh squeezed juice at any and every restaurant. This sometimes means waiting a while for your drink, but it is 100% worth it. David tried a new mix at this restaurant: mora and guanabana, it was so good!
Our guide then took us back to our Airbnb in Quito! After freshening up, we went out to get some dinner and pick up a few items from the store to hold us over until we leave on Tuesday. Since we had such a late lunch, I voted to eat at Crepes and Waffles to get something sweet. Needless to say everyone agreed! David ordered the waffles with nutella and banana while Rick chose the waffle with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. I went for a cream filled crepe with coffee and nut ice cream topped with caramel and chocolate sauce (it was amazing). Richard got a cheese filled crepe with fruit and a really yummy sauce! We also got a chocolate shake to share...delish!
Goodbye Carolina Park
Today was our last Sunday at Carolina Park. It was very bittersweet as we have spent almost every Sunday here spending time as a family. It is probably my favorite spot here in Quito and I will miss being able to walk across the street (which is so much easier on Sunday because the roads are closed for cyclists) and partake in all of the fun! We started off with another trip to the Botanical Gardens. Richard was not with us when we went the last time, so the boys had a lot of fun showing him their favorite plants (carnivorous plants, cacti, and orchids were their favorites)!
The kids then wanted one last play time at their favorite playground in the park (rainbow rock wall park as they call it). We bought some bubbles to play with while we were there! I think Rick and David spent a solid 45 minutes chasing bubbles and trying to pop them with sticks. David then requested to paint. The tents that sell kids toys, soccer balls, and kites also have little easles set up. You can pay $2 to paint the picture of your choice!
It was a beautiful day to spend together. We then got home and Richard and I started organizing for our return flight. Even though we don't leave until Tuesday, we have a lot to do to make sure everything is in order! After 6 weeks this apartment has become our home away from home. This is just the beginning...we will have quite a bit more once we finish organizing!
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