Ecuador - July 5, 2023

Mitad del Mundo (again!)

We managed to squeeze in one more outing the day before we left Quito to make the most of our time in Ecuador. After discussing with Rick and David some of their favorite things we did while Richard was climbing, we decided to make the quick day trip to Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City). As I wrote in my previous post back in June, this place is lots of fun and it definitely warranted a return trip! Returning also allowed us time to visit the planetarium, which we missed the last time. Rick and David were also excited to tour the museum (especially the Galapagos exhibit now that we have been) that is inside the monument.










Homeward Bound!

The next day July 4th, we headed home to Denver. Travel was surprisingly a breeze. There were no lines at the Quito airport. I have to say that the security there is so friendly towards families traveling with children. They didn't make us take out the kids' tablets from their bags and were very helpful overall! We had a very American meal at the Quito airport at Johnny Rockets and then headed to Miami. I will say I was so happy that we all four had Global Entry, it made customs at Miami a breeze. After a bumpy ride and circling DIA for a bit, we finally arrived home in Denver a few minutes before midnight safe and sound!



Highlight Reel

We feel so fortunate to have had this experience and I want to try to remember all of the things we enjoyed and experienced together as a family. While we were having dinner in the Miami airport (Richard and I were a bit in sticker shock with the $50 price tag for Wendy's after Ecuador prices for the past month and a half) I asked Rick, David, and Richard about their favorites from our trip. Here are the results!

What was your favorite juice that you drank in Ecuador?

  • Richard - jugo de coco (coconut)
  • Rick - limonada de coco, jugo de caña, jugo de mora (coconut lemonade, sugar cane, and mora juice)
  • David - limonada natural, jugo de caña, jugo de guanabana (lemonade, sugar cane, and guanabana). I feel that it is important to note that their lemonade is different in Ecuador, the inside is a more orange color giving the lemonade a different taste to what we have here in the U.S.)
  • Me - limonada de coco, jugo de coco, jugo de mora (coconut lemonade, coconut juice, and mora juice)

What were the top three foods that you ate in Ecuador?

  • Richard - aji, tuna tataki, and corn (all of the kinds that we had, he could not pick one!)
  • Rick - empanadas verdes (the kind that are made from green plantains), red grapes, shrimp, tostados (fried corn), and choclo (corn on the cob). He could not pick just three!
  • David - bananas, maduros (sweet plantains), and cacao seeds. I love how David's top three were all fruit related!
  • Me - cevichocho (ceviche with chocho beans), empanadas verdes, and chocolate

What were your favorite things to do in Quito?

What was your favorite trip that we did while in Ecuador?

  • Richard - All three peaks (Cayambe, Antisana, and Chimborazo), the Galapagos, and climbing to the Cotopaxi Refugio with David
  • Rick - The Galapagos, Mindo, and Chimborazo Lodge
  • David - The Galapagos, Mindo, and Cotopaxi Refugio
  • Me - The Galapagos, Mindo, and Chimborazo/Guaranda (that whole 3 day trip was amazing!)

What was your favorite animal in the Galapagos?

  • Richard - Galapagos Tortoise
  • Rick - Marine Iguana
  • David - Black Tipped Reef Sharks
  • Me - Sea turtle (You can vaguely make it out in this picture, but I was the one who spotted it from the pier! It was a very exciting moment!)


What was your favorite thing about living in a city? Least Favorite?

  • Richard - Favorite: All of the international food. Least Favorite: Random, unannounced road closures. Specifically that one day he was returning to his mountaineering group and a 45-minute drive turned into a 2+ hour drive. 
  • Rick - Favorite: Going to all of the parks. Least Favorite: Traffic and random loudspeaker announcements in the mornings (He is specifically referring to one day when there was a marathon and they started testing the loudspeaker at 5:45 AM...repeatedly).
  • David - Favorite: Walking everywhere. Least Favorite: Traffic and screaming
  • Me - Favorite: Walking everywhere and not having to worry about driving. Least Favorite: Noise at night (very glad Richard told me to bring earplugs!)

What was one thing you missed about the United States while living in Ecuador?

  • Richard - Flushing toilet paper
  • Rick - Drinking the tap water
  • David - Flushing toilet paper
  • Me - Having an oven and a garbage disposal

What is something that we didn't get to in Ecuador, but you would like to do if we go back?

  • Richard - Go snorkeling to see sharks and sea turtles in the Galapagos
  • Rick - Go to more islands in the Galapagos and go snorkeling 
  • David - Go and see the Galapagos penguins
  • Me - Go to the Amazon, this was the one region we did not get to see in Ecuador!

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