Ecuador - Alli Pacha

 A few photos from my trip to Ecuador with Singular Humanitarian (SHe) and Choice Humanitarian. Alli Pacha (sp?) is a Kichwa/Quichua phrase that roughly translates to 'Excellent'.  It became our theme for the week in the village of Azabí. I loved my time in Ecuador!

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Jul 2 - At a bird reserve in Mindo. Can you see the camouflaged toucan? There were tons of hummingbirds here, but I couldn't get a good photo of them. Other things we did in Mindo before heading back to Quito to meet up with the group: Zip lining, hiking in the rain forest to a waterfall, visiting a small chocolate factory.

Jul 3 - Attended church in Quito before heading to the village

Jul 3 - Welcome ceremony, Azabí. We called this the circle dance and became very familiar with it.

Jul 4 - We moved this pile of rocks...twice, to get them down to the fish hatchery (piscicola)

Jul 4 - getting the rest of the common area ready for concrete

Jul 4 - Painting the school

Jul 4 - celebrating the 4th with fireworks.

Jul 5 - throwing rocks at the piscicola. We got really good at this (30+ rpms).

Jul 5 - bubbles with the kids after a day of work and before dinner

Jul 6 - A day in the life. Spent the morning with Rafael & Rosa's family, feeding animals, picking fruit, looking at their fish pond, and hiking up to their vegetable garden.

Jul 6 - the local artisans bring their work to sell during lunch.

Jul 6 - As part of Inti Raymi (the summer solstice celebration that the village waited to celebrate for us) they do a cleansing/goal setting ceremony with a Shaman in a beautiful nearby waterfall. 

Jul 7 - Hangman with the kids while we wait for the school ceremony

Jul 7 - School program after lunch

Jul 7 - local women here for the community/school festivities (I think they were eating homemade fruit Popsicles)

Jul 7 - Gathering at the piscicola to talk about the progress (the fence is up and cemented in and the 'pools' are cleaned out, almost ready to be poured in concrete) and the village's commitment to finish the project.

Jul 7/8 - the kids had fun with the balloons provided by Sandy

Jul 8 - driving through the jungle on our way to rafting and thermal pools

Jul 8 - For our last night in the community, after a bear hunt and dinner, we set off lanterns with our's and the villager's dreams and vision for the community 

Jul 8 - dancing the night away with the Choice in-country team (Jefferson, Raquiel, Marina, Pablo)

Jul 9 - Farewell to our amazing chefs (Marcelo, ?, Jo-Jo, Edgar). The food was so good. Head chef, Marcelo, owns a bakery

Jul 9 - Boat ride in a volcano lagoon (Cotacachi/Cuicocha)

Jul 10 - After sacrament meeting in Otavalo, we went to the 'Mitad del Mundo'...the Equator itself! That evening we did a fireside with the singles in Otavalo and experienced an earthquake during the fireside.

Jul 11 - View of Quito and a volcano in the background

Jul 12 - on a day tour near Baños - an animal reserve. This baby monkey was having some fun

Jul 12 - day tour continued. We stopped by a huge jungle swing on our way to a tall waterfall.

Jul 12 - Jungle tour continued - wooden canoe ride down the Puyo River. This is Jefferson, who is 20 and has 9 years of experience in these wobbly boats.

Jul 12 - Jungle tour stop at a local woman's place - She makes chocolate to sell to the locals and we helped in the process by shelling the cocoa beans after they had been dried and roasted.

Jul 13 - Casa del Arbol - I've wanted to go to this place after seeing it in photos. It was great, but not as intense as I had imagined...probably thanks to the giant swing in the jungle from the day before.

Jul 13 - Final site in Baños before heading back to the airport in Quito - Pailon del Diablo (The Devil's Cauldron). This waterfall was huge and powerful!