The End

We arrived in Quito tired and cold after a very long, virtually sleepless busride with limited dry warm clothes to wear up on the volcano Pichincha. Luckily, the weather was perfect and cloudless so we were in line by the time the teleférico (cable car) opened and saw a few last spectacular views of Quito. We both felt the 4100 meters pretty strongly, so we descended after taking some pictures.





Amy then went to the MedCenter while I said goodbye to Juan's family and then to Gladis and Walter.






While there, we again made empanadas with fresh cheese from Loja. Now, the curled edge looks simple enough, especially if you watch Walter do it. But let me tell you it's not. Gladis can't do it well, and clearly neither can I! (top empanada) They still taste good, either way.



I then returned to the hostal to wake up a now-medicated Amy and go down into the valley to chat with/say farewell to my host family. It was so great to spend time with them again, and Amy had to put up with my tears back in the hostal as I repacked all my books into the suitcase she kindly brought for me.


Bright and early the next morning I saw Amy off at the airport and spent the day getting any last gifts. Wednesday (my last day) I walked through the old town, got stuck in a rally/protest, saw a high school marching band in the main plaza, and then went down into the valley for my last time to say goodbye to my tutor and colleagues at British School, Quito. In the evening I went to the Instituto Ecuatoriano de Cultura Hispano to watch a free (and very strange) Almodóvar film, Tacones Lejanos. What a strange way to end my time in Ecuador, no?



Thursday I made it to the airport by 4:30, to Houston by 11:30 a.m., was delayed 3 hours so that I didn't arrive in Chicago until 9 p.m. and New Berlin around 11. What a long day! And sadly, all that time was not enough for me to fully catch up on my journaling. I'm still 2 days behind! Chuta!

Muchas gracias to my dear mother, a cake was awaiting me when I got home. Regardless of the fact that she let my crazy dad talk her into making a chocolate one and not a yellow one, it was fabulous at night...and for breakfast (and lunch)! So, sadly, my first breakfast back in the U.S. was not one of champions: cake, fruity rice, and a diet coke (that cost the same as a regular coke!). And I loved every bite!

So now I'm back, working on pictures and getting used to flushing toilet paper down the toilet and going on bike rides. I'll be up in Mpls next weekend and will start my last class on the 18th while looking for a job and a place to live in S. Mpls.

Thank you so much for following my adventures through South America!