Ambato

Though it's only two hours away, being in Ambato is like being in a whole other part of Ecuador.  The city is really large and very spread out.  It's situated in a valley with volcanoes all around--much like Quito.  When looking out the windows of Susan and Larry's house, one can see no less than four volcanoes in three different directions on a clear day; sadly, we didn't get a clear one while we were visiting over the weekend.  But we did get to play in their yard--on the trampoline and in the tree house.  This is one of Susan's flower beds...heart shaped, no less.

While Shell is hot and humid as it sits on the verge of the jungle, Ambato is cold and dry nestled in the top of the Andes Mountains.  It sprawls in every direction and attracts many people from all over the country because it boasts the best outdoor market there is to be found.  We didn't hit the outdoor market but we did go to the flower market and bought $2 worth of roses which meant 24 of the most beautiful, long-stem pink roses I've ever owned.

While we were in Ambato we were able to get Jacobey's chipped tooth fixed at the dentist which cost us a whopping $60!  And we didn't even have to use our health insurance.  It was wonderful. Then we walked downtown where we saw an art museum, city parks, numerous clothing stores, a cathedral, and lots and lots of people on the streets.  I loved just milling about and seeing the sights.  It was then that I discovered that I really am a city girl at heart.  I felt so at home and very much energized by the action all around.  I'm getting used to living in a town of only 6,000, but getting a dose of the city was so good for me. 

Over the weekend we went on a walk in a huge city park (the boys all played soccer for about an hour and a half straight with some other guys that showed up to play), shopped at MegaMaxi where I bought four bags of tortilla chips, Brie cheese, a big block of cheddar, and two packs of sour cream among other things, and then we ate out at a Tex-Mex restaurant!  Can you believe?  It was glorious having salsa, tacos, enchiladas, and nachos.  We gobbled our food up.

One very interesting highlight of the time there came when Doug and I went for a walk near our friends' home.  We took a path that the kids and Susan and I had taken the day before.  It was past a cherry tree--the first one I've ever seen and so we plucked cherries off and tried them--, several pear trees, and along a meandering canal.  Doug and I stopped at one point to look at the mora bushes when we were greeted by the Ecuadorian man who owned them.  He called us onto his property and began to give us an impromptu lesson on growing and pruning berry plants.  Before long we discovered that he'd lived in Spain for 15 years, had returned to Ecuador only 16 months ago, and began growing mora (black raspberries) and alfalfa plants as well to feed the hundreds of guinea pigs he raises for sale to street-vendors who grill them over an open fire.  Then, this very sweet looking man took us to see all the pens where the guinea pigs live and get fattened up day after day.  Doug and I couldn't get over how soft, healthy, and pet-like they seemed to us--poor things have no idea what's coming.....  Neither of us could picture having one of these little bar-be-qued guys for lunch. 

In the end, we returned home from Ambato having had a nice little get-away and time to remember big-city life.  Can't say that I'd ever been away from a big city for so long in my life--it had been over three months.  Got my fix and am much better for it.

Thanks for reading,

Blessings, kim