Papallacta (pah-pah-yahk-tah)

We've returned to one of our favorite spots in all of Ecuador.  Last year we took a bus to get here in Papallacta where we're at 10,000 feet up in the Andes Mountains at the base of a volcano that reaches approximately 16,000 feet upward.  It's very picturesque as long as the clouds don't obscure the view as they have in this picture.

Though it's a nice place to be, the getting here was not so much fun.  This trip for Thanksgiving required four hours of winding roads, three barf bags, two times of washing down the outside of the van since someone chose to use the window option, and one mid-way washing down of the interior of the van to remove the spray that never made it into the bag or out the window.  All three of our boys couldn't stomach the curves (pun intended).  It's no understatement to say that we don't enjoy traveling in Ecuador.  We love being in different places, we just profoundly dislike the getting there. 

Once we arrived on the day before Thanksgiving here in Papallacta, it's been fun and games ever since.  Twenty five of us have filled up this nine bedroom house with the most amazing view and terrific fireplace and woodpile.  We've eaten well and laughed much and the boys even played a game of flag football on an open soccer field here in the very small town where we are.  (You're pretty much looking at the entire town as it sits on the other side of the field.)

Yesterday we borrowed this field for a spell so the kids (and men) could get out some of their energy.  We noted a horse tied up at one end of the field and a young bull at the other.  The guys quickly forgot about the animals, and they harnessed themselves with belts and flags for a game of football.  That was until the horse came trotting across the field with his rope dragging behind him about twenty minutes later.  We weren't sure how he came unloosed from his stake.  We just stared as he tried out his new-found freedom and finally spotted the bull tied up at the opposite end of the field.  All play stopped for all of two minutes as the men assessed the situation.  During that time the horse approached (or should I say 'ran toward') the young bull which caused this poor wide-eyed animal to run and snap his own rope from it's stake in the ground. 

Now we, the feminine spectators, looked on with a bit of concern for the bull who appeared to be afraid of the fairly aggressive horse; yet we had an even greater bit of concern for our husbands and sons who never moved from the field.  They just kind of stood in their spots, completely amused at the fact that these animals were no longer tied up.  My friend Sarah and I discussed how we knew that when the animals came loose the game would naturally come to an end.  Isn't that what we, the ladies, would have done?  Kind of like: "Alright everyone...Game over....Wild animals on the field....It's not safe any longer." And then everyone would have slowly moved off of the field and headed home.  Made sense to us.

Not so with these die-hard football players.  They just kept playing since they noticed that the horse and bull were really only interested in each other.  The show must go on.  So, as the guys went through down after down and touchdowns began to accumulate, the horse continued to harass the bull and the two paced about and chased each other.  Only once or twice did the guys actually look up to see what the animals were doing. 

This happens to be one of the shots I caught when they were looking--and the only reason, I think, they were looking was because it appeared that the young bull was about to take off with the soccer ball.

Funny.  Thankfully no one was hurt and the two animals eventually left each other alone.  The guys finally concluded their game when we ladies hastened them to stop for the dropping temps and our need for the restroom.  Reluctantly they conceded and we all departed later in hopes that our game had not stirred the animals too much and we'd not made enemies of the land owners--whoever they were. 

Our time in the mountains has since come to an end and now we've returned back to Shell.  The trip home was looking a bit troublesome too when Darius asked only 20 minutes into the drive if he could get out for some fresh air.  Yet, I'm happy to report that our kids' Dramamine took effect and none of us ended us being sick.  We made it home in four hours with all barf bags intact and unused.  Praise God.  (But, the drowsiness we experienced from that nausea medicine sent me to bed that night at 8 pm and I didn't wake up the next day till 7 am!  Yet I'll take sleepiness over nausea any day.)

Thanks for reading.
Blessings, kim