Ecuador bound

May 29

Happy Anniversary, G'ma & G'pa Rodgers!

◦                I spent the night waking up every little whipstitch to make sure we hadn't overslept! At 3:35, I decided there wasn't much point in going back to sleep, so the day began early. We were in the truck heading to the airport by 5:00.

◦                Don Gilberto, Sra Gregoria and Jhordy accompanied us to the airport. We got there before they had opened any lines and then got through quickly once they began attending. They do a security check of all bags to be checked before you go to the check-in counter. Lilia went ahead of me. I wasn't all that eager for them to paw through my backpack since everything just fit as I had it. The fellow didn't even open it. He just kind of patted the outside and said, "It's all clothes, right?" "Right," I agreed and made my way to the next counter. Once we were all checked in, we stood around outside security for awhile , until finally, around 6:15 or so, we decided to go through to the sala de embarque. More waiting there, but our planes finally arrived. Lilia and I are on a flight together. We were supposed to leave ten minutes after the others' flight, but we ended up leaving first. We had thought that we wouldn't be seeing each other once we arrived in Lima so did the whole round of goodbyes before Lilia and I got in line. However, while in line, Trevor finally got a hold of the lady he'd been trying to call all morning and arranged that we will all have breakfast at her house in Lima. So looks like we'll be saying hello and goodbye once again. Our flight left at 7:30.

The clouds looked like a patterned blanket.  A bit hard to capture in a picture, but it was really pretty.

Mountain top peeking above the clouds

Can you tell which are clouds and which are snow-capped mountains?

Lima's port

◦                Lilia and I arrived in Lima slightly before the other group. We, along with Don Alfonso (the professing taxi driver), waited for them, and we all went to Carmen Coronel's for a late breakfast. Carmen is 38, I believe she said. Her husband died when she was 33 after contracting hepatitis when working in the jungle. She has a little girl, Elfa, but we didn't get to meet her because she was in school. Carmen had quite a feast fixed for us - cold cereal with fruit, pancakes, boiled eggs and bread. 

◦                After breakfast, the other sisters (Flor, Beverley, Rosa and Sara) left. Lilia and I helped Carmen clean up while Trevor worked on plans and such. 

◦                It was lovely to have a little while to rest, though the time went fast. I probably laid down for about an hour, and I think I dozed a little off and on based on the fact that Scottish melodies faded in and out in my ear.

◦                Jorge? ? came for lunch - chicken and vegetable soup with Chinese rice after. Dessert was apple and raisin pie. 

I just took a few pictures on the streets of Lima.

◦                Don Alfonso came to take us back to the airport about 1:20. The crew who had traveled from Chiclayo (Diana, Patti, Sue, Ubaldina, Lindaura, Vitalina, Laércio and Jairo) had arrived not long before that and was waiting there for us. We chatted for a while as a whole group. Then some left, and Sue went to help us check in. She, Trevor, Jairo and Diana stayed with us for a little while longer. They left a little after 3:00. I think that if Lilia had not been with me, I would have feely particularly bereft at that moment. 

◦                We made a stop at Starbucks before heading through security, and I enjoyed my lactose-free coffee frappuccino very much indeed!

◦                No line to speak of at security, so we sailed through and found our gate (the last one in the terminal, as usual) with no problem. 

◦                Our flight left a little after 5:00, only 15 minutes or so behind schedule. Hopefully we'll have plenty of time in Guayaquil.

 Off again

This time headed for Ecuador

Guayaquil

Celia, Lilia and Vanessa

Don Gonzalo and the girls came to pick us up from the airport in Quito when we arrived around 10:30 or so.  It was wonderful to see them.  And it was also wonderful to see beds waiting for us when we arrived at their home sometime after 11:00.  Tomorrow we travel to Ibarra to begin our Ecuador Special Meeting rounds.