My dad finally received his birthday card today! I mailed it almost a month ago - February 5th - so I was so excited when my mom called me to tell me he had received the card. Photos to come after I go home this weekend.
My brother doesn't know that I mailed him a postcard from the Galápagos on the last day of our trip (Saturday, February 13th), and as of yet he hasn't said anything about it, so I doubt he has received it. I'm not 100% certain that I got his address correct, since I was doing it from memory, but we'll see!
A word of advice: always take your address book on vacation with you - sending mail is one of the most fun things to do. Everyone loves getting mail from foreign countries, so your trip gets to live on long after you return.
Tell me, what's the longest it's ever taken you to send/receive mail? From what countries have you received mail?
Showing posts with label ecuador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ecuador. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Quito: The Old Town
Leaving La Basílica, we went into the center of the city - Plaza Grande - where Daniel explained that the city originated there with the religious and political powerhouses physically in the same place. Five hundred years later, the head of state, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, has at least a figurehead of a home in the town's center. He resides right next to the Catedrál - still one of the most important churches in Ecuador.
Leaving there, the sun was out and I stripped down to a t-shirt. Little did I know that would be the last of the sun for the day.
We visited a church next door to la Catedrál which was fashioned for the indigenous people, so it was pretty simple...by Quito standards. CFed and I talked about how this was a crazy statement, because compared with churches in the States, this was definitely fancy. We were prohibited from taking photos of the interior of the church, but I found this one here.
See why we thought it was fancy? I have never seen a church stateside that looks like this one.
We left there and went to La Iglesia de San Francisco where they were about to begin noon mass. Daniel told us that at this church they were very careful to care for the homeless, feeding them at noon and bathing them daily.
[Does anyone from my group have a photo of San Francisco?]
After San Francisco, where we learned he always carries a skull in his left hand (I can't remember why, but her does), we traveled by van with Carlos and Daniel up to the Vírgen de Quito, a huge statue made of 7,000 metal plates overlooking Quito.
We could see this statue from the Basílica, so it was pretty neat to see it up close. All around the statue, civilians were voluntarily cleaning up the grounds -- performing a kind of social work, Daniel told us. The Virgin was atop a serpentine figure to symbolize peace conquering evil. On the other side of the hill, we saw the south side of the city which was mostly residential with a law that buildings could be no higher than five stories. This is also the poorer part of Quito, with the north and particularly the Cumbayá areas of Quito being the richer areas. In the class breakdown of Quito, 90% are poor, 6% are middle class, and 4% are wealthy; the wealthy control the city.
Heading back into la parte vieja (the Old Town), we stopped back by Daniel's favorite church, La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Upon walking in, we were struck by the decoration and ornateness of the church. Covered in gold leaf, not a single surface was left unadorned. From the painted spiral staircase to the exquisitely decorated ceiling, the entire church was symmetrical. Daniel took us up to the alter where, using a large mirror that was permanent to the church, we looked at the angels painted on the inside of the ceiling. One of the angels had a black face from a fire that burned one wing of the church. That wing had since been replaced and the gold leaf on that section was much brighter than the rest of the church.
In the old town's center, I was impressed with the flowers - types that I've only seen in fancy flower shops at home and rarely in such vibrant colors. These were just growing in the plaza.
Leaving there, the sun was out and I stripped down to a t-shirt. Little did I know that would be the last of the sun for the day.
We visited a church next door to la Catedrál which was fashioned for the indigenous people, so it was pretty simple...by Quito standards. CFed and I talked about how this was a crazy statement, because compared with churches in the States, this was definitely fancy. We were prohibited from taking photos of the interior of the church, but I found this one here.
We left there and went to La Iglesia de San Francisco where they were about to begin noon mass. Daniel told us that at this church they were very careful to care for the homeless, feeding them at noon and bathing them daily.
[Does anyone from my group have a photo of San Francisco?]
After San Francisco, where we learned he always carries a skull in his left hand (I can't remember why, but her does), we traveled by van with Carlos and Daniel up to the Vírgen de Quito, a huge statue made of 7,000 metal plates overlooking Quito.
Heading back into la parte vieja (the Old Town), we stopped back by Daniel's favorite church, La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Upon walking in, we were struck by the decoration and ornateness of the church. Covered in gold leaf, not a single surface was left unadorned. From the painted spiral staircase to the exquisitely decorated ceiling, the entire church was symmetrical. Daniel took us up to the alter where, using a large mirror that was permanent to the church, we looked at the angels painted on the inside of the ceiling. One of the angels had a black face from a fire that burned one wing of the church. That wing had since been replaced and the gold leaf on that section was much brighter than the rest of the church.
Exploring Quito - Basílica del Voto Nacional
sábado, el 6 de febrero, 2010 (really getting into the Spanish spirit now)
Last night the Feds (Joe & Caroline) got in around 11:30pm, right after I had just awoken from my post-dinner nap. I headed up to their room to see them and only to find out that 5 of the 9 people on the Atlanta flight had missed the connection as they were coming from Lexington. Poor Jim, Donna, Liz and the Hannas! Davis, Allison Cornish and Jeannie and Tom Guskey all arrived around 12:30am and we greeted them in the lobby. Davis and I stayed up talking for a while, only to pay the price for it today.
When our 7:30am alarm went off today, neither D nor I were up for it. Although, it only took us through breakfast (¡dame el café!) to realize the excitement of the day ahead. After the continental breakfast in our hotel, Daniel, our guide from Adventure Life, met us for a day of fun touring. Not only was he super cute and nice, he was an awesome guide who spoke great English (it was a little too good for my liking, because I had to coax him to speak to me in Spanish).
Right away, Daniel and our driver Carlos took us to one of the largest churches in Quito, Basílica del Voto Nacional, where we first saw the tombs. These above-ground graves are what Ecuadorians use as cemeteries, placing their loved ones inside stone boxes that they take care of and decorate periodically. My toes were definitely tingling as we climbed up - and even more when we descended - but the view atop the tower made it all worthwhile.
Leaving the tombs, we ascended the towers of the Basílica (the only Gothic church in Quito) and walked across a wooden bridge that was positioned high above the nave of the church. Not for the faint of heart, the boys (Tom and Coach Fed) stayed behind while we strong women headed up three ladders to the Tower of the Condor - the highest point in the north part of Quito.
There was a little gift shop in the church inside one of the other towers, where Davis and I picked up some souvenir necklaces - for only $6! We're wearing them in the photos above, and I'm sure you'll see them the rest of the week, since neither one of us brought any jewelry with us.
What churches from around the world have you visited? Ever climbed to the top of a scary tower? Tell me below!
Last night the Feds (Joe & Caroline) got in around 11:30pm, right after I had just awoken from my post-dinner nap. I headed up to their room to see them and only to find out that 5 of the 9 people on the Atlanta flight had missed the connection as they were coming from Lexington. Poor Jim, Donna, Liz and the Hannas! Davis, Allison Cornish and Jeannie and Tom Guskey all arrived around 12:30am and we greeted them in the lobby. Davis and I stayed up talking for a while, only to pay the price for it today.
When our 7:30am alarm went off today, neither D nor I were up for it. Although, it only took us through breakfast (¡dame el café!) to realize the excitement of the day ahead. After the continental breakfast in our hotel, Daniel, our guide from Adventure Life, met us for a day of fun touring. Not only was he super cute and nice, he was an awesome guide who spoke great English (it was a little too good for my liking, because I had to coax him to speak to me in Spanish).
Right away, Daniel and our driver Carlos took us to one of the largest churches in Quito, Basílica del Voto Nacional, where we first saw the tombs. These above-ground graves are what Ecuadorians use as cemeteries, placing their loved ones inside stone boxes that they take care of and decorate periodically. My toes were definitely tingling as we climbed up - and even more when we descended - but the view atop the tower made it all worthwhile.
Leaving the tombs, we ascended the towers of the Basílica (the only Gothic church in Quito) and walked across a wooden bridge that was positioned high above the nave of the church. Not for the faint of heart, the boys (Tom and Coach Fed) stayed behind while we strong women headed up three ladders to the Tower of the Condor - the highest point in the north part of Quito.
The condor is the national bird of Ecuador, but he's not a pretty bird. There were gargoyles all over this church, but not scary ones (aside from the condor); rather, these gargoyles are animals endemic to the area - tortoises, birds, etc. - all animals we would soon see in the Galápagos.
There was a little gift shop in the church inside one of the other towers, where Davis and I picked up some souvenir necklaces - for only $6! We're wearing them in the photos above, and I'm sure you'll see them the rest of the week, since neither one of us brought any jewelry with us.
What churches from around the world have you visited? Ever climbed to the top of a scary tower? Tell me below!
Friday, February 5, 2010
It's now 7:37am on 2/5 and I have just finished eating my plane breakfast of a dry waffle and barely distinguishable sausage link, fruit and weak coffee, but you can't complain when airlines actually serve food! I got to JFK airport extremely early after messing up on the subway and taking the A train uptown instead of downtown. Nice move, Blair. Prior to that blunder, I almost went to the wrong airport - thinking I was flying out of Newark and not JFK. Again, nice move.
Both mistakes corrected, I decided to buck up and take a cab instead of trying to fight my loopy brain at 2am. My cab driver Luis was really friendly, a little too friendly, at 2am, but he was so eager and outgoing, I couldn't fault him for having the energy I lacked. We had a nice conversation about my upcoming trip, his schoolwork and the weather -- he definitely earned his tip!
Standing in line at Copa Airlines, I made friends with the cutest three year-old who had the most elaborate hair and a lot of energy for 3am. Her parents were such a cute little couple (literally little: I towered over them).
Davis is probably en route to the airport in Chicago where she has a 9am flight (mine was at 5:07am and if I've slept at all it is only barely because I have been freezing on the plane). She meets a big group in Atlanta - her uncle Jim and Donna Cornish, her aunt Liz Cornish, her cousin Allison Cornish and two couples, Jeannie & Tom Guskey and Mary Diane & Lyle Hanna - to fly together to Quito, where I will already be and where Davis's parents, Caroline & Joe Federspiel will arrive an hour prior to the big group.
The other 11 in my group arrive late this evening, and I get to Quito around 1:30pm. Although I'm excited to see everyone, of course, I'm also really looking forward to spending time alone in the city today and practicing my Spanish.
As I sit here trying to capture every moment, I hope this is absolutely everything I've built it up to be: a true once-in-a-lifetime experience...and with my best friend in the world! I can't believe the first day is already upon us.
Has anyone else ever taken a trip with a best friend you rarely get to see? Tell me about it!
Both mistakes corrected, I decided to buck up and take a cab instead of trying to fight my loopy brain at 2am. My cab driver Luis was really friendly, a little too friendly, at 2am, but he was so eager and outgoing, I couldn't fault him for having the energy I lacked. We had a nice conversation about my upcoming trip, his schoolwork and the weather -- he definitely earned his tip!
Standing in line at Copa Airlines, I made friends with the cutest three year-old who had the most elaborate hair and a lot of energy for 3am. Her parents were such a cute little couple (literally little: I towered over them).
Davis is probably en route to the airport in Chicago where she has a 9am flight (mine was at 5:07am and if I've slept at all it is only barely because I have been freezing on the plane). She meets a big group in Atlanta - her uncle Jim and Donna Cornish, her aunt Liz Cornish, her cousin Allison Cornish and two couples, Jeannie & Tom Guskey and Mary Diane & Lyle Hanna - to fly together to Quito, where I will already be and where Davis's parents, Caroline & Joe Federspiel will arrive an hour prior to the big group.
The other 11 in my group arrive late this evening, and I get to Quito around 1:30pm. Although I'm excited to see everyone, of course, I'm also really looking forward to spending time alone in the city today and practicing my Spanish.
As I sit here trying to capture every moment, I hope this is absolutely everything I've built it up to be: a true once-in-a-lifetime experience...and with my best friend in the world! I can't believe the first day is already upon us.
Has anyone else ever taken a trip with a best friend you rarely get to see? Tell me about it!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Trip of a Lifetime
My best friend Davis asked me early last summer if I would ever be interested in going to the Galápagos on a trip with her extended family. She warned me that this would be a "big girl trip," and that no sponsorships would be provided, so we would each have to finance our own trips. I told her that I would be crazy not to accept, but to please not tell me how much it would cost, for fear that the cost alone would cause me to object. When I went to Westport, NY for vacation with her family (her mom's family has been going there for 50 years), her uncle Jim asked me about the trip and I immediately committed.
I couldn't believe it! I had just committed to a crazy expensive trip, but one that I knew would be the trip of a lifetime. We will be traipsing across Ecuador in early February 2010 and I will tell you all about it here. Hope you enjoy the journey!
Has anyone else been to the Galápagos? What islands did you visit? Where did you fly into in Ecuador? Tell me all about it!
I couldn't believe it! I had just committed to a crazy expensive trip, but one that I knew would be the trip of a lifetime. We will be traipsing across Ecuador in early February 2010 and I will tell you all about it here. Hope you enjoy the journey!
Has anyone else been to the Galápagos? What islands did you visit? Where did you fly into in Ecuador? Tell me all about it!
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