Back to Quito

Today was an early start to the morning. Everyone's alarm started going off at 5:30. All of the sudden there was a rooster alarm going off (not a real rooster) but David's alarm. All of us girls could hear it through the floor and just groaned. Emily and I worked on printing pictures for the farmers' reports as everyone else was still waking up. Then is was organized chaos of everyone packing the final things, loading it into the cars and trailer, and cleaning. We got it all done in time for breakfast at 7. We all sat in Pato and Andrea's house together it was a more somber morning than all the previous. I don't think anyone wanted to say goodbye, but we know it isn't goodbye it is hasta luego. We all finished our breakfast and said our final goodbyes. Even the neighbor boy Kevin came over to pray for us and get a photograph before we left. I don't think we will ever truly know the impact that we have made on this community, but Kevin's gesture should us that we really had. Then we off on the road, but were back again to pick up something that was forgotten so we got to wave goodbye one last time. Everyone was going between dozing and chatting on our drive up to our first stop to lunch. Dan ended up getting directions and following a government official and we lost Dr. Oetzel. Kendra and David hopped out of the car and chased him down. We stopped at Chuquitos Restaurant in Tena and had a delicious fancy meal. One of the walls in the restaurant was a mural of the Disney castle with all the different characters. 

Then it was off to the  Papallacta hot springs. The drive up there was beautiful. There were waterfalls, mountain, cows, horses, alpacas, and flowers. We just chatted in the back of the van and some people continued to snooze. We were so thankful to get to the hot springs. All of us were ready to relax and be refreshed. We went to most of the pools including the cold ones. We had a lot of laughs and a good photos. Then we were on the road again up to the mountain to get over the other side. It was an absolutely beautiful sunset with the clouds touching the mountain beside us and the light dancing off of the permafrost. At the highest peak 13,333 feet. There were also spectcal bear crossing signs. Our plan was to eat at a mall with a nice food court in Cumbaya. There was a lot of traffic and we ended up losing Dr. Oetzel. Dan the man and the van parked and Dan got out to go find where Dr. O ended up. We stayed in the van and we said that if he didn't come back in 20 minutes we would start to worry. Dan came back and talked to Dr. O then left again then eventually they found us. We got lost trying to get back to the main road again and then we got a text saying the CRV was low on gas. So we battled through traffic and wrong turns and found a gas station. All of us were so tired we just agreed we would get back to Quito and eat when we got home. It was an uneventful ride home and we ended up getting subway that was just down the street. We were all so exhausted we ate our food and headed to bed. It was an eventful day but God took care of us and now we can rest before tomorrow. 

We could see our breath!