PRECIOUS MOMENTS

We've been here now four days and have many precious moments. Below are a few of them:

MOST RELAXING MOMENT was lying on a hammock overlooking the beautiful mountains and valleys with flowering gardens and hummingbirds in the foreground.

MOST LONELY MOMENT was when the power went off in Otavalo and Judy and I were separated.

MOST EXHAUSTING MOMENT was when we were climbing the mountain at high altitude.

MOST HUMOROUS MOMENT was when seven girls (age 10 or 11) sitting on the back seat of a crowded bus began daring one another to invite me to sit with them by squishing together and making room for me to sit in the middle of them all.

MOST EMBARRASING MOMENT was when I flagged down a bus along the Pan American Highway and discovered it was going to Quito instead of Otavalo.

MOST HOMESICK MOMENT was when we arrived in Otavalo and remembered all the fond memories of having family and friends with us here last summer for Janelle’s wedding.

MOST ROMANTIC MOMENT was after a long climb up the mountain, Judy and I sat down on the soft grass and enjoyed the view overlooking the lake and snow capped mountains.

MOST UNANTICIPATED MOMENT was when we met our new friend Carlos, the music instrument maker while riding the bus to San Antonio and accepted his invitation to get off the bus in the middle of nowhere, walked up the hill to his house, learned about his trade and enjoyed lunch together.

MOST REWARDING MOMENT happens whenever we have opportunity to speak Spanish and discover we can actually carry a conversation – happens on the bus, sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus, checking in to hostals, ordering food, asking for directions, etc.

MOST FRIGHTENING MOMENT was when we were sitting in a restaurant in downtown Otavalo eating lunch and suddenly a policia came in with a gun on his belt. Behind him was a second man who wore a black ski mask covering his face except for his eyes. He also wore a shirt that said policia. But why would a policeman wear a black mask over his face? Judy and I both gave frightening looks at one another. A third policia entered the store – this one also wearing a black mask over his face. They all entered the kitchen/office area. As we were pondering whether we should get out of there, a large police truck pulled up and several more police got out. Within a couple minutes they all came back out of the kitchen with three people and put them in the back of the truck and the frightening experience was all over.