Ecuador

Landing in Ecuador after such a long trip seemed almost like a dream. As we approached the airport, we were flying north, above the valley that Quito occupies. As I looked down at the city, I couldn’t believe how green and lush everything looked. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is located among volcanic mountains. The city is at an elevation of 2,800 meters (about 9,186 ft) above sea level. The city itself stretches from north to south a distance of 60 kilometers (about 36 miles). Although its main square is 25 km (15 miles) south of the equator and the city itself extends to within about 1 km (0.6 miles) of zero latitude, because of its altitude, it is not hot.

When we finally exited the plane, I felt a resonance in the sight I beheld, for here, inside the airport, were a huge number of people waiting for their relatives and friends. It so much reminded me of Ben Gurion Airport with the crowds waiting to greet visitors.

After we had gathered all of our luggage, we set off for the hotel, just a few minutes ride away. Our hotel room had a lovely vase with long stemmed roses. We learned later that Ecuador makes a great deal of money exporting these huge, gorgeous long stemmed roses.

Imagine our surprise when we walked into our private dining room for dinner and we found the tables set as if for a banquet and we were introduced to the local mashgiach (kosher supervisor) who had supervised the preparation of a delicious meal!

After a much needed night’s sleep, we awoke the next morning and set out to discover Quito and its surroundings.

We first came to the Middle of the World Monument.

where we heard an amazing explanation of the seasons and how they change and how the sun’s shadow at noon can tell us the month of the year.

Of course everyone had to have their pictures taken straddling the equator, and I was no exception, nor was my husband.

But we had much more to do that day and so we got back onto the bus and headed in the direction of Otavalo.

One the way we saw lots of area for raising roses, one of the biggest export crops. Also in the area bananas, coffee and cocoa are raised. Some of the world’s finest chocolate is produced in Ecuador and some of it is produced under kosher supervision.

Once near Otavalo, we are able to see the children returning from school. Like children in many other countries, these children have school uniforms and they all looked incredibly adorable

.

Yes, lovely and sun-filled and happy and content. What a wonderful day. But it was just about to get a lot better when we got to the magnificent market in Otavalo.

But that’s for next time…