Ecuador

 Ecuador was quite the adventure...these pictures were taken in Mindo where we endured a 3 hour hike up and down some of the steepest sloped iv ever seen, but it was one heck of a work out. My cabin also had a disfunctional mosquitto net over my bunkie, and I ended up snuggling up to my roomie.

 Rafting through the Mindo river was an awesome experience and it was very important to keep your feet up as the rocks would catch them!

 This mini gondala was pretty freaky as the cords started rubbing together causing alot of friction and smoke, not the nicest thing to see while your suspended hundreds of feet in the air.

 The forests were extremely lush and green, gorgeous!

                                      Venturing up a massive rock for some amazing scenery!

 These market children wake up every morning at 4am and work until 6pm or later, and most of them would show up in their uniforms at the age of 3. These kids dont get a chance at an education, and in Ecuador you must pass a 150 question test to advance to kindergarden, rediculous.

                                                                               
                                                                      BUG BITES!!

This little guy had a spark in his eye, and he loved playing with all the toys we provided for him, and im glad I was able to share those moments with him.

          This sweet little girl was fascinated by my hair, and I was fascinated by her smile, beautiful.

 As a volunteer we provided the market children with crafts and reading and writing to further develop their skills and give them the opportunity to go to school and develop and grow with other children as they age. Teaching the children skills such as reading and drawing was a challenge as there was a language barrier, but with proper guidance and leading by example we were able to watch the children learn and perform, which gave me the "proud mom" feeling.

 Yes those are cooked bananas, and are they ever delicious! most street vendors have the exact same items for sale, and this is how they make a living....makes you think twice the next time you complain about your job. The Ecuadorians sit out there all day begging for you to buy their food and work their buts off to attract one single person, and sell it for the burried change we never notice.

                                                 yes..yes...it is toadstool and spiderman

                         Having some fun with the Saskatoon girls, and pro activating our faces haha

        Some love and cuddling is all they needed as their parents did not see that as being a priority

 The kids loved playing Octopus, which was a childhood game I absolutely loved, and I wasnt the only one!

            We finally found a pizza joint at South Americas biggest market, and we were loving it!

 This is the part of the program where we educate the children about common animals, and words. A simple drawing on a piece of paper with some old markers can go a long way.

 This was a little boy who had peed his pants and had a unpleasent odour coming from his body, and he was forced to wait until his mother was ready to take him back, which was very sad.

 After a long ride on the gondala we reached the top of the mountain, and found a horseback ride adventure place, where we rode up the side of a mountain on very steep hills that I wasnt sure if I could even climb myself, nevermind the horse!

 In the background there is a statue up on the hill which represents the guardian angel of the city Quito, and others say it is the angel of the apocalypse.

                                                        you will see thise everywhere!

 Downtown Quito at the square, where most events are held, and where all the police seem to be

 This is your typical Ecuadorian family, and were generous enough to allow us to capture a photo

 This would look abandoned to any visitor, but this house had residents, and that is what they called home.

 South Americas largest market, and was it ever big! most vendors consisted of the same items but we were after the Alpaka stands where they were rich in items, and they were crazy cheap to buy as Alpakas are everywhere.

            I called this little girl Miley Cyrus as she had the same cute dimples with a gorgeous smile.

 This  was a photo from my room looking out my window at one of the few schools in my neighbourhood.

                                                                   Ecuador police!

 Going down some intense rapids in our little tubes! that was extremely fun and I would recommend it to any visitor!!

           Deep fried bread with peas and chicken in the middle with a unknown flavour of soup!

 Took a day off and went to a hott springs spa and the water was extremely hott! but the scenery was breath taking!

                       This mountain made me want to go snowboarding so bad! beautiful!

                           The house on the corner with the adorable dog on the front lawn

 The shack on the right was a very old mans house who owned a bunch of sheep, and pigs but he lived hundreds of meters down the steep hill, and right beside what they call "upper class" houses

               The taxis were considered standing on the back of a pick up truck, and I was loving it!

                                          The view from the gondala going up the mountain

 Lifes to short to stay sheltered in your home, and not explore the planet you were put on, and to reach out a helping hand.