We are sitting in the Guayaquil airport and thought I would upload a couple photos quick from the jungle. So many pictures, but here are a few.
Looking forward to seeing many of you at church tomorrow morning!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Saying Goodbye
We climbed winding dirt roads through the mountains, and finally arrived at the paved road to Riobamba. The jungle is now behind us. We stop to climb a tower with a great view of the deep valleys below us. A cold wind and high altitude greets us.
Another hour and we arrive at the beautiful Atillo Lakes nestled high in the Andes Mountains. We continue our journey to Riobamba, begin to pack, and then go out to say all of our goodbyes to family and friends in Ecuador.
It is now Saturday morning and we are leaving for the Guayaquil airport and hope to arrive in New Holland by 2:30 to 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. We look forward to seeing everyone back home.
Thank you for all your prayers throughout this trip and for our trip home and our adjustment back to Lancaster County and a busy week ahead preparing for Easter.
Another hour and we arrive at the beautiful Atillo Lakes nestled high in the Andes Mountains. We continue our journey to Riobamba, begin to pack, and then go out to say all of our goodbyes to family and friends in Ecuador.
It is now Saturday morning and we are leaving for the Guayaquil airport and hope to arrive in New Holland by 2:30 to 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. We look forward to seeing everyone back home.
Thank you for all your prayers throughout this trip and for our trip home and our adjustment back to Lancaster County and a busy week ahead preparing for Easter.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Jungle Monkeys and Rain
A soaking downpour greets us as we arrive at the monkey preserve. We put on raincoats and ponchos and enter through the gates. Suddenly Jess lets out a gasp. We look up and a large monkey only inches away is looking down at us. Thus begins our adventures at the monkey preserve.
Judy is the first one to have a cute little monkey jump on her shoulder and climb onto the top of her head. Jessica tempts it off with her hand and soon the monkey has climbed onto her shoulder and head.
We walk through a lush jungle by a river with amazing jungle sights. We return to the car, soaked and muddy, but thankful for this window into the jungle.
We drive south through the jungle and arrive in Macas mid-afternoon. We check out several hostals in town, but they all seem noisy. We find a tourist information center and eventually find a perfect hostal in a remote jungle setting by a river several kilometers south of Macas.
We hike, rest, and relax in the jungle. As the sun sets, we hike back a dirt path with great views of the river and jungle. We return to a campfire and lie down in hammocks. After a delicious dinner of fish and chicken, we enjoy the night sounds of the Ecuador jungle as Janelle and Jessica sing hymns out of the Mennonite Hymnal.
God has again answered our prayers!
Judy is the first one to have a cute little monkey jump on her shoulder and climb onto the top of her head. Jessica tempts it off with her hand and soon the monkey has climbed onto her shoulder and head.
We walk through a lush jungle by a river with amazing jungle sights. We return to the car, soaked and muddy, but thankful for this window into the jungle.
We drive south through the jungle and arrive in Macas mid-afternoon. We check out several hostals in town, but they all seem noisy. We find a tourist information center and eventually find a perfect hostal in a remote jungle setting by a river several kilometers south of Macas.
We hike, rest, and relax in the jungle. As the sun sets, we hike back a dirt path with great views of the river and jungle. We return to a campfire and lie down in hammocks. After a delicious dinner of fish and chicken, we enjoy the night sounds of the Ecuador jungle as Janelle and Jessica sing hymns out of the Mennonite Hymnal.
God has again answered our prayers!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Jungle
It's the Ecuador jungle - hot, sticky, rainy, and mosquitoes. We arrived here last night driving through heavy rain. This morning we are sitting in hammocks at our hostel amidst palms, bananna trees, and other vegetation which makes it feel like jungle.
Yesterday, Frank, Janelle, Jess and Ashley hiked some of Chimborazo. Today, we will be exploring the jungle. Judy's foot and ankle have swollen quite a bit from the rafting accident so she may not do a lot of walking today.
We are thankful that we are spending this last week resting, relaxing and being together as a family. We miss Justin and Katie!
Tomorrow is our last day in Ecuador. Saturday, we leave for home.
Yesterday, Frank, Janelle, Jess and Ashley hiked some of Chimborazo. Today, we will be exploring the jungle. Judy's foot and ankle have swollen quite a bit from the rafting accident so she may not do a lot of walking today.
We are thankful that we are spending this last week resting, relaxing and being together as a family. We miss Justin and Katie!
Tomorrow is our last day in Ecuador. Saturday, we leave for home.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Volcanoes and Rafting
Volcanic ash burns our eyes as we walk from the bus station to our hostel in Banos. We arrive just in time for an almuerzo followed by hiking, rest, journaling, dinner, and enjoying the hot baths with hot water from the volcano.
It is now Tuesday and I sit on our hostel balcony overlooking the waterfalls. The keyboard feels gritty from volcanic ash. Banos is at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano.
Judy, Jess and Ashley are on a rafting trip. I would have loved to go, but I know what my cardiologist would say at the thought of being thrown into the cold river. “No problem,” they tell us. “It is only Class III and Class IV rapids. If it rains, then we won’t do some of the rapids because they would be Class V.”
It is now mid-afternoon and they have just returned from the rafting. “How was it?” I ask Judy. “I think it will be the last time I go rafting,” she answers. They were all thrown out of the raft into the raging river.
Being swallowed by the rapids.
Judy’s leg is cut and bruised from hitting a rock and she limps from a sore foot. One girl in the raft twisted her knee as she was thrown out. Jess and Ashley are fine. Sounds like I made a good decision to stay back in Banos.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Judy and I take a walk to watch bungee jumping from a bridge over a deep canyon.
We hike to the bottom of the canyon, lie down on the grass watching people free-fall from the top of the bridge until the bungee cord breaks their fall. We watch our step as we cross the raging river on an old bridge with many of the wooden planks missing.
As the sun begins to set, the skies clear. We hike up a road on the other side of the canyon and to our amazement see large billows of ash thrust into the sky over Banos.
The setting sun sets the pillars of ash aglow as though they are on fire. One billowing cloud of black ash after another erupts from the Tungurahua volcano as we sit watching.
Every time we hear a siren, we wonder if we should be evacuating, but locals continue to pass by as though there is nothing to worry about.
We eat dinner, return to our hostel, put our trust in God and go to bed.
It is now Tuesday and I sit on our hostel balcony overlooking the waterfalls. The keyboard feels gritty from volcanic ash. Banos is at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano.
Judy, Jess and Ashley are on a rafting trip. I would have loved to go, but I know what my cardiologist would say at the thought of being thrown into the cold river. “No problem,” they tell us. “It is only Class III and Class IV rapids. If it rains, then we won’t do some of the rapids because they would be Class V.”
It is now mid-afternoon and they have just returned from the rafting. “How was it?” I ask Judy. “I think it will be the last time I go rafting,” she answers. They were all thrown out of the raft into the raging river.
Being swallowed by the rapids.
Judy’s leg is cut and bruised from hitting a rock and she limps from a sore foot. One girl in the raft twisted her knee as she was thrown out. Jess and Ashley are fine. Sounds like I made a good decision to stay back in Banos.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Judy and I take a walk to watch bungee jumping from a bridge over a deep canyon.
We hike to the bottom of the canyon, lie down on the grass watching people free-fall from the top of the bridge until the bungee cord breaks their fall. We watch our step as we cross the raging river on an old bridge with many of the wooden planks missing.
As the sun begins to set, the skies clear. We hike up a road on the other side of the canyon and to our amazement see large billows of ash thrust into the sky over Banos.
The setting sun sets the pillars of ash aglow as though they are on fire. One billowing cloud of black ash after another erupts from the Tungurahua volcano as we sit watching.
Every time we hear a siren, we wonder if we should be evacuating, but locals continue to pass by as though there is nothing to worry about.
We eat dinner, return to our hostel, put our trust in God and go to bed.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Saturday afternoon
Relaxing at the ranch on Saturday afternoon on a warm Ecuador afternoon.Judy and Janelle sitting in front of the house that Frank and Janelle are building.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Weekend Update
Judy and I spent last week in Cuenca and Ingapirca which is home to the largest ruins in Ecuador. Both places were extremely educational and fit in well with our experience and study of spirituality on this sabbatical. It is amazing to see how God has led us to experience a vareity of in-depth spiritual and religous traditions in the present day and throughout history.
We are deeply grateful to God and for your prayers. There is so much we have learned and so much to process. We look forward to sharing more, if not on this blog, we will share more when we return home.
This trip has far exceeded our expectations. Our spirituality has been enriched and and we look forward to returning home and applying some of what we are learning and experiencing.
Jessica and her friend Ashley from WVU arrived Saturday morning. We visited the ranch in the afternoon and enjoyed an evening with family and friends.
Ecuador has been experiencing a lot of severe flooding the last few weeks. Yesterday, Riobamba had severe thunderstorms and hail which are both very rare. But this morning, we awoke to clear skies and were able to see for the first time Chimborazo, other mountains and even the active volcano spewing ash into the sky.
We spent the day with Frank’s family in Mulalillo and Ambato and look forward to being with Jessica and Janelle this week before we return home Saturday night.
We are deeply grateful to God and for your prayers. There is so much we have learned and so much to process. We look forward to sharing more, if not on this blog, we will share more when we return home.
This trip has far exceeded our expectations. Our spirituality has been enriched and and we look forward to returning home and applying some of what we are learning and experiencing.
Jessica and her friend Ashley from WVU arrived Saturday morning. We visited the ranch in the afternoon and enjoyed an evening with family and friends.
Ecuador has been experiencing a lot of severe flooding the last few weeks. Yesterday, Riobamba had severe thunderstorms and hail which are both very rare. But this morning, we awoke to clear skies and were able to see for the first time Chimborazo, other mountains and even the active volcano spewing ash into the sky.
We spent the day with Frank’s family in Mulalillo and Ambato and look forward to being with Jessica and Janelle this week before we return home Saturday night.
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