Where did the time go?
We are all back home, even Jim and Lucy, who had to catch additional flights to complete their journeys.
We had more memorable experiences since our last post. We checked out of the hotel moments after I posted the notes from yesterday. As I stated, we had been invited to the home of Ruth, Diane’s friend, to spend the rest of the afternoon. We visited, relaxed, played games, and some even took naps.
Ruth provided a wonderful dinner for all of us. We had typical Ecuadorian foods, topped off with ice cream and a special cake that was as delicious as it was beautiful.
The photo below shows our gracious hostess for the evening, Ruth, and our wonderful tour guide, Diane.
After enjoying Ruth’s delicious dinner, we had to take our last bus ride with Mauricio. He drove us to the airport in Quito and we began the departure procedure. Before leaving Ruth’s house, Gary had asked for the last empanada (meat-filled pastry). Ruth wrapped it in aluminum foil and Gary put it in his shirt pocket. FYI: Metal detectors at airports can detect empanadas if they are wrapped in aluminum foil.
Our plane left Quito at 11:30 PM, and with a 5+ hour flight, that translates into a very long, restless night…or a very short night for sleeping. As it turned out, our night’s rest was made even shorter by an incident on the airplane. The cabin was dark and most people were sleeping (or at least resting) when suddenly all of the cabin lights came on and a voice called out, “If anyone on this plane has a cat, please call for a flight attendant immediately!”
We were all groggy from such a rude awakening. Blinking, someone asked, “What did she say?”
The rest of us were trying to figure out why at 2 AM the flight attendants needed to know which passengers were cat owners. About that time we looked up to see one of the flight attendants marching down the aisle of the plane carrying a large, gray, rather ordinary-looking cat. We never knew exactly what had happened, but Shirley told us that she saw the cat running down the aisle a few minutes before the incident. Of course we were all fully awake after that event!
They served us “breakfast” a few moments later, although I had a difficult time figuring out why I would want a ham and cheese sandwich at 3 AM.
After landing in Atlanta, we bid goodbye to Tim, Jim, and Lucy. The rest of us piled in our vehicles and headed for Alabama. By noon we were home…a little rough-dried looking…but we were home. We have many, many memories that will remain with us for years to come. We met so many wonderful people in Ecuador. The Christians in each congregation we visited welcomed us with open arms and warm hospitality. The children in the Bible classes were adorable, and the adults were so appreciative of any of the efforts we put forth to teach them.
Diane invited Ruth to join us several days during our trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed Ruth's pleasant spirit and willingness to help. Diane is one of those rare above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty people. Whatever we asked of her before or during the trip, she found a way to make it happen. Her kindness and life dedicated to serving others was an example to all of us.
There is no way we can properly thank Diane for all she did for our group. She took novices at planning group travel and worked patiently with us so that we actually appeared to know what we were doing most of the time. You can’t put a price on someone who does that for you!
One of Diane’s great “finds” was our bus driver, Mauricio. His bus was first class in every way. His driving skills were outstanding, with our safety his main focus. Somehow he had the ability to expertly maneuver rush hour traffic with ease without being distracted by loud laughter or noisy games being played by those of us sitting only a few rows behind him. He was always smiling, and endeared himself to everyone in the group. Thanks, Mauricio.
And so we come to the conclusion of another “journey”. This journey was different from any other we have taken, but it was delightful. Thanks to all of you who followed our adventures through this blog, and a special “thank you” to all of you who mentioned us in your prayers to the One who made it all possible.
Until the next “journey”…
We are all back home, even Jim and Lucy, who had to catch additional flights to complete their journeys.
We had more memorable experiences since our last post. We checked out of the hotel moments after I posted the notes from yesterday. As I stated, we had been invited to the home of Ruth, Diane’s friend, to spend the rest of the afternoon. We visited, relaxed, played games, and some even took naps.
Ruth provided a wonderful dinner for all of us. We had typical Ecuadorian foods, topped off with ice cream and a special cake that was as delicious as it was beautiful.
The photo below shows our gracious hostess for the evening, Ruth, and our wonderful tour guide, Diane.
After enjoying Ruth’s delicious dinner, we had to take our last bus ride with Mauricio. He drove us to the airport in Quito and we began the departure procedure. Before leaving Ruth’s house, Gary had asked for the last empanada (meat-filled pastry). Ruth wrapped it in aluminum foil and Gary put it in his shirt pocket. FYI: Metal detectors at airports can detect empanadas if they are wrapped in aluminum foil.
Our plane left Quito at 11:30 PM, and with a 5+ hour flight, that translates into a very long, restless night…or a very short night for sleeping. As it turned out, our night’s rest was made even shorter by an incident on the airplane. The cabin was dark and most people were sleeping (or at least resting) when suddenly all of the cabin lights came on and a voice called out, “If anyone on this plane has a cat, please call for a flight attendant immediately!”
We were all groggy from such a rude awakening. Blinking, someone asked, “What did she say?”
The rest of us were trying to figure out why at 2 AM the flight attendants needed to know which passengers were cat owners. About that time we looked up to see one of the flight attendants marching down the aisle of the plane carrying a large, gray, rather ordinary-looking cat. We never knew exactly what had happened, but Shirley told us that she saw the cat running down the aisle a few minutes before the incident. Of course we were all fully awake after that event!
They served us “breakfast” a few moments later, although I had a difficult time figuring out why I would want a ham and cheese sandwich at 3 AM.
After landing in Atlanta, we bid goodbye to Tim, Jim, and Lucy. The rest of us piled in our vehicles and headed for Alabama. By noon we were home…a little rough-dried looking…but we were home. We have many, many memories that will remain with us for years to come. We met so many wonderful people in Ecuador. The Christians in each congregation we visited welcomed us with open arms and warm hospitality. The children in the Bible classes were adorable, and the adults were so appreciative of any of the efforts we put forth to teach them.
Diane invited Ruth to join us several days during our trip, and we thoroughly enjoyed Ruth's pleasant spirit and willingness to help. Diane is one of those rare above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty people. Whatever we asked of her before or during the trip, she found a way to make it happen. Her kindness and life dedicated to serving others was an example to all of us.
There is no way we can properly thank Diane for all she did for our group. She took novices at planning group travel and worked patiently with us so that we actually appeared to know what we were doing most of the time. You can’t put a price on someone who does that for you!
One of Diane’s great “finds” was our bus driver, Mauricio. His bus was first class in every way. His driving skills were outstanding, with our safety his main focus. Somehow he had the ability to expertly maneuver rush hour traffic with ease without being distracted by loud laughter or noisy games being played by those of us sitting only a few rows behind him. He was always smiling, and endeared himself to everyone in the group. Thanks, Mauricio.
And so we come to the conclusion of another “journey”. This journey was different from any other we have taken, but it was delightful. Thanks to all of you who followed our adventures through this blog, and a special “thank you” to all of you who mentioned us in your prayers to the One who made it all possible.
Until the next “journey”…
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