Work to Do

Morning Pichincha

I was surprised to feel fine this morning, after our harrowing drive to and from the coast. I was just sorry to be back in Quito and not on the beach. Maya did not want to go to school and I did not have the energy to object. She dressed in her school clothes and we walked to Corfu's down the street for breakfast. We were both starving after missing too many meals. Maya had orange juice and scrambled eggs and a croissant and hot chocolate, and I had a cappuccino, orange juice, granola, fruit and yoghurt; everything tasted so good!

She changed into her pyjamas and climbed back into bed and did some schoolwork while I packed up all our clothes and tried to go through piles of papers and books, throwing away what was clearly junk, and minimizing the piles as much as I could. Gustavo came and cleaned, and I gave him a couple backpacks of things we could not bring home. My challenge is to get everything we bring back into four bags of 50 pounds each. I had hoped to give Eric a bag or two, but he has more than enough stuff to bring home, including significant amounts of equipment. It is remarkable to see how much paper and books we have accumulated. I wonder if because I have not allowed myself to buy anything this year, instead I have collected printed materials. None of it has to come home, but I have a difficult time giving any of it up.

Day of Packing

Carolina Park

Odd Plants

The piles are smaller, I believe I can get everything into the four bags, my work was done, but the project took up much of the day, so I did not get out of the apartment to enjoy the beautiful sunshine until I walked Maya across Carolina Park to orchestra practice. I decided I needed a moment of repose, so I wandered through the Jardin Botanico and listened to birds and admired the incredible variety of vegetation to be found in Ecuador. From paramo to jungle to cloud forest to montane forest, it was as if I traveled through the country within an hour.