Tripping with Judy

It’s a busy day today in Quito!  We meet with Elena, our cheerful and knowledgeable guide, and walk through the open air Santa Clara Market.  It’s a massive array of vibrant colors, and tastes, and smells with individual stalls of fruits and vegetables,     meat and seafood,    and flowers.    This is one of 52 similar markets in Quito where people shop 364 days of the year.  It is only closed one day each year….carnival in February!  There are several religious shrines in the market which is typical.    Elena also arranges flowers.  A bunch of 25 roses cost $4.00. This is appropriate for the meat market!  The meat and seafood markets are mopped with a bleach solution every 30 minutes to prevent flies and foul smells.   This is a dried fish that is typically prepared at Easter. A huge empanada!  Fried dough is good anywhere! Our next stop is a walking tour of old town which has been declared a ...

It is a final canoe ride on the Napo River while waving goodbye to the Amazonian river basin.  I have loved learning and discovering new experiences, but I will not miss the heat and humidity…nor the palm larvae! My face has been in a permanent case of white shine during my visit…white from the zinc oxide sunblock I used and shine from sweat.  My hair has been in a banana clip under a safari hat which makes it sit high on my head.  Overall, this has not created a good look! Add in my Goodwill and other thrift shop clothing which can be 1-2 sizes too large.  We were requested to bring “earth tones” - beige and greens to blend into the landscape, no white nor bright colors to scare the animals, and no blue jeans in the Amazon because they will never dry.  At least we can wear dark colors here which we couldn’t in Africa due to teesee flies being attracted to them. Since my wardrobe palette more closely resembles an Easter egg, these suggestions severely limit my...