Ecuador Adventures

All the Richert kids!

I first started this blog because Jon and I thought we would be joining the Sr. Richerts, David and Danielle, in Guayaquil, Ecuador the following year. I had been offered a job teaching 2nd grade at InterAmerican Academy, while Jon was planning to explore and be a stay-at-home husband until other opportunities presented themselves. I wanted to blog about our adventures, not only so they would be forever documented on the Internet machine, but so friends and family could keep up on our travels.

Plans changed when we found out I was pregnant, and wouldn't be keeping my job. Life took a much different turn than we had expected, but there's nothing we would change about the last year and a half. God knew what He was doing, as usual. The biggest disappointment was actually the fact that we wouldn't be living in the same city as Dave and Danielle for the following two years, since we've never lived in the same place!

You can imagine our excitement when our chance to travel internationally came at the end of February when we got to visit the other Richerts with the main reason for our original change of plans: Kealani! She ended up being a better traveler than some adults I've known, and added an extra element of excitement to an already amazing trip. On this trip we were able to do so many things we love: travel, hang out with Dave and Danielle, play outside with Kealani in tow, and even relax in a hammock and read (oh, wait, it's just the girls who love that...). Here are some photos of our awesome South American adventure...

On top of the Basilica in Quito

Kealani looking over the city of Quito

The main street in Mindo

Ziplining in Mindo

Checking out butterflies at the butterfly farm

The cable car taking us where we could hike to look for waterfalls

Jon toted K just about everywhere in the backpack

Relaxing in the hammock outside our room
We stopped at the "Middle of the World" on the way from Mindo to Otavalo

Lunch break on the equator!

The view of Otavalo from the roof of our hostel

Otavalo animal market

Some beautiful handcrafted vases in the Otavalo market