Post from Dad

My final few days in Otavalo were filled with people and places I will treasure in my memory for a long time. With Paul and Kristen I got to be comfortable with their end of town. We journeyed to the girls' school where I had a lovely visit with their (and now my) friend Adelaida. Her English was marginal and my Spanish was virtually nada, but we communicated with more facial gestures and hand signs than anything else. I promised to learn more Spanish before I see her again. Paul and I visited a lovely woman named Maria (I didn't get last names) in her village outside Otavalo. She is an indigenous person, a descendant of the Inc as. She showed us her garden - you can garden year-round at the Equator. It was so good to be included and I felt honored to be treated so warmly. On my last day, we took in the Saturday market which was a busy and wonderful array of all sorts of goods. I did some shopping and thoroughly enjoyed the process, including the very modest prices. That evening, Paul took me to spend time with some native musicians who played for us. Again, I felt honored to be so thoroughly included. There is more, including a visit to a 9000' crater lake which we viewed from a restaurant overlooking it. I thank Paul and his family for offering me this opportunity which I shall never forget.