Halloween Quito style

Close up of Mom's $8:00 purchase!  Pretty intricate artwork.

Face painting in Mariscal Foch

$2:00 - $3:50  She is a very good artist!

Mariscal Foch is the tourist section of town!  We don't go at night just a lot of bars and not real safe but fun during the day.

Kids are cute!!  They enjoy halloween.

Beauty and the Beast

Adams family!!  Hard for the girls to keep a straight face.

Hermanas from our ward party

We thought this young man's costume was the best!

We dressed up like missionaries too!!  Not really.  These young men are really not missionaires!!

This couple got the most attention.  Everyone started clapping when they came in.  Maybe they just got married.  Maybe looking forward.  Too noisy to ask anyone!!

Cute daddy daughter combo!!  They posed for us.

This is Hanna.  We had dinner at their house last Sunday.  A really nice young lady!!

Young and old get up and dance.   They seem to just enjoy being together.  Party ended at 2:00 AM.  We didn't stay!!

Beautiful young ladies.  The youth in Ecuador seem to be very strong in the gospel and the ones we've heard bear beautiful testimonies.  Tomorrow is fast day and we look forward to hearing the sweet testimonies of these people.

This man and his two young sons sell masks along where we walk every morning.  Very nice young men.  We hope to be able to visit him and his family and watch how they make the masks.  They live about two hours from Quito and sell their wares at the side of the road on the weekends.  Below are 2 movies of the ward Halloween party.  Both are the same.  We couldn't get rid of one of them.

Bishop's storehouse

The bishop has the responsibility to care for the poor and needy within the boundaries of his ward. One resource available to accomplish this task is the bishops’ storehouse—a place where those in need can go to obtain food and other supplies at the recommendation of their bishop.

These two sweet Ecuadorian missionaries think it's Christmas. Hermana Calahorrano and Hermana Lizano work in the bishop's storehouse.  That is HermanaCalahorrno's granddaughter in her arms.  She runs around the place while grandma works.   We loaded up a box of old CD's and DVD's we had in one of our closets at the office and gave it to them.  They were so excited.  They immediately put one of the CD's on their player and filled the whole storehouse with Christmas Music by Gladys Knight.  They will give the CDs and DVDs to those that want them.  Most of them were in Spanish.

Packaging popcorn for the needy.  Popcorn is a staple!  The girl on the right is in our ward.  She had a tumour on her eye socket at birth so her parents dumped her.  She was rescued by an orphanage and is now married.  She will have her first baby in December.

This older gentleman seems to live at the storehouse.  He was there last time we visited.

The church buys in bulk and then volunteers repackage for donation.

The workers are showing us how it's done.  I think we'll volunteer for a few hours when we have time.

Woman on the right is in charge of the storehouse.  Packaged goods contain the name of the church.  The storehouse is open 3 days a week and it is on the main floor of our office building.

NO fancy stuff here!!  Just the basics.

Mom trying her hand at packaging.  It was fun!!

Getting ready for wheelchair donation ceremony

Wheelchair Donation

20 million disabled people need wheelchairs but cannot obtain one. Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who operates LDS Charities, provides wheelchairs and walking aids to those in need who cannot afford one. The recipient’s mobility, employability, and independence are greatly increased.
Last year, Humanitarian Services provided wheelchairs to 57,000 people in 54 countries.

 http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/humanitarian-services/news-features/video-riquis-wheelchair.html

Our wheelchair distribution at our chapel.  20 people were supposed to receive chairs,  You can see the lady with the white shawl on.  Her chair is way too big for her!

This little boy came using his walker but was struggling to walk.

More recipients.  I was so busy taking pictures and Dad was sitting at the head table that we didn't have any time to really visit with some of the people.

All the important people.  Dad, president of Conadis our wheelchair partner, Elder Espinosa our Area 70, Hermano Canar from our area office.  We don't know who the man is holding the paper but he was the MC and did a great job!!

Elder Espinosa giving a few remarks.  He talked about the Savior going about doing good and helping others and that's what we need to be doing.  He said it much more eloquently!!

Dr. Penaherrera from Conadis speaking.  Luckily Dad didn't have to speak!!!

Dad with one of the recipient.  This young man kept wanting to kiss me and once he grabbed my skirt!!  He kept motioning me over to him but I had to keep telling him NO!

Dad and Elder Espinsoa.

This cute little lady cried when she received her chair!

Such a sweet face!

We went out in the parking lot for the rest of the donation.

More pictures.

This girl is actually 23 years old and suffered from meningitis when she was a child.  She looks like she is about 5 years old.  She can't talk or hear.

Dad talking to Magali who is in charge of wheelchairs at Conadis.

This woman suffers from muscular dystrophy.  She is single and lives by herself and pays someone to come and help her get to the bathroom etc.

Dad visiting with recipient.

This man rode his chair to the church.  He lost his leg in an auto accident and broke his back.  He said he was totally independent and makes things out of leather to sell to make money.

Hiking Pichincha Volcano

From our apartment we had to walk one block to the bus stop on Ave. Colon. The bus we took was La Comun number 131A.  After the going through a small tunnel just past Ave. Occidental we got off the bus walked across the street and took the bus to the bottom of the gondola.  Since I am over 65 and a resident cost was $2.50 to ride to the top and back down.  The bus ride was $.25 one way.  Not bad $3.00 for a fun day.

Going to the top of Pichincha Volcano

Quito’s Skyrail named in 2005 as the Teleférico, is the highest in South America. Starts at 2.950 m.a.s.l. and ends at 4.050 (13.2874 ft) m.a.s.l. It reaches the top of Cruz Loma, adjacent to the Pichincha volcano.  The moor of Pichincha volcano, at the top of Cruz Loma, offers a spectacular view of the whole city of Quito. If the weather is good can be seen some main elevations of the Andes mountain chain such as: Cayambe, Antisana, Cotopaxi, Pasochoa, Rumiñahui and the list goes on. Besides the beautiful view offered here is the Andean landscape, the cold wilderness with almost straight, flat road to the summit of Rucu Pichincha, Pichincha most visible elevation from Quito.

Nearby volcanoes

Quito's closest volcano is Pichincha, looming over the western side of the city. Quito is also the only capital in the world to be directly menaced by an active volcano.^[8] Pichincha volcano has several summits, among them Ruku Pichincha at 4,700 metres above sea level and Wawa Pichincha at 4,794 metres. Wawa Pichincha is active and being monitored by volcanologists at the geophysical institute of the national polytechnic university. The largest eruption occurred in 1660 when more than 25 centimetres (10 in) of ash covered the city.^[9] There were three minor eruptions in the 19th century. The latest eruption was recorded on October 5, 1999, when a few puffs of smoke and a large amount of ash were deposited on the city.^[10]

Gondola with Bike Rack.  Anyone want to ride half a day down Pichincha???  Sweet!!!!! Notice the person in the gondola mopping it out before we got in!

On our way to the top

We made it!!!  Sometimes things like that are questionable.

It was a clear day and we were able to see a number of volcanos in the distance.  This one is Cotopaxi and has been erupting for a couple of months.

The Eucalyptus trees are taking over the hills around the city.  Finally some native vegetation!!!

Ready to hike!!  I'm glad I brought my hiking clothes.

Pichincha!!

We got lost and had to ask directions while the horses took a breather.

I wanted to take a horse to the top but mom thought it would be better to hike.

Had to take a picture of these beautiful lupins!  Reminded mom of PEI.

View of Quito

Different plants!  About the size of a quarter.

We didn't take time to worship but didn't see anyone else stop either!

Interesting bark!

Beautiful Hiker!!  Couldn't resist taking a picture.

Communication towers.  They paint all the concrete they use at the bases white so that it looks like snow from a distance.

Neat vegetation!!

Hillsides are pretty steep!!  I think the trail up Pichincha is the steepest yet!  Mom couldn't breathe so we had to turn back.  We were up 14.000 feet, the highest we've ever been!!

Quito! again.

Beautiful buildings but empty!!  They thought they could make a great attraction.

Famous Ecuadorian artist.  Yuck!!  These kinds of pictures are all over.

Feather painting!  Told they were hand painted but probably stenciled.

Quito from bottom of lift!

The bus we took to the teleferico.  Notice lawn chair of driver.  The young man in the dark sweater takes your money when you get on the bus.  The man in the orange vest comes on and checks the bus driver's timing record and also comes down the isle and checks all our tickets to make sure we have paid our whopping 25 cents!!