Ecuador #2: Summer CLO Trips

This Ecuador post is just a compilation of the places I have been able to go with my job at work. Every Friday for a month and a half, we took Embassy kids to really neat places

The Quito Zoo- 
My whole family decided to join me on this trip as my co-worker and I transported 25 or so people to the zoo and back for a day. It was pretty small but just perfect. The exhibits are close together and you're up pretty close to the animals (no US security measures) but the huge Galapagos bred turtles were awesome.

Enthralled with the animals

Just huge man..... huge

This sweet little girl was the beeest. She clung to my shoulders all day :)

Photo creds to my dad. It's like he's staring into my soul. 

The Yaku Water Museum.
 This activity was actually quite boring except for the bubble room but the view outside was incredible, so it just barely makes the list!

So dang pretty

Am-Em Foundation (Horseback riding in the valley)
We went horseback riding down in Tumbaco at a stable that often does therapy for disabled children by allowing them to ride and play with the horses. Gorgeous horses and learned to trot with no hands :)

Lets GO!

Startin'

No hands. 

You know? These kids were pretty cute. :)

Chocolate factory- Ferrero Chocolate Company. 

Unfortunately no pictures were allowed inside so here are the only ones I have. But this factory is the ONLY producer of Tic Tacs in the world. We had to put on all sorts of safety gear and masks to not "infect" the goods. Ate waaaay too much candy that day but it was fun. Factories always fascinate me.

My mom, brother and I. 

Group shot (not like you can tell who is who)

Rock Climbing
I will admit that this was easily the most bratty group of kids out of all the trips. There was just an INCREDIBLE amount of attitude/complaining/cattiness. Sisters were insulting each other and wishing 50 foot falls on one another, others were mocking kids for not making it all the way up the wall, just not great moral in general. So glad it was one of the shorter trips! But I managed to take a turn up the wall. Way more difficult than it looks because it's real rocks. The second wall I did took WAY too long and my arms were dying but the guide spotting me was patient.

That's me :) 

Hacienda la Compania  + Rosadex Rose Farm  (My favorite trip)

Little did I know just how fun this trip would be when I went in to work that morning. This one wasn't a kid trip, it was an adult brunch and the drive was about an hour and a half but we had great participants so the conversation was fun. We got to the Hacienda (a really old Ecuadorian ranch) and it was so beautiful. The furniture was neoclassical french and there were tons of antiques everywhere. They fed us a delicious breakfast (shown below) and then we went to the rose farm. We browsed the packaging plant and they let us take home 2 dozen each! I have the most pics from this because I loved it so much! Everything was just gorgeous.

Fresh fruits, breads, and empanadas- absolutely delicious

Centuries old church on the property of the hacienda

Part of the show room. It was so gorgeous. Thousands of roses.

The logo on a shipment truck and our guide (co-owner of the Hacienda/plantation)

Packaged roses

Compilation :)

On the way back to the Embassy some people wanted to stop and buy coffee scone things :) This is me and my awesome two bosses.... Workin' hard, obviously. 

My "Sunset Delight" roses. Great day!!

So those are my adventures at work. So blessed to have had the opportunity to coordinate and assist with planning all these- and partaking in them!!