Hola!

I finally made it to Ecuador! The trip was uneventful. So peaceful, in fact, that I managed to hide in an empty gate at SeaTac and play my banjo for a half an hour! I've played some more since I've been in Quito. There's nothing like getting away from the endless potential chores of home to get my practicing in.

On the airplane I saw Enchanted, which was fun, and Martian Child, which I hadn't heard of but was a sweet movie about a weird kid. The Cusacks were in Martian Child, and they were themselves as always, which I like.

My Mom's house is a pretty little house. The gardening around her neighborhood reminds me of Southern California. There were these enormouse hens and chicks (plants) the size of cabbages. I had my glare lens shield-thingy on, and for some reason in got in the way of my photos. I think that the "some reason" is because I didn't think I needed to put it on the way the instruction manual said to. I guess I do. I think I'll re-shoot the plant photos later, since they're in the yard here. Meanwhile, you get them in all their 007-is-shooting-you glory.

In pots around her house are these purple frondy things that remind me of sensitive plants, only they are not sensitive. They must be very uptight.

I'm hoping to catch a picture of the hummingbirds my Mom says are around here.

Tomorrow Colleen and I are heading out to the Old Town part of Quito, which is rife with Colonial architecture. One cathedral has a Hieronymus Bosch painting in it, but I don't think I'll have time to go in, as you have to take a guided tour which Lonely Planet says is as exciting as a Latin Mass. I'd really love to see it, though, so you never know.

The boys have been fun to be with. Here's Julian being silly, and the four of us (Mom, Julia, Collen, Ian) out to dinner.