Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Farewell to South America

Wow. Can three months on the road really go that fast? Tomorrow we fly to New Zealand. (Fun fact: We'll cross the international date line, so we leave on Wednesday and arrive on Friday.)

South America has been a delight at every turn. Totally exceeded our expectations. The cities, in particular, were a huge pleasant surprise. We had expected that the big cities would be places we tolerated on our way to more distant adventures. Instead, from the moment we touched down in Cartagena, we have had a great time exploring: Medellin, Bogota, La Paz, Santiago, and now Quito. (Okay, Lima was a little lacking in charm.)

One of the things that makes these cities so enjoyable is the public space: parks and plazas. In that spirit, here is my homage to South America, beginning with Quito.



The plazas are home to much of the great architecture 










But for all the history, these outdoor places are also spots that are constantly alive with activity: families, couples, school groups, old people, young people. 



If you wait long enough, something interesting will happen: a parade, a protest, live music. (And if nothing happens, eat street food.)




So adios Ecuador. Hello Auckland.

1 comment:

  1. have a great time down under...tell katrina that pam loves her valley news articles!

    ...and lily says woof! (which i assume is either hi, or i'm hungry.)

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