Ecuador!!

and now the moment i know you've all been waiting for:

a quick ecuador recapitulation.

it was, to say the least, amazing, and i am highly considering going with southern cross humanitarian to peru! everyone on the trip was so individual and beautiful in their own way. ecuador was so different than any other country i've been to. i absolutely fell in love with the natives, the weather, the little kids that we tortured with fluoride (they were absolutely ADORABLE!), the old women and men that spoke mostly quichua (wow! church was interesting to attend, and speaking with the moms telling them their kids couldn't eat or drink for 30 minutes was more difficult than i would have thought!), and the traditional clothing. everything was beautiful.

here is the summary written by our fearless leader, cameron:

Ecuador Expedition! by Cameron Smyres - Expedition Leader Arriving in Otavalo, we worked alongside Charity Anywhere and helped serve 1200 people providing medical and dental services. Many people from surrounding communities came to have teeth pulled, have their teeth treated with fluoride and have surgical removal of various skin disorders. Our group distributed donated items during dental clinics on teeth care, emphasizing the proper use of multivitamins and the basic hygiene kits we brought. We also had many donations of clothing and other basic items we were able to provide. Another facet of the initial service was to help build a home for an elderly woman in a nearby community and work in an orphanage in Quito run by the Davis Foundation which takes care of over 130 children. We scraped and painted two buildings that truly need it! While in Quito, we visited the Equator and tried our hands at balancing raw eggs on a nail. Interesting the things you can do on the center line at the middle of the world. Also, we watched the water drain different directions in buckets set on each side of the center line. When we headed out to the Galapagos we were set for a treat. On the island of Santa Cruz the group spent time enjoying the great climate and atmosphere of the Galapagos Islands. The first day was spent at Tortuga Bay hiking around to see the volcano and swim at the beach. The next day was the Tour to the Floreana where the group hiked and viewed caves and turtles. That afternoon was snorkeling with the sharks in the area where the sharks rest. The next day, on the Bay Tour the group visited the Sea Lion area and swam within feet of the playful groups of sea lions and swam into the center of large schools of fish. Our whole expedition fell in love with the beauty of Ecuador - the land and especially the people.

Video with pictures soon to come....be excited