Shots of Quito

Annalise wanted to take me back to the Basilica de Voto today -- which is a beautiful gothic church with lots of steep ladders and staircases that you can climb to the top of the towers for gorgeous panoramic views of Quito.  The safety standards of these climbing apparati would definitely NOT pass safety standards in the USA (for example, the handrail of the narrow spiral staircase gets buried regularly in the square concrete walls) -- but nor were they quite as rickety as I was led to believe by my queasier family members.  Annalise was a champ!  Here are some shots of the church...

And my brave girl on the various staircases

Part way up the tower, there is a small cafe where we stopped to get some yummy mango juice.  It has a panoramic view of the city -- here is a panoramic shot of the cafe

And then the fantastic views of Quito from up above --

It was a really fun girl-power adventure -- with dizzying heights and just a hint of danger (but really, not too much).
I have to say it is really fun watching the kids really taking charge of a new situation, and feeling very comfortable navigating our neighborhood.  They are starting to ask for things from shopkeepers in Spanish, and understand the responses of how much things cost.  (Interestingly, the currency in Ecuador is the good old US dollar.)  It's so gratifying to see how much they have already learned -- and the year is just beginning.  I am a proud mama.