Hola de Quito

I am writing from Quito, and FINALLY was able to get connected on my laptop. Yea!!
Last week we finished up in Guayaquil, with more CPR and other classes, and a lunch with the Junta on Friday. The Junta (or Junta de Beneficiencia) is an organization in Guayaquil which has been providing free and reduced cost health care for over 100 years. They are the organization we have been working with, and our students have been in their four hospitals here. After lunch on Friday the other professor and I went to deliver thank you gifts, while the students went to a pool party and then single adult dance.
I did not mention the Sunday prior we went and sang at the psychiatric hospital. We sang hymns and primary songs in Spanish. There are around 800 patients there, all dressed up in scrub type tops with the name of the building they reside in on them. I don't know where they sleep, because we didn't go there, but they just mill about in fenced in courtyards, and there is one TV they can watch. We were well recieved, and it was very gratifying to sing--whether to the patient writing on the cement, or the little guy who followed us around from courtyard to courtyard happy as could be, jumping up and down and clapping most of the time.

We flew from Guayquil to Quito on Saturday. I was most happy to find Mike and the kids, and Alison and Ethan were there waiting.
Saturday afternoon we went on a city tour of Quito, and got to go into the Basilica, and big cathedral which reminded me of Notre Dame, and another cathedral, which was covered in gold plate on the inside.
We then drove to see the virgin who stands on top of the hill to guard Quito. She is HUGE, and is made of aluminum sheets to help avoid getting hit by lightning.
On Sunday, we went to church at a church close to our hotel. We have Sam's baptism arranged for Wednesday afternoon--hopefully it will all work out.

Today was really fun. We drove to Mindo, about 2 hours from Quito, to see the cloud forest. A cloud forest is basically a jungle. We took a tram across the canyon, and then hiked to see some waterfalls through the jungle.
There are over 80 species of orchids in this area, and I probably saw five myself. It was beautiful. I also saw a toucan, and other birds which I could not name.
There was a canopy zip line we all went on, which is basically a cable you are buckled to, and then you go from one platform to another across big and little canyons.
There were 13 segments in all. We had a great time--all of us went on it, including the students, and even Sam and Ruth.

Oh-yeah--Mike and I went too. I tried one of the longest segments upside down, screaming the whole way (a guide would go with you when you went upside down). They called it "mariposa" or "butterfly" because both your legs and arms were spread. I really had fun, and I think everyone else did too.
All of the kids were troopers, and Sam and Ruth did not seem afraid at all.
Tomorrow we go to the military hospital and teach CPR. This evening, we have another health fair to do.

Hasta luego!!
La familia Reed