We are finally back home in sunny California. It has been great seeing all of our family and friends. We have been keeping busy and enjoying reconnecting with our loved ones. We were fully ready to experience the phenomenon of reverse culture shock, but instead we have appreciated seeing familiar faces and hearing familiar voices. We have also been sleeping the whole night through (something that doesn't happen often while traveling on a budget). We cherish every memory that visits us throughout each day, but it is nice to be back. That being said, we promised everyone one last blog from Quito, Ecuador and we intend on seeing that through. But before that, we want to sincerely thank all of you who supported us during this journey. Thanks for being interested in our travels as it was a year in our lives that we will never forget.
On to our last week in the middle of the world...
For the first day, we visited "New Town." This is the part of Quito with all the modern buildings and restaurants. We stopped at one place for a slice of cake and coffee
We also stopped at a few shops to pick up some souvenirs. This one is going to future baby Norris (he or she is not on the way in case you were wondering, but there will be one eventually)
On the second day, we visited "Old Town." This is the part that was designated as a UNESCO Heritage site
The famous cathedral and most beautiful building in Quito
We went inside for some closer views
Mila sitting in front of a beautiful stained glass window
Then we took a sketchy walk to the top of the clock tower where we were rewarded with some nice views over the city
From inside the clock tower
The popular Polish Pope visited and blessed this cathedral
After we visited every nook and cranny of the cathedral, we left to explore more of old town. This is the main square
And the building where the president of Ecuador lives
A view back on the cathedral
Day 3- We took a cable car up to the base of a hike to a volcano. It was a bit cloudy, but it will clear up....won't it?
At this elevation (near 5000 meters), you see some new plants
We knew we were near the summit when we heard a gentleman praying at the top of his lungs, It was neat to see, but startling at first
On a rock with the volcano in the distance
After nearly three hours of walking, we reached the finish line. No view, but it was a great journey
Right after reaching the peak, the clouds opened up and the rain didn't stop until we arrived at the bottom. Our pants weighed five pounds each
Our ride back down into town soaking wet, cold and hungry, but happy. My beard also weighted five pounds
We ended our year long journey in the middle of the world. The monument in the background marks the equator line
Walking on the equator
They made these monuments for us to commemorate our trip partly around the world. S for Scott and E for Emilia
We traveled all the way around the world to reach the middle. It was a great way to end our vacation. On the final day, we packed, and reminisced about our grand adventure. We also said goodbye to some dear friends. This pair of shoes lasted the whole year. They went through rain, snow, mud, water, rocks, dirt and every other thing you can think of, but kept me safe for the entire year. Thank you for your extraordinary support
Thank you also to Mila's shoes for going the distance. We leave you behind, but you hold a special place in our hearts
Now we are at home older, wiser and more mature. Here is a bizarre picture of us back in the U.S. taken three seconds ago. I'm not sure what Mila is doing but I don't ask questions
And this concludes our 61st and final blog post documenting our trip around the world. WhereTheWindTakesUs.com is not finished. It is a way of life we subscribe to and we can not wait to see where it takes us next. Stay tuned for more adventures and perhaps an extra special blog post! Live your life to the fullest everyday and follow your dreams even when it doesn't make sense
-Mila and Scott
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