Trip to La Paz

My first weekend trip was to a small town North of Quito.  We packed 7 people into a car that only seats 5, and made the four-hour trip to La Paz, Ecuador. Too many people in one car is normal here, also no one wears a seat belt, and people drive pretty crazy.  Despite the over packed car, the drive was beautiful filled with views of mountains, diverse landscapes, flower gardens, and much more. We arrived in La Paz late that evening at the home of my host dad's mother.  We were greeted with lots and lots of food including potatoes, soup, chicken and rice, and dessert.   Ecuador has over 200 different types of potatoes, making them a common staple in many meals here.  The potatoes were cooked, and we ate them with our hands by dipping them into salt water; it seems odd but they were muy ricas delicious!  The house we stayed in was ginormous, there were at least 10 full size beds scattered throughout the house, making it a comfortable sleep for everyone.  The next morning we made the short five minute drive to the mountains of La Paz.  The view was absolutely breathtaking, with waterfalls were scattered throughout the area.  We hiked around the mountains, and then made our way down to the famous cave in La Paz.  The cave was filled with lots of candles and people, and was amazing on the inside.  Following the cave, we went to lunch at a local place famous for their meat.  The meal was delicious, and my host dad (pictured) was very excited about his meal.  It only cost him $7 for that entire plate of food! It's crazy how cheap the food is here compared to the states.  After lunch we wandered around the deserted town; it's crazy how different this small town seemed compared to the bustling city of Quito.  We made it back to the house, stocked up on supplies from the little store owned by the mom of my host dad, and made out way back home.  It was a wonderful weekend filled with a lot of new cultural experiences. 

 The house we stayed at 

 The mountains of La Paz

Inside the cave

 View from the top of the cave

My host dad vey excited about his meal 

my host sister (Amy) and I in the center of La Paz
 

On our way home we stopped in the town of Otavalo.  The town is famous for its hand made goods by the indigenous people in Ecuador.  There were many beautiful things (bags, clothes, jewelry blankets, and much more) and unfortunately I only brought $30.  I ended up buying a duffle bag ($15) , earrings ($5), long warm socks ($4), and a change purse ($1).  I was being very indecisive about what I wanted to buy, and one of the ladies finally spoke in English to my saying "What's your price?"  My host family thought the comment was hilarious and continue to laugh about it.