One Sunday afternoon, we visited Cajas National Park with our friends Monica and Gustavo who we do everything fun with here in Cuenca. They have been so incredibly generous with everything! Conor and I have asked each other a few times what we have to offer besides the fact that we are english speakers, which honestly is pretty weak. But I guess we have something! I loved Cajas, it is so beautiful and so cold! We heard repeatedly from everyone that Cajas is cold, but I was skeptical because I've heard Ecuadorians say that Quito is cold. We brought all of our layers regardless and yes, it was very cold! As we experienced, Cajas gets more foggy and cloudy as the day goes on. It was pretty moody when we were there. I would love to return to Cajas for a much longer hike and camping would be amazing! I think the icing on the cake for the visit was the horse that was grazing nearby us. Holly and Greta obviously loved that! Again, Ecuador amazes me!

Maeve entertains us every meal. She's getting more stubborn by the day and insists on using a fork to eat. She loves to feed her family and sometimes herself. I can't wait until we have a high chair again!

Well, here's something I haven't done much of lately... Sunday photos of my darlings! Maeve with pigtails! Maeve has worn through the bottoms of two pairs of pants and one pair of jammies. That bottom scoot is really hard on the clothing! I bought her the knitted tights she's wearing here for $2. 

This is my baby after we've walked home from church. We could not keep her awake in the ergo! On this Sunday, she went to nursery and clearly had a great time. Immediately following Sacrament meeting at church, Maeve gets whisked away by someone. She's quite the little celebrity! 

We had a really lovely Saturday here in Cuenca recently. We woke up slow and then headed out the the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno. It was fantastic! This building has in the past been a school, a recovery place for alcoholics and a jail. The small rooms that the galleries are in (all those doors in a row!) were once upon a time jail cells. We had a one on one tour (in spanish!) throughout the entire museum, which included a fun art project for the children. I had no idea how awesome this museum was going to be, however it was fantastic! Would return! One of my favorite galleries was art by Luis Crespo Ordóñez. I really liked the vibrant colors, stripes and geometric patterns he used. When I look up some of the artists I like here, there isn't anything I can buy. I want a print or a book about the artist. But these things don't seem to exist. I may have to return to the museum and see if there's anything in the store. 

Another display that we loved was origami pine wood pieces. It was incredible! Some of the wood was so thin that light passed through. 

Towards the end of our visit, we came across a couple of museum dogs and one of them followed us for the remainder of our time. Of course all three of my girls loved the dog! But maybe that's where Holly's flea bites came from? Poor girl!

After our visit, we went across the street to a cafe that caters to gringos. I had the most amazing cobb salad and KOMBUCHA! Add that to things I miss. I love Saturdays. 

One Friday morning, we went with our tutor, Bertha, to Gualaceo, which is a small artisanal city outside of Cuenca. One fun part about the experience was taking a bus to the bus terminal and then a bus to Gualaceo. It's $0.10 a person just to pass through the turnstile to get to where the buses are. While riding the bus, a few vendors stood up to sell their products. One person was just selling chocolates but had quite the sermon to go with it. The earnestness was quite intense, I just wish I could understand what was being said. Another person sold oils and ointments and another a layered pudding dessert. Always be selling!

The museum, if it can be called that, was really quite interesting. Basically it was a home of a very industrious family with all sorts of stuff. The weaving is so interesting, I can't believe how quick the fingers of the artists move! I bought an 11x14" loom ages ago with the intent of making some woven art hangings, but I only did about 1-2" of one... so maybe I'll pick that up when we get home?

We all enjoyed learning about the dyes themselves. The dyes are made from plants and insects and then set with charcoal. The girls got to mix a bit of dye in the palms of their hands. When the woman added baking powder, the mixture fizzed and changed color. 

One part of our visit was the shop. I would really love to buy my girls (and myself!) traditional Ecuadorian skirts but they are really expensive. For a skirt for me, we're looking at $150 and for the girls $75. Maybe I should be less of a tightwad but I'm struggling with that price. Anyways, they loved dressing up. One part of the visit that I didn't like was I felt pressure to buy. I did eventually buy a red and white scarf that I'll put on my dining room table. Maybe it was a good thing to be pressured? I'm happy with my purchase for sure. Sometimes when I'm traveling and looking for the perfect thing, I end up not buying anything (France I'm looking at you!). 

Other industries happening in this home were fish and raising cuyes. Yup guinea pig! In this one little house, there were about 40-50 cuyes! 

PS: I LOVE the countryside of Ecuador! It is so beautiful!