$ How much I spent going to Ecuador $

As I've mentioned before mission work isn't ever cheap, not to mention the old adage of "You get what you pay for".  My costs were way up from Haiti but OMG, Ecuador is amazing.  Did I mention roses, the equator, mountains, volcanoes, great food and crafts.  Luckily the currency is in US dollars which made everything very easy to calculate.

Ticket Price                $1,225 +30 extra bag charge- Continental (It can be had for much less ~500-800 but I was heading to Bogota,Colombia after the mission so my price ended up higher.)
Travel insurance           $71 from www.accessamerica.com  When doing mission work travel insurance is a must. Don't try to save money and skip this.
Hotel & food                $460.
                                     This included pre and post night stay in Quito at:                                      Hilton Colon www.quito.hilton.com
                                     The mission week was spent in Ambato at:
                                     Hotel Florida  http://www.hotelflorida.com.ec/
*Even though I didn't stay at the ROKA hotel I must recommend them for food/atmosphere and their boutique accommodations in Ambato. We enjoyed the specialty Roka steak served on Lava rock. How cool is that. We also had a tour of  the rooms and they were AMAZING $45-95/night which included all tax and breakfast. www.hotelrokaplaza.com
*I also recommend Cafe Mosaico in Quito http://www.cafemosaico.com.ec/index.html not so much for the food, although it was fine, but truly for the spectacular view. I found it on Trip advisor prior to going.  I also highly recommend The Plaza Grande hotel.  I went there for dessert in La Belle Epoque dinning room and was treated to another view which took my breath away.  Not only was the dessert GRAND but they had Opera singers do a 30-40 min performance around 8:30 pm. Wow.  Oh proper dress is required. http://www.plazagrandequito.com/english/belle_eng.html

Shopping Costs                    $220 I just found so many great things: alpaca wrap, woven belt, pottery, etc.
Quito-Equator tour/tax        $27
Quito- Exit tax                     $42  very important!!

Okay... So my grand total is over $2, 075.  And that does NOT include money spent on items for the medical or orphanage part of my mission prior to leaving.  If the price tag is making you sad don't forget... where there is a will there is a way and I really mean that.  You can do fund raising or cut back on a guilty pleasure or two.  I brew and take my own coffee daily to work and avoid the Mall except for "emergencies" : )  Be happy in your life at home or on the road!

Ecuador

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My Morning at the Orphanage

The 120 minutes I spent at Mi Tambo Orphanage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz6lRhjsv28 were some of the best and hardest during my misison trip.  Mi Tambo is a local orphanage in Ambato and has the direct translation of "my shelter".  I had done Internet research and was happy when the Ambato Rotary driver suggested going to Mi Tambo.  The drive was very rough and we needed to stop and pull back a gait which gets locked at night.  All the windows were bared and grounds seemed barren.  A basket ball court sat dilapidated and when asked they had no basketballs to use.  Luckily I was able to purchase (3) basketballs the next day with funds donated from friends back home.  The driver agreed to take them back the next day for me.

There were a small group of children there at the time, maybe less than 15, but  numbers flucuate and it was explained that the police drive around the city at night and round up homeless kids on the street and bring them to the orphanage.  As we drove up I could understand the young voices asking in Spanish if there was going to be an adoption.  I teared up before I even got out of the car.  We then were taken by the caretaker of the children to a empty room.  There I unloaded the 2 full backpacks of toys, school supplies and books in Spanish.  Wilma, my translator, helped read the letters that my daughters 7th grade Spanish class wrote and sent with gifts. There were also some handicap children and mentally challenged who stayed there, having no where else to go.  My heart broke as we handed out gifts. They were so appreciative and I just know that we made their day/lives a little brighter just to know people care.

Google translate  http://translate.google.com/#  was a great asset on my trip since I was able to type in English the information I wanted to give to the driver who only spoke Spanish.  I didn't have  a printer but was able to just write it out.  I also used it to give a waiter at the hotel a home exercise program in Spanish since the  Hotel Florida http://www.hotelflorida.com.ec/ had Internet access in the rooms via an Ethernet connection.

These are a few of my favorite things...

OK so safe fresh running water is my all time favorite thing after doing mission work in third world countries.  Now every day of my life I smile while brushing my teeth, showering or filling a pot to go on the stove or EVEN doing dishes.  The fact that we have an unlimited supply of water that won't make us sick or deform or children is a absolute miracle and shouldn't be taken lightly!

BUT, I digress.  I really just wanted to show a few of my travel must haves.  These are great for mission work and beyond.

First off I discovered this amazing store called LUSH while on a weekend trip to Toronto, Canada.  http://www.lush.com/  I just love the bar shampoo and lotion.  That's 2 less liquids to worry about! Next is my travel flashlight and swiss army knife with scissors. I also recommend having a small note pad and pen(s). I love Moleskine http://www.moleskines.com/  .  Other must haves are: soap impregnated wash cloths ( I cut mine in half to decrease waste and save money...for more travel) , mini thermometer/compass, zip lock bags of various sizes, clothes pins and caribiner(d-rings), Airborne -pink grapefruit flavor http://airbornehealth.com/  Lastly I can't be without my LATHER lip conditioning balm.  I have sensitivity to products and this one is perfect. http://www.lather.com  I also forgot about the Kool-aid drop ins.  The are great when you are in a only bottle water situations.