A visit to a neighbors farm

Patricio took us to visit his family last Sunday afternoon.

We drove up Imbaburra Volcano to their farm

It hasn't erupted for 1400 years so no worries

It's summit is over 15,000 feet

The whole family was waiting 

and welcomed us, allowing

us to join them for a 

beautiful Sunday afternoon

This is their farm and they gave us a full tour.

They are so proud and should be, they work very hard.

One of our favorite parts was the roost in front of the house.

  I would have loved to see all their chickens

 climb that ladder and perch on those limbs for the night.

Their outdoor kitchen where they made lunch for us all

The view from their house of 

Cotachachi- an active volcano

After our tour, we sat and learned to 

shuck corn with Maria

she does this for hours then takes 

it and sells in the market in Otavalo

 For lunch we were eating

Chocolo-the latin word for corncob 

A delicacy here,

 it is a very soft corn on the cob

Cooking the Chocolo for lunch

They set a wonderful table for all of us in their house

 and Carmen served us 

Chocolo, fresh cheese from their cow

 and Coke. 

Everyone cleaned their plates. 

While Maria told stories 

It was a fantastic meal

And we were so honored to share it with them 

and be considered friends

They took us hiking in their fields to see all their crops

Daniel used his machete 

(which mesmerized the boys)

to dig up potatoes, and beets in the field

Carmen is a single mom my age 

Although our lives are very different we were 

able to connect through our love for our 

families and our children. 

Patricio and Erma are building a house on the farm too-

they have been working on it for 2 years 

and said it should be finished in another 2 years.

This would give Will a heart attack.

But they are so patient

 and work on it in their free time

The kids all played soccer after lunch

-Anthony and Liam are very competitive-

We were sad to leave 

and so grateful for their hospitality