Wearing a jacket and can't feel my fingers... on the equator.

Well, last time I updated yall was right before we left Quito! We're now back in Quito to spend the night before we leave earrrrly tomrrow morning. We've spent the last 3 days at Hacienda Guachala, the oldest hacienda in Ecuador at 500 years old! BUT before we got to the hacienda, we had some super super exciting adventures that I can't leave out!

First, I got to check off a very very important item on my bucket list. We visited el Mitad del Mundo! The middle of the earth! THE EQUATOR! Notice I'm wearing a jacket? Yyyyeah it was pretty cold, still about 10,000 feet up! We drove a few minutes more to get to Cayambe, where the Hacienda Guachala is. Cayambe is famous for its bizcochos, little hard cheesy bread sticks. And they also have some awesome cuy (guinea pig)!!! It tastes like smoky bacon. Most everyone liked it once they got past the appearance! Before our meal, they put a bowl of guinea pig liver and corn on our table. The liver tasted like fish! As you can see, my portion of cuy was talented because it had the ability to high-five and wave.

We then arrived at Hacienda Guachala, which is gorrrgeous! They have so many cool stories, too... under the little chapel, which was built over an indigenous sacred site, there are 11 bodies buried. They just found this out using sonar technology. There is also a room that was used for torturing runaway/disobedient slaves. It was made into a guest room, so none of the instruments are in there anymore, but I am SO glad we didn't have to sleep in there. Creepville. As in pretty much every other building here, there was a middle courtyard with a fountain. Each room had a fireplace, which we put to good use because it was freeeeezing despite being only meters away from the equator. We had to cross into the northern hemisphere to get into town every day. (I'm trying to add a video of the hacienda here but it may not show up...) And the stars at night, OH MY GOODNESS they were gorgeous!!! Even though it was really creepy going outside at night due to the buried bodies and torturing business. On Saturday we went to the Otavalo market, the biggest market in South America! Hahaha and that is where all my money went. I feel like a bartering expert now.

I saved my tuna until Saturday afternoon when I couldn't wait any longer. AND IT WAS DIVINE. It tasted so good and it was so cheap that I couldn't help going out tonight and buying 2 more cans to stuff in my suitcase! It's now getting late and I'm afraid they're gonna cut off the internet before I'm done writing this, so I'll end it here! We're getting up at 5:30 tomorrow to get to the airport early, but for once I'm totally ok with getting up early because I'm ready for home! I have missed my family and friends, my dogs, my bed, being able to flush the toilet paper, and not having to wear a jacket to bed! I really do hope to come back here though... Ecuador has been the most amazing and intriguing place I've ever visited. I'll be so happy to see you all when I come back!!!