Getting back from Mindo, we got home just in time for lunch and then headed out later to do some touristy things (after a nap of course). Lunch was AMAZING! Mami is such a good cook. I miss her food like crazy. My parents hadn't yet had a chance to have a lunch she had cooked, so I was very happy that she made lunch for everyone.
Lunch in Ecuador is a big deal and the biggest meal fo the day. We had soup, Sancocho, which is made with rice, vegetables and pieces of green, as in not ripe, bananas. The texture of the green bananas is wonderful in the soup. It is by far one of my favorites! Then we had rice, baked (ripe) banana (barf, but ate it anyway) and some beef in a tomato type sauce. So good. My parents were finally able to fully appreciate why I missed her cooking so much! I had forgotten to tell them that after the big bowl of soup that there would be a full plate of food coming - oops! I told Papi not to give us too mch, which means just a regular amount, instead of a heaping (literally) plateful. We were all stuffed. Eating the way they do, with no real solid breakfast or dinner and then an enormous lunch is rough! It takes some adjusting...
So, the touristy things were more that we needed to change money, and I wanted my parents to see some of the gift shops and see if they wanted anything else for gifts. We headed out in a taxi from the house. How Quito has changed! There are places I don't remember at all because there are new buildings there or nicer ones with new fancy restaurants or apartments. It's amazing!
The tourist gift shops are fun with lots of neat things, but they are expensive so I am holding out for when I am at the actual regional markets where they make them. My parents, since they are leaving on Sunday, have less time so they couldn't avoid it.
We waited in line for SO long at the bank to get change for a hundred dollar bill. It was hilarious!! So there were three tellers and at one point a woman from the loan area of the bank goes to the window of one of the tellers and they talked for a good 5 minutes about the loan for the teller's sister. People were so pissed... My dad was just shaking his head. As much as I think it wold be great for my parents to retire in Latin America, it's moments like that when I know my father would never survive!
We ended up being out late, so we had to get some dinner. At that point we were away from where the restaurants and cafes along Amazonas, the main "gringo land" drag, are. I saw some policemen/boys (they were so young!) walking towards us, so I asked them, hoping for a good local place. They walked with us a bit, asking where we were from, etc, before pointing to a restaurant a few blocks down. I see it, and it looks a bit fancy, so we go around the corner to the very hip Coffee Tree cafe (I swear, that is the name) for a coffee. With a name like that, they should have soy milk, right? No. Oh well. We had a quick coffee and ended up going back to the restaurant they had shown us. We had typical Ecuadorian food - it was wonderful!! Of course, did I remember to take a picture of the food? NO! I'll try and remember from now on.
We enjoyed the food, though some of the things, Mami makes much better! Anyway, we headed home and to bed. Tomorrow, to the store for soy milk and other things. We'll figure it out in the morning!
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