Carnaval!!

Oh the joys of new holidays abroad! This year we thoroughly enjoyed Carnaval. For this holiday the streets are filled with kids throwing water balloons and full grown adults are armed with water hoses, ready to spray passersby. Let's just say that you leave the house ready to get wet or sprayed with foam. This goes on for about a week. The smiles are plenty and this holiday is a great opportunity to connect with our neighbors in new and fresh ways.

It did our hearts good to see Georgia and Reese join in the fun with our neighborhood kids, spraying motorcyclists as they zoomed past! This was a great encouragement to us because Georgia and Reese are comfortable enough in their Spanish to join in the fun. Wahoo!










Tina and our friend Jessica took a walk in Puyo (20 minutes from our home) and encountered party central! They were thrown into a muddy river by 20 Columbian youth.  It was all in good fun but quite the surprise. The picture says it all.

Embracing new customs is often uncomfortable and a major learning curve but so worth it. Viva Ecuador!