Staying in Ibarra

We stayed in Ibarra for five days, trying to get inspections done for the following zones: Ibarra, Imbaya, Imbabura, and Otavalo. Just keeping the names straight is tough. But this is the area we have most wanted to visit.


Missionaries from Atuntaqui lead us down the alley to their apartment. It is important to drop a pin at each apartment because addresses don't exist here. A picture helps future couples trying to find the right place.


While in Cotacachi we stopped by a Mexican restaurant, hoping for the best. My fajitas were fantastic, but Paul's enchiladas were only a soupy bowl of tortillas and beef. Oh well. Cotacachi is the Park City of Ecuador. We saw incredible high-end shops with clothing and leather goods. Lots of expats gather here.


While driving from city to city we saw a lot of this crop, but don't know what it is. These bundles are about 8 feet tall.


One night we had quite a downpour and the streets were completely flooded. Ibarra sits in a valley surrounded by volcanos, so it susceptible to quick flooding. Here is a picture I found that shows the layout of the city.


On Sunday we tried to get to the nearest chapel, but the roads were blocked. We ended up driving around for 10 minutes, Google trying to kill us on every one-way road. Finally, we went back to the hotel and walked.


Paul took this picture to add to our copycat business photo album. When we arrived back at the hotel, the parade was still continuing. Just below our window was the staging area. Once around the corner, they started dancing along with the music blasting from their lead vehicle.


I just missed the Cotton Eye Joe dancers around the corner.


Church in Ibarra was fantastic. We were surprised to see 18 missionaries assigned to this area. The ward was full and thriving. We received a text message in the middle of the meeting from the missionaries asking about the person sitting next to us. We found out he was from Valle del Chota (an hour away) and was baptized 8 years before. He had decided to start coming back to church. We were happy to meet him and welcome him back.

Location: Atuntaqui, Ecuador

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