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My Ecuador Photo Journal

Because when we see a basic tourist opportunity.....WE COME RUNNING!

WHY WAS ECUADOR SO TRAUMATIZING???  

Okay so I think Ecuador will always be one of my favorite countries.  It really has all of the things I love- INCREDIBLE outdoor scenery, kind people, yummy food and a lot of adventure.  And everything is cheap.  

That said, I have a few traumatizing memories from Ecuador haha. 

I spent some time in mainland Ecuador with Dan and Beckham after I went to The Galapagos with my girlfriend.  

So……I went from snorkeling with sea lions, laying on white sand beaches and eating seafood under the stars with my girlfriend to waking up at 5 AM to bloody murder screams, enduring level 40 tantrums, and frantically trying to prevent Beckham from throwing things at restaurants. 

This was probably the most stressful trip I have ever had and I cried quite a bit. 

It was our first international trip after moving to Costa Rica with Beckham and wow we were put in our place.  I have spent some time looking through these pictures today and I have to laugh at so hard at how hard this trip was.  

WHY was it so hard???  

I feel hope because our recent travels with Beckham haven’t seemed to be NEAR as exhausting as this one was.  Not sure if expectations have changed, if Beckham has adjusted, or we have gotten smarter (the least probable case haha). 

Either way, this trip was so incredible, even though we just about lost our minds.  

I decided to just do different type of post and opt for a photo journal, rather than specific tips and recommendations.   

Enjoy! 

Banos, Ecuador

This is a really awesome picture but it was one of the low points of the whole trip. Dan dropped me off here so I could have a second to myself because Beckham was OUT of control. He and Beckham went back to our hotel (rat hole) to take a nap.
Excuse the world's most awkward picture of me haha. Ecuador has some ALTITUDE!
This is where I got on wifi to call my sister and ugly cry to her about how I had no idea what I was doing as a mom and ask her if I was going to survive or if Beckham was actually going to kill me haha. Love my sister for always being a good listener.
I sent Dan a picture of the spa and told him I was feeling a lot better. He returned a message with a picture of him in our rat hole hotel hahaha. Love this guy.
This kid. Just casually playing with his car on the floor. No idea how hard he had made this day. OH Beckham haha.
I was in a VERY scary mood here. Beckham and I both! Dan is the glue that keeps us all together haha.
I remember this day very clearly as the day I decided we should not be sleeping in $8 hostels anymore now that we had Beckham haha.
MY FAVORITE moment from our entire Ecuador trip! I was OVER the top happy to experience something like this with Beckham and the fact that he loved it made me happier than anything! Thank you Ecuador for having low age requirements haha.
I REALLLLLY wanted to go bungee jumping but the mom side of me felt like maybe Beckham had been throwing a lot of tantrums because we kept doing things I wanted to do instead of what he wanted to do. We rented this Jeep instead and he LOVED it. It was a super fun afternoon for everyone 🙂
Sometimes I just want to EAT his chubby face!!!!
We don't often repeat restaurants because I love trying new things but we had to come back here a few times because this Venezuelan restaurant has THE BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD!
I had a 75 km bike ride planned for us this day.....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
One of my favorite pictures from the trip. Beckham having a tantrum in the middle of the street and this kid is like.....dude......
Dan worked SO hard to get us here before it got dark. He knew how bad I wanted to swing on this swing haha......Sometimes I wonder how he puts up with it all.....
Dan taught Beckham to do thumbs up the week before this. Look at his lil'thumbs up.
Ope! Time for the 3:15 tantrum! Right in between the 3:00 and 3:30 tantrums!
We didn't end up finishing all 75 km of our bike ride hahaha. I think we made it 25 km hahaha.
Beckham LOVED the cable car on the way over.
Not so much on the way back. #day5withnonap
Beckham plotting how to loosen a bolt on the bike to kill us. LOOK AT THAT VIEW!

Quilotoa, Ecuador

I SO wanted to do the 4 day hike around the lake but maybe next time 🙂
Beckham finally fell asleep just in time for us to get to the kayaks haha.
We were smart this time and brought suckers! We is smart parents!!!!
It's like a scene from a horror movie when Beckham realizes his sucker is gone haha.
NO WORDS for how pretty this lake is!!!!!
Beckham was so excited to meet a llama for the first time (he is obsessed with horses) and called all horses llamas for a while when we got back 🙂
Why do I remember being in a scary mood in 90% of these pictures?
We needed just a SECOND to ourselves so we jumped out to admire this AMAZING view and take some pictures together while Beckham screamed his head off in the car. He has very bad FOMO like his mom hahaha.
I swear around every corner in Ecuador there is an even prettier view!

Quito, Ecuador

I LOVED this street with all of its colorful buildings! Instagram husband do your work!
We had to BEG the guy to let us up here. I had wanted to climb this tower so bad and we got there JUST after they closed it. Dan worked his magic!
These shoes are everywhere in South America. I'm never in style so I thought I would be cool haha.
Beckham's first time trying chicken foot. He likes fruit snacks and french fries more. Hahaha.
He was so excited to sit on this big boy swing 🙂
Good morning Quito!!!!!

Cotopaxi Volcano and National Park

So much I would love to come back and see in this park!
Beckham liked 0% of hiking Cotopaxi
Cute boys. And no one crying haha.
We decided after this trip that Beckham could watch a movie at restaurants so this didn't happen again haha. Don't worry, we paid for it.
Hiking Cotopaxi was one of the worst experiences of Ecuador hahaha I got SOOO sick from the altitude!
Celebrating because we finally got a quiet car ride!!!
90% of my favorite travel memories are having fun just being dumb in a new place haha.
Waiting outside of the restaurant while Dan paid for the giant clay vase Beckham shattered. Oh Beckham.

I am so glad we take pictures.  Not only because I love photography, but I love to look back and laugh at the memories.  The stressful and frustrating times become funny and the special moments become even more dear.  

So much of this trip felt difficult and emotional, but looking back, we honestly had such a fun time and I wouldn’t trade these memories of Beckham’s first time in South America for anything.  

Leaving Beckham’s suitcase at the airport, enduring 3,000 tantrums, getting lost, getting stranded in our tiny car, altitude sickness, lots and lots of crying. ….. It was all worth it. 

We love you Ecuador! 

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