SteveAnnaCottrell

After hearing about how beautiful Alaska is, I finally got to see for myself. We went on interesting tours in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, but the real highlight was passing through the narrow fjords in that gigantic cruise ship. It was awesome!

We lived in Caracas for almost ten years. It has the most incredible climate. My memory is of about 72 degrees, day and night, all year round. When it rains, it pours down in torrents for about an hour, then completely clears up for the rest of the day. The plants grow to gigantic proportions. Poinsettias grow as tall as a small tree and are seen along the city streets. I have a picture of my kids standing in front of a giant plant that had leaves bigger than they were. Our back yard had bougainvillea in brilliant colors, and fruit trees that provided us with bananas, avocados, and mangoes. Some of our happiest memories are of that time and place.

We lived in Quito for 18 months, and had the most fun I’ve ever had. Nestled in the Andes Mountains, the climate is mild, even chilly after sunset. A short distance from a variety of land types—jungle, mountains, or ocean. The people are wonderful, the food inexpensive and delicious. Shopping is a dream. Merchants bring their wares here, but if you want an adventure, take a trip up to the open market at Otovalo where you can buy Panama hats which are in fact made there, woolen blankets, ponchos, handmade jewelry, handwoven baskets, etc. Each of the little villages along the way has its own trade—one village sells masapan (bread dough art), the next has wood carvings, another has leather jackets in every shop. It’s fascinating.