Wednesday

It is hard to believe that our time at the Working Boys' Center and in Quito is drawing to a close. Today we are traveling to what is arguably Ecuador's biggest tourist attraction (after the Galapagos Islands) - La Mitad del Mundo - the Equator. Located about 15 miles north of the city, there are actually two markers for the equator. The first and the official government museum, marks the location from the 18th century. The monument is surrounded by shops and restaurants. Being a Wednesday, there were very few tourists around, but there were quite a few school groups. It seems to be the Ecuadorian version of visiting the Liberty Bell. After a quick lunch, we walked a few hundred yards to a new "museum" which marks the actual site of the Equator, as determined by GPS satellites. Here a few members of our group were able to balance an egg on a nail, we witness the ways water drains in different hemispheres and learned a little bit more about the importance and significance of the equator.

Returning to CMT, the guys packed up their bags and cleaned out their rooms. The Center is a busy place and our rooms will be used by a group from Fairfield University that arrives on Thursday. Already, a group from St. Peter's College in NJ arrived today.

We have one last act of service today as we will cover the adult English classes at the Center. The volunteers who usually teach these classes have a meeting and asked us to help them out. While the Center was founded to assist the working children of Ecuador, it was quickly realized that you had to help out their entire families. So each evening, after work, parents come to take classes in English, reading, math and other areas, to improve their own lives and those of their families. It was a great way to end our time in Quito.

Dinner was moved to 8 pm tonight (from the usual 8:40 pm) because of our departure (and that of Avila University's group). It was one last time to socialize together, to enjoy the hospitality of the center - and to buy last minute souvenirs (crafts made by the Girls' program). Then, it was off to the airport for an 11:30 pm departure to begin our trip home to Rochester.

It has been a phenomenal ten days, a chance to be of service, but more importantly to experience and learn about the people, the culture and the history of Ecuador. It has been a life changing experience for all of us.