The Convent Las Gardenias in Quito was the meeting place for the beginning of our Plant Lovers Journey to Ecuador. Here we joined our group of fellow travelers, including my very beloved teachers and leaders of our trip, Rosemary Gladstar, Cascade Anderson Gellar and Rocio Alarcon, the same three women who I first traveled to Ecuador with in 1999. That trip was also my first independent international travel, and began what has unfurled as a lifetime of travel and adventure to many parts of the world, so far. They were joined on this trip by a fourth deep and wise woman, Kathleen Maeir and by Robert Chartier, Rosemary's partner, whose steady and present energy is essential to group momentum in many ways! Fish was with me, both in '99 and now! We felt this trip was symbolic for us in many ways, most obvious being the full circle aspect, of completing a cycle of life by returning to where the adventures all started 13 years before. I was giddy with anticipation to get this party started! The convent was large, silent and.... well... immaculate. The rooms were stark and bare and the beds were... small... and VERY far apart. We could tell we were gonna have to redecorate for the evening. As a reminder that we were now in Ecuador, where plant spirits still dwell in the daily world with modern people, we kept running into San Pedro cactus everywhere we turned.
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| Our room at the convent. No funny business here!! |
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| We found San Pedro hanging out in the stairwell! |
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| The chapel. |
Our entertainment for the evening. Rocio's niece and professional dancer performed a few numbers for us in the basement of the convent. (Thank you Heath Hilary for these photos!)
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