Ecuador: 1/12/2018 - 1/27/2018

Saturday, January 27, 2018 - Departure

We woke up early and gathered in the kitchen at 5:45 a.m. for breakfast. Rosa made us coffee, and we had bread and bananas. Sisa and Yupanqui staggered out of their bedroom, squinting at the brightness of the kitchen. They had voluntarily decided to get up to see us off. They were both very sleepy, but they cuddled up with us and watched some Pink Panther cartoons on Antonio's phone. We really appreciated the fact that they woke up so early to say goodbye, and we were very grateful for the opportunity to get one last hug from each of them!

Hector arrived, and we said our goodbyes to the family. The family went back to bed, as we had hoped. Being early Saturday morning, Hector took a few detours, preventing us from getting stuck in traffic near the animal market in Otavalo.

We arrived at Mariscal Sucre International Airport with plenty of time. Our flight was much earlier than Sonam's, and his airline's check-in counter wouldn't be open for a few hours. So we would have to say goodbye before Craig and I went through security. We checked in at the Avianca counter for our flight, and in order to spend as much time with Sonam as possible, we decided to eat breakfast at the Johnny Rockets restaurant which was outside security.

We used the opportunity to teach Sonam the wonders of American diner culture. We ordered milkshakes. Craig had eggs, Sonam had cheese fries, and I had chicken tenders. It was all delicious! Sonam fit right into the ambiance wearing his leather jacket and holding up a milkshake!

We reminisced about our adventures together. It had been a wonderful trip, being able to spend time with our Bhutanese son as well as our Ecuadorian compadres. There was so much love in that house!

We really can't say enough about the wonderful young man that we are lucky enough to call our son. Sonam is wise beyond his years. He has such a positive attitude, no matter what life throws at him. He has an enormous heart and brings happiness everywhere he goes, to friends, family, and strangers alike.

We have enjoyed our time in Ecuador with him so much. It was amazing to see how good he was with the children, teaching them songs and dances, comforting them, being silly with them. They truly see him as an elder brother.

He has also been so helpful to Rosa, preparing for meals, cooking, cleaning up...and all with his sunny disposition. He danced around the kitchen singing while he cooked or washed the dishes.

Speaking of cooking, he made us many delicious pepper dishes. When his supply of Bhutanese peppers ran out, he used peppers from Rosa's garden. He invented some wonderful Bhutanese/Ecuadorian fusion cuisine.

He always takes great care of Craig and is a major source of emotional support for me.

His family should be proud - he has inherited his dad Apa's cheerfulness and work ethic and his mom Ama's lovely laugh.. He is so compassionate and is an inspiration to us in many ways.

We eventually had to say our farewells, which was difficult. We waved to Sonam as we disappeared through security and immigration. I stopped in to Republica del Cacao to buy some of their delicious chocolate. We always love to return home from Ecuador with a stockpile of delicious local coffee and chocolate.

We enjoyed the business class flight to Bogota. We were served sparkling wine when we got to our seats, and we had plenty of room to relax. Even though it was a short flight, we were served a lovely lunch burrito and a glass of Bailey's. Real silverware and glassware, too.

When we got to Bogota, I went in search of local Colombian coffee and chocolate. The last time we had flown home through Bogota I had bought some delicious single origin coffee, as well as a canister of chocolate covered mora (blackberries). I was able to track both products down again, and happily purchased them.

We chatted back and forth with Sonam online. He was still at the Quito airport waiting to check in for his flight.

We boarded our flight to Boston. We really love these Avianca flights! Not only can we get business class fares for the price we normally pay for coach, but their Bogota to Boston service means that we don't have to set foot in Miami! The customs process there is always very crowded and slow, and we are always extremely rushed and worried about missing our connections.

We had dedicated space to safely store our fragile skeleton masks, and we had room to spread out. We didn't have to worry about timing our restroom visits so we didn't get blocked in by the food cart.

We were served a three course meal, complete with an appetizer course (goat cheese salad, olives, cheese, and bread), entree (Craig had steak with potatoes and veggies, and I had ravioli), and dessert (pistachio mousse with a glass of Bailey's). We are not used to this kind of service on a plane!

We arrived safely in Boston and went through Global Entry. We then picked up our checked baggage. It was late at night and we would have had to wait around 45 minutes for the next Logan Express bus, so we decided to take a taxi. We arrived at our house at around midnight. I was glad that tomorrow was Sunday and I didn't have to work.

Sonam flew from Quito to Guayaquil, and then on to Amsterdam. As usual, he was kind to everyone he met, and made new friends in the process. He helped an entire group of ten Chinese tourists navigate the airport process, and he helped a Malaysian man returning home to visit his family from his job in Suriname access the free wi-fi. Sonam is truly a global good will ambassador!

I spent my Sunday making a video of the trip, so that it would be waiting for Sonam when he arrived in Bangkok. We chose Dylan's "Forever Young" as the soundtrack because it articulates all of the hopes and prayers that we have for our dear son Sonam Tshering.