Day 5
Packed up the and hit the road about 9am, traveling the mountainous road from Cotacachi in the Ecuadorian Andes down to Lita at the edge of the Ecuadorian rain forest. Elevation changed from approximately 8000 feet to about 2000 feet. As we headed to lower elevations, the temperatures warmed up.
Scenery was beautiful, passing large waterfalls and spotting gorgeous views of the valleys along the way. It was an incredible display of God’s creation.
At one point in our journey, we were only 20-30 miles from the Columbian border. Passed through a security checkpoint, with heightened security since it was the end of Carnival. Ecuadorian police patrol the border region 24 hours a day for smugglers. Found out that drugs aren’t the only things being brought across the border. People also have been caught bringing in or taking out tools and construction supplies. Guess we didn’t fit the profile, because they just waved us through.
Arrived in Lita early afternoon. After checking out the site for the outdoor shelter we were putting up, we hand carried building supplies from the parking lot to the building site a few hundred feet away. Got started digging holes for concrete footers with shovel and picks. Needed ten holes approximately 48 inches wide by 39 inches deep. Finished seven of the ten holes by dark. A tired crew hit the beds by 9:30pm.
