much walking

hi all
We started our day going to the mercado (market) . Here there is much in the way of vegies, fruit, meats, cooked foods and juices many of which I have never seen before and we have to try everything. Today however, Rachelle is still sick and here at the mercado is a healer/natural medicine. She gave us medicine yesterday which helped and again today and this time I went too, complaining of dizzy head ( altitude not state of mind thank you very much). It helped a great deal. She was very good and tomorrow we see her again, the cost to have her help was a ghastly 30 cents. We also had fabulous fruit juices and again wonderful lunch.
We went to the new town and got used books because I read 3, this was really bad, as the books were very expensive, and as we were talking with the owner´s husband, he was a mass of contradiction in that he is american and sees much wrong in Quito, and will take his child to be educated in america but will retire here. He sees much crime but we haven´t seen a thing, fact I have never seen such helpful or honest people and there has been many times where they could have taken advantage of us, you know like not giving correct change back etc. The one thing that he did say that is very true is that the taxi drivers are a bit naughty and to correct that indiscretion you ask if their meter is on and working and wow, it is suddenly so much cheaper.
In Quito it is illegal for them not to have it on or be broken. I guess they have been pulling this little trick for a while.
Rob and I ditched the kids in the hotel as they were tired and forced hard labor, of putting them to work on their schooling and we went church hunting. Wow, in its prolific time, Quito was hugely oppulent. Although many building are in a sad state of disrepair, the churches show still much gold in the churches and gold covered carvings as good as or better than any european church as I have ever seen. It made me cry in one of them where there was mostly painting. It is enough to almost convert you.
We bought fabulous art, in new town slightly abstract but very nice and inexpensive. We will go on friday to Otovalo where the indigenous people sell their crafts/arts/foods etc. We also want to visit the volcano that erupted when we came in. It didn´t really cause any damage just got everyone really excited. This of course all depends on Rachelle and her health.
Talk with you all soon
Robin