Caching with Paula and friends in the Metro!

I'm the main geocacher in my family so when I can get Paula (sumajhuarmi) to go out with me it is a special day.  Paula is a runner.  She averages 10 kilometers a day at 10,000 ft above sea level.  Yeah, she's in good shape.  I can't do that.  She took a day off to go with me and we hit the Metropolitan Park to find some caches she'd not found and to do some maintenance on some of our caches.  We had a great morning.  The whole Valley de los Chillos to the east was cloud covered yet we were in the sun.  Looking down on the clouds from above is always breath taking. Metropolitan Park is  mostly forrested and well cared for.  I'm really pleased with the improvements they are making in the park.  Lots of new trails, such as the one in the picture. This one comes right by one of the caches (no spoiler here).  

On Saturday Joe and David invited me to go with them as Joe introduced David to the sport.  We had a great time hiking over the southern part of the park.  One of my caches, "Hanger" (GC19AQY) affords a great view of Quito, including the airport.  Another cache we visited is in honor of a young student at the Alliance Academy International who died tragically on 11 January 2007.  We all still miss him, thus "En Memoria de Geovani".  Much of the geocaching done in Quito is by tourist.  I estimate about five regular geocachers in Quito right now.  The downside to this is that there aren't many caches being placed so hunting is slim for those of us living here.  The upside is that FTFs (First to finds) are pretty easy with the low competition for that honor.  The park has one Travel Bug Hotel, named after my granddaughter.  When our two grandchildren visited last Christmas we placed "Karen's Caper" together.  She gets a kick out of every message she receives from cachers.  This TB hotel is the closest cache to the park entrance yet out of the site of muggles.  For caching in Quito, its Metro Park!