A lot of my friends, and not-so-friends, asked me to tell them what I thought of Ecuador. This is what it led to. It is not easy to tell someone in a few sentences what I thought of something like this. There was so much that went through my mind and so much that we experienced. I have never been anywhere outside of our country except Canada. I could only imagine Ecuador from what I saw on the Web and heard from others.
What I found was a country I felt completely comfortable in. I felt like I had just driven down the road a ways. I mean, we have a lot of Hispanics all around us so the language and customs seemed familiar. There were also a lot of signs that were American companies and in English. The skyline of Quito seemed somehow familiar and took me back to my childhood in South San Francisco. The weather was also similar to that throughout.
The people are friendly and inquisitive. The food is incredible. From a nutritionist's point of view, we are starving and they are well fed. We have an abundance of variety and choices but our food is low in nutritional value. They have less selection but the food is far more nutrient dense. Most of the country is fairly well fed except that they eat a lot of the wrong things; not knowing any better. I would love to help change that. They have so much nutritious food that they need to appreciate and eat more of. I want to help them do that.
The country is free; freer than we realize. Oh sure, Correa is a Socialist. So what? A country that has been oppressed and exploited as Ecuador has needs someone who has a strong hand to get it in order. Correa is the man. The Constitution is also a document that was voted on by the people. It guarantees freedom of religion and even has a section that gives rights to the environment. Why? Because Ecuadorian resources have been exploited and continue to be exploited. This land is rich in ecodiversity and is an important part of the the delicate balance that keeps our world going. In the U.S. we make a big deal about a little snail and infringe on property rights because of it but our corporations can go in and decimate whole populations and plant species for profit. That should not be. The Constitution somehow empowers the land itself to fight back. We will see how that occurs. The Constitution also allows gay marriage. In a country where most people take their religion and their God very seriously, gay marriage is constitutional. Why? I don't know why but I do know that most people seem to mind their own business. As long as that keeps happening, it is live and let live. They have more important things to be concerned about.
They are freer because they are not overburdened by all of the laws and regulations that we have in the United States. For example, when our daughter decided to build her house, she built it. She did not go down to the county to get their blessing after paying thousands and thousands of dollars. She does not have to get their blessing before she decides to move into the house. We have made so many laws that are supposed to be "for our own good" but are they really? We abdicate freedom and personal responsibility when we allow the government to enact regulations and laws that are "for our own good."
They are freer because they don't hear the propaganda "They hate us because we are free and prosperous" while becoming more and more enslaved by their government. No one cares about these things because their government didn't decide that it was a good idea to put military bases in 130 countries around the world "to spread democracy." Their government has more important things to worry about. So, when you go about your business and you decide to travel; you are treated as a welcome visitor or fellow citizen rather than a potential terrorist. They are freer because their government doesn't treat WWII veterans with disrespect and suspicion at the airport security checks. They are treated with the respect and honor due older folks who have lived in the trenches and in the air so that we can be free.
With this freedom does come personal responsibility. "Let the buyer beware" is the motto. You need to be responsible for every decision you make and can't expect someone else to save you from yourself. That is sobering. When I broke my veneer I thought about that. In the U.S. I would be able to get compensated for it. In Ecuador you depend on the kindness of strangers and the decency of the place in which you incurred the infraction. It does not always work out. So what? What's the alternative? What we have in this country? I'd rather take my chances and deal with the consequences of the decisions I made. I would rather be more responsible for myself and my loved ones than have the government "take care of me."
What did I miss in Ecuador? I missed my own bed for one thing but I miss that when I just drive to Phoenix two hours away for a night. I missed clean and organized and predictable and uniform. I missed variety and choices. I missed the wide open blue skies of Arizona. I missed my pets. These are the things that we have in the United States that most of the world does not have. We have clean and organized and predictable and uniform. We have things that work, most of the time. We have opportunity, if we are willing to act like grown ups. I missed people speaking English. It gave me an appreciation for those who come to our country speaking a different language and how lonely that can be.
So, what will I do with my new found knowledge? Only God knows. I know He has plans for me in Ecuador. There is a country that I fell in love with and a people in whose lives I want to make a difference. Each day is a day closer to God's plan for me in that area. I wait patiently for the word from Him that makes it crystal clear what His plans are for me there. Meanwhile I work in the comfort of my home and thank God every day for clean and organized and predictable and uniform (and hot baths) awaiting His command while I watch our country, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, being given up to people whose interests are purely their own. God help us.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Days 10-13, January 9-12
After enjoying several wonderful days in and around Cotacachi we are off to Mindo. Mindo is a cloud forest east and somewhat north of Quito. We take off at 6:30 am from Cotacachi to get to Quito by 9:00 am. When we left Quito it was a holiday. We had no idea what that meant. Eduardo and Daniel kept telling us how wonderful it was that there was very little traffic. It looked like a lot of traffic to me so I wasn't sure why they were so excited. Well, today I found out. When we got to the outskirts of Quito traffic was at a standstill. We inched along, literally, mile after mile. Cars were pushing there way into traffic from the sides and I was starting to get anxious. It was getting closer and closer to 9:00 am. I assumed our driver knew where he was going and had it under control. I mean he had to have done this drive a million times over, right?
As we got into the center of town we started going up and around and down and up and around and down in a very similar pattern. Since the driver spoke little English it was difficult to ask him exactly how long it would be before we arrived. I looked at the street names trying to remember where the Radisson was located as that was where we were going to meet our next driver. It was then that I noticed a strange similarity in the names. I was sure that I had seen that street before. I had. I was becoming aware of the fact that we were indeed going up and around and down and up and around on the SAME streets! Our driver was lost. He didn't know where he was going for sure and it was inching past 9:00 am.
I didn't want to seem frantic but I uttered in my very poor Spanish "Necesitamos ir al hotel a las nueve a la manana," while smiling nervously. He acknowledged with a distressed grunt and continued to drive. He finally whipped around and did a u turn and parked in front of a building I did not recognize. He told us to get out. I thought, "Oh no, this is it. He is going to jump back in the car and steal all of our stuff and leave us here never to be heard of again." But he didn't. He went into a building and came back out and pointed across the street down aways. There was the Radisson. So, we dragged all of our stuff out of there and walked, dodging traffic, to the Radisson.
At the Radisson the doorman asks if we are waiting for a car to Mindo. We exclaim "Si!" and we are on our way. The road to Mindo is much quieter and more scenic than the road into Quito so I sit back and relax. After awhile the road became quite windy so, though our driver wasn't as reckless as Eduardo, I was still holding on for dear life in the back seat while listening to some tunes. We arrived at Mindo around 12:30 pm.
Mindo is a cute little town. We discovered that over the years Mindo has worked hard to clean up the town and its surroundings. It takes its role as a major ecotourism spot very seriously. Mindo is a haven for hundreds of bird species and orchid species. We are here for the birds.
The Ecolodge we are staying at is El Monte. In order to get to it you have to ride across this raging river on an open seat on a manually-operated conveyor belt. This is not for the faint at heart and I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it. Why in the world don't people put in a bridge or at least a seat with sides, for goodness sake? What were these people thinking? I wasn't sure but I think it has something to do with security. The average thief is not going to venture across the river in that thing to go sloshing through the mud and trees to find something, he knows not what.
They introduced us to Javier, who was to be our bird guide. Javier is a very intelligent, well spoken except he mumbles a little, bilingual Afro-Ecuadorian who grew up in Mindo. He has been studying English and birds for the last three to four years and he is only 24. We were to find out how much he knew and be grateful for it.
Birding in Mindo is not like birding in the States. First, Ecuador has a field guide as big as a large family Bible. It has at least 124 species of hummingbird alone! A lot of the birds look very similar. Second, Mindo is generally always under cloud cover. We found out in the rainy season it really is rainy, much to our chagrin. So, seeing the birds and their colors clearly against a gray sky and when there are so many that are similar proved a quite harrowing feat. We failed miserably at it when we did a little birding in El Limonal and it was even worse in Mindo. The $25 per day for Javier was well worth it and I highly recommend it, if you bird in Ecuador.
El Monte provides three meals as part of its package so we took advantage of all three. We were joined on Saturday by a couple from the Netherlands and two older ladies from New York. The couple from the Netherlands were quite fascinating. They have done a lot of traveling. We envied them their free spirits. They also spoke several languages fluently. He explained that it was purely self defense because the Netherlands is this little tiny country surrounded by several other countries. All of the children learn several languages. I envied that, too.
Tom, the owner, and his wife, Mariella (also the owner) joined us for several meals. Tom is an American who moved to Ecuador over 17 years ago and never went back. Along with falling in love with Ecuador he fell in love with a certain Afro-Ecuadorian woman he met in Quito. Her name was Mariella and the rest is history. They both have a love for the country and providing an environmentally sustainable habitat. Their lodge provides nutritious, organic meals and the coffee and chocolate are divine. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted with each meal because they were both so wonderful. There is nothing like Ecuadorian coffee and chocolate.
Our days were spent birding with Javier and dodging the rain. It rained every day from around 2:00 to around 6:00 pm. It sometimes rained in the morning. One morning we decided to go look at a Cock o the Rock Lek. The Cock o the Rock is this beautiful bird who spends all of its time hanging out at a singles bar for birds called a lek. The males do nothing but chase females and score and then chase females and score. The females do all of the work of raising the children. So, a lek is a perfect place to find these very shy birds. We had to arise around 4:30 am to be at the lek for sunrise. As soon as 6:00 hits, the birds start doing their thing. I understood it was a drive and a walk but I had no idea what kind of walk. It was raining that morning and the roads were muddy. They are always muddy so you wear rubber boots. The rubber boots I received were two sizes too big. The lek was on a trail that was straight up in the dark. I began to climb and slide all over the place. Do you think anyone else was sliding? Noooo, only me. I was the fool with my big clunky boots and lack of coordination.
Javier is a gentleman from a bygone era and extremely resourceful. He immediately took note of the situation and found a skinny tree and broke it off for a walking stick for me. We had walking sticks but where were they? At home still warm in their beds while we were sloshing around in the dark. I was amazed that he could be so thoughtful. He is not paid to keep me from breaking a leg or looking like a complete fool. He is paid to show me the birds. But the whole time we were birding with him he took great pains to ensure our safety and enjoyment. By the time we sat down the sun began to rise and we started hearing the birds one by one. They had such a funny sound, it was quite comical. Then we were able to make some of them out in the trees at a distance. We finally got one good view of one for quite awhile. It was such a pleasure. The birds used to come in a lot closer to the place where we were seated but people kept taking flash pictures, against the rules. Now they were moving away. What a shame.
Around the lodge we saw toucans, a quetzal, and various other colorful birds. It was amazing. In all, we saw over 100 new species of birds on our four-day stay there. That was truly an experience of a lifetime. I could not live in Mindo, though. By the time our time was nearing an end I was feeling quite despondent because of the dark skies and rain every day. I understand it is much better in the summer so will only consider returning then.
The last couple of days I started feeling under the weather and realized I was getting the Gringo's curse. Remember you are not supposed to eat or drink certain things and we broke the rules. We armed ourselves with grapefruit seed extract and food-grade hydrogen peroxide but we did not take it enough. We both ended up paying the consequences because Delbert got it, too. It was a great strain on the last few days of the vacation and we were thankful it was not worse.
I also lost a veneer on Saturday night because of a stone in some quinoa I was eating. That was quite distressing because it was a front, lateral tooth and I knew it was going to be expensive. I did not enjoy going around like a toothless old hag. I did save the veneer, though, as it looked fine. It looked more like the break was from the tooth so I thought I could rescue the veneer. Mariella arranged for us to see a dentist in Quito on our way out on Monday afternoon.
So, on Monday, off we went to Quito back to the Radisson for the night. We were to meet the attorney for signing papers for our property at 5:30 pm and go to the dentist at the same time. It was not looking good. I didn't know what to do to tell the attorney that we could not meet with him until at least 6:30 pm. Then I realized that my cell phone, which is AT&T, actually got reception through the carriers in Ecuador. Verizon did not so I just want all of you smug Verizon users out there to know that, LOL. I did not have the attorney's number but I called Ray Manna at El Meson. Ray to the rescue. He was able to call the attorney and reschedule for us. I don't know how much the phone call cost (I am afraid to look) but I was grateful for the service while we were on the road.
I got to the dentist's office. I jumped out of the car on the other side of the busy street. I needed to get across but Quito drivers are nuts so I was apprehensive. The dentist's office is behind a gate with a security guard. He jumped out in the street to supervise the traffic while I got across. The service is amazing. I ran upstairs and attempted to tell the receptionist why I was there. She understood and was telling me something I did not understand. A woman and her son in the waiting room spoke English so they quickly spoke up for her and me. I was so thankful. They told me it would be about 15 or 20 minutes so I went back downstairs to tell the driver. I tried to tell him to take my husband to the hotel and come back for me. At least I thought that is what he heard when I said "vuelve."
I got into see the dentist who was a handsome man. Ecuador is filled with handsome men and beautiful women. If I were a lass I would think "so many brown-eyed handsome men and so little time." Where was I? Oh yes, the handsome dentist looked at my veneer and told me it was roto. I knew, because I have such an extensive vocabulary in Spanish (not), that meant broken. He showed me where it was roto and I begged him to glue it in anyway. I did not know the word for temporary in Spanish but I hoped he knew what temporary meant and I kept saying it. He understood and began to perform his magic. Magic it was because you would not know that it was roto and it looks better than ever. He insisted that I see a dentist as soon as I returned but I am having a hard time getting motivated.
My driver, by the way, never returned. I was sure he knew what I meant when I said "vuelve" but I guess not. He probably assumed I meant "vuelve al Mindo." So, I was stuck. I managed to communicate my distress to the nice security guard and he told me to go upstairs. I did and asked the receptionist (via the young man who could speak English) if she could order a taxi for me. She did and 15 minutes later I was on my way.
We both felt awful so crawled into bed after meeting with Sebastian, the attorney, and stayed there until we had to arise at 6:00 pm to catch the shuttle to the airport. Our flight was at 9:30 am and the trip back was quite uneventful. We were even surprised when U.S. Customs didn't pilfer through our underwear but just screened our bags.
As we got into the center of town we started going up and around and down and up and around and down in a very similar pattern. Since the driver spoke little English it was difficult to ask him exactly how long it would be before we arrived. I looked at the street names trying to remember where the Radisson was located as that was where we were going to meet our next driver. It was then that I noticed a strange similarity in the names. I was sure that I had seen that street before. I had. I was becoming aware of the fact that we were indeed going up and around and down and up and around on the SAME streets! Our driver was lost. He didn't know where he was going for sure and it was inching past 9:00 am.
I didn't want to seem frantic but I uttered in my very poor Spanish "Necesitamos ir al hotel a las nueve a la manana," while smiling nervously. He acknowledged with a distressed grunt and continued to drive. He finally whipped around and did a u turn and parked in front of a building I did not recognize. He told us to get out. I thought, "Oh no, this is it. He is going to jump back in the car and steal all of our stuff and leave us here never to be heard of again." But he didn't. He went into a building and came back out and pointed across the street down aways. There was the Radisson. So, we dragged all of our stuff out of there and walked, dodging traffic, to the Radisson.
At the Radisson the doorman asks if we are waiting for a car to Mindo. We exclaim "Si!" and we are on our way. The road to Mindo is much quieter and more scenic than the road into Quito so I sit back and relax. After awhile the road became quite windy so, though our driver wasn't as reckless as Eduardo, I was still holding on for dear life in the back seat while listening to some tunes. We arrived at Mindo around 12:30 pm.
Mindo is a cute little town. We discovered that over the years Mindo has worked hard to clean up the town and its surroundings. It takes its role as a major ecotourism spot very seriously. Mindo is a haven for hundreds of bird species and orchid species. We are here for the birds.
The Ecolodge we are staying at is El Monte. In order to get to it you have to ride across this raging river on an open seat on a manually-operated conveyor belt. This is not for the faint at heart and I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it. Why in the world don't people put in a bridge or at least a seat with sides, for goodness sake? What were these people thinking? I wasn't sure but I think it has something to do with security. The average thief is not going to venture across the river in that thing to go sloshing through the mud and trees to find something, he knows not what.
They introduced us to Javier, who was to be our bird guide. Javier is a very intelligent, well spoken except he mumbles a little, bilingual Afro-Ecuadorian who grew up in Mindo. He has been studying English and birds for the last three to four years and he is only 24. We were to find out how much he knew and be grateful for it.
Birding in Mindo is not like birding in the States. First, Ecuador has a field guide as big as a large family Bible. It has at least 124 species of hummingbird alone! A lot of the birds look very similar. Second, Mindo is generally always under cloud cover. We found out in the rainy season it really is rainy, much to our chagrin. So, seeing the birds and their colors clearly against a gray sky and when there are so many that are similar proved a quite harrowing feat. We failed miserably at it when we did a little birding in El Limonal and it was even worse in Mindo. The $25 per day for Javier was well worth it and I highly recommend it, if you bird in Ecuador.
El Monte provides three meals as part of its package so we took advantage of all three. We were joined on Saturday by a couple from the Netherlands and two older ladies from New York. The couple from the Netherlands were quite fascinating. They have done a lot of traveling. We envied them their free spirits. They also spoke several languages fluently. He explained that it was purely self defense because the Netherlands is this little tiny country surrounded by several other countries. All of the children learn several languages. I envied that, too.
Tom, the owner, and his wife, Mariella (also the owner) joined us for several meals. Tom is an American who moved to Ecuador over 17 years ago and never went back. Along with falling in love with Ecuador he fell in love with a certain Afro-Ecuadorian woman he met in Quito. Her name was Mariella and the rest is history. They both have a love for the country and providing an environmentally sustainable habitat. Their lodge provides nutritious, organic meals and the coffee and chocolate are divine. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted with each meal because they were both so wonderful. There is nothing like Ecuadorian coffee and chocolate.
Our days were spent birding with Javier and dodging the rain. It rained every day from around 2:00 to around 6:00 pm. It sometimes rained in the morning. One morning we decided to go look at a Cock o the Rock Lek. The Cock o the Rock is this beautiful bird who spends all of its time hanging out at a singles bar for birds called a lek. The males do nothing but chase females and score and then chase females and score. The females do all of the work of raising the children. So, a lek is a perfect place to find these very shy birds. We had to arise around 4:30 am to be at the lek for sunrise. As soon as 6:00 hits, the birds start doing their thing. I understood it was a drive and a walk but I had no idea what kind of walk. It was raining that morning and the roads were muddy. They are always muddy so you wear rubber boots. The rubber boots I received were two sizes too big. The lek was on a trail that was straight up in the dark. I began to climb and slide all over the place. Do you think anyone else was sliding? Noooo, only me. I was the fool with my big clunky boots and lack of coordination.
Javier is a gentleman from a bygone era and extremely resourceful. He immediately took note of the situation and found a skinny tree and broke it off for a walking stick for me. We had walking sticks but where were they? At home still warm in their beds while we were sloshing around in the dark. I was amazed that he could be so thoughtful. He is not paid to keep me from breaking a leg or looking like a complete fool. He is paid to show me the birds. But the whole time we were birding with him he took great pains to ensure our safety and enjoyment. By the time we sat down the sun began to rise and we started hearing the birds one by one. They had such a funny sound, it was quite comical. Then we were able to make some of them out in the trees at a distance. We finally got one good view of one for quite awhile. It was such a pleasure. The birds used to come in a lot closer to the place where we were seated but people kept taking flash pictures, against the rules. Now they were moving away. What a shame.
Around the lodge we saw toucans, a quetzal, and various other colorful birds. It was amazing. In all, we saw over 100 new species of birds on our four-day stay there. That was truly an experience of a lifetime. I could not live in Mindo, though. By the time our time was nearing an end I was feeling quite despondent because of the dark skies and rain every day. I understand it is much better in the summer so will only consider returning then.
The last couple of days I started feeling under the weather and realized I was getting the Gringo's curse. Remember you are not supposed to eat or drink certain things and we broke the rules. We armed ourselves with grapefruit seed extract and food-grade hydrogen peroxide but we did not take it enough. We both ended up paying the consequences because Delbert got it, too. It was a great strain on the last few days of the vacation and we were thankful it was not worse.
I also lost a veneer on Saturday night because of a stone in some quinoa I was eating. That was quite distressing because it was a front, lateral tooth and I knew it was going to be expensive. I did not enjoy going around like a toothless old hag. I did save the veneer, though, as it looked fine. It looked more like the break was from the tooth so I thought I could rescue the veneer. Mariella arranged for us to see a dentist in Quito on our way out on Monday afternoon.
So, on Monday, off we went to Quito back to the Radisson for the night. We were to meet the attorney for signing papers for our property at 5:30 pm and go to the dentist at the same time. It was not looking good. I didn't know what to do to tell the attorney that we could not meet with him until at least 6:30 pm. Then I realized that my cell phone, which is AT&T, actually got reception through the carriers in Ecuador. Verizon did not so I just want all of you smug Verizon users out there to know that, LOL. I did not have the attorney's number but I called Ray Manna at El Meson. Ray to the rescue. He was able to call the attorney and reschedule for us. I don't know how much the phone call cost (I am afraid to look) but I was grateful for the service while we were on the road.
I got to the dentist's office. I jumped out of the car on the other side of the busy street. I needed to get across but Quito drivers are nuts so I was apprehensive. The dentist's office is behind a gate with a security guard. He jumped out in the street to supervise the traffic while I got across. The service is amazing. I ran upstairs and attempted to tell the receptionist why I was there. She understood and was telling me something I did not understand. A woman and her son in the waiting room spoke English so they quickly spoke up for her and me. I was so thankful. They told me it would be about 15 or 20 minutes so I went back downstairs to tell the driver. I tried to tell him to take my husband to the hotel and come back for me. At least I thought that is what he heard when I said "vuelve."
I got into see the dentist who was a handsome man. Ecuador is filled with handsome men and beautiful women. If I were a lass I would think "so many brown-eyed handsome men and so little time." Where was I? Oh yes, the handsome dentist looked at my veneer and told me it was roto. I knew, because I have such an extensive vocabulary in Spanish (not), that meant broken. He showed me where it was roto and I begged him to glue it in anyway. I did not know the word for temporary in Spanish but I hoped he knew what temporary meant and I kept saying it. He understood and began to perform his magic. Magic it was because you would not know that it was roto and it looks better than ever. He insisted that I see a dentist as soon as I returned but I am having a hard time getting motivated.
My driver, by the way, never returned. I was sure he knew what I meant when I said "vuelve" but I guess not. He probably assumed I meant "vuelve al Mindo." So, I was stuck. I managed to communicate my distress to the nice security guard and he told me to go upstairs. I did and asked the receptionist (via the young man who could speak English) if she could order a taxi for me. She did and 15 minutes later I was on my way.
We both felt awful so crawled into bed after meeting with Sebastian, the attorney, and stayed there until we had to arise at 6:00 pm to catch the shuttle to the airport. Our flight was at 9:30 am and the trip back was quite uneventful. We were even surprised when U.S. Customs didn't pilfer through our underwear but just screened our bags.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day 6-10 Cotacachi
On Monday we were whisked off to Cotacachi, holding on for dear life, by Eduardo. That was before we stopped at his property along side the highway in El Limonal. Now that is a great place to hide from whatever you want to avoid. There is this highway with high brush on either side. One side is up the mountain and the other side is down. There is no evidence of life beyond the brush but you would be surprised. He stopped at the side of the road, barely parked off of the busy highway. Then he disappeared amongst the brush.
The heat got the best of us so we emerged from the car and headed up the direction in which he ventured. To our surprise there was a gate, a rather old rickety wooden gate, that was hidden amongst the brush. Beyond that gate is where Eduardo ventured. After awhile he came back with someone he called his Tio Paolo. Now I don't know if he actually was his tio or if it was just an affectionate term. Tio Paolo had a machete in his hand and a pineapple in the other. He had already peeled the pineapple and only the fruit was exposed. He welcomed us to try some. Well, remember that we were to avoid anything like this but how can you refuse politely? Especially when the fruit looks so inviting. He beckoned us to reach down and grab a part of the pineapple while he cut it off with the machete that was big enough to take down a redwood tree. We politely drew back and gasped. I mean, really. I could just see my fingers getting mixed up in that mess. Anyway, they took care of that by cutting it and handing it to us. The fruit tasted divine. Nothing like it.
They invited us up through the gate into the land of Narnia. I felt like I had fallen through the wardrobe. It wasn't white, though, it was green and luscious with every type of plant imaginable. On one side were potato plants. On the other were plants and trees of various fruits and vegetables. A true haven with a humble little cottage ahead. We traversed through the fruit groves and as we went Tio Paolo cut various pieces of fruit encouraging us to try it. One of the fruits was so acidic we puckered up and begged reprieve. Then there was sugar cane. He cut a big stalk off and beckoned us to eat some. We tasted it and it was wonderful but my gluten-intolerant vegetarian husband warned me not to eat any further down the stock. He whispered to me about his hands and wondering when they, and the machete, were washed last. That convinced me and I just wandered along holding the sugar cane and admiring the beauty of this hidden jewel. It was remarkable that something like this could be hidden in the mountains and no one would know. Eduardo showed us a little cottage further down the way that was owned by an American. He would be interesting to meet.
After that we ventured onward to Cotacachi. Cotacachi is this idyllic little town southwest of Ibarra. It is well known by anyone familiar with Ecuador because of Ecuador Living and ProEcuador. Authors of both websites reside there. I wasn't sure until I visited the place. Then I understood why. It is a rather magical place.
We stayed at El Meson, which is owned by Merri and Gary Scott of Ecuador Living. They were so incredibly helpful, along with their assistant, Ray Manna, in ensuring that our trip was truly magical and safe. El Meson is an old colonial hotel that has been refurbished and brought up to the standards of the typical spoiled American traveler. The only thing that was missing was a bathtub. It actually had hot water. Wow! That was the first hot water we had since we arrived in Ibarra. And hot it was and the water pressure was unbelievable.
Cotacachi is known for its leather goods. There is a whole street that is devoted to the sale of leather goods. INCREDIBLE! Some of the loveliest jackets and other leather goods for the most amazing prices. I just drooled but restrained myself. I need another suitcase to bring all of that back to the states. Next summer..
We enjoyed three meals at El Meson. They provided breakfast but you had to pay for lunch and dinner. Again, the coffee and chocolate were divine. Nothing like that here in the States, for sure. We hiked around the country and felt very safe. The streets are being refurbished and a lot of the buildings are, too. The mayor has a special interest in cleaning up the little town and it shows.
Next door to the hotel is a large Catholic cathedral. The cathedrals in Ecuador are beautiful architectural wonders. This was one of them. The difference with this one was that it had a bell. Well, I am sure they all have a bell. But this bell was the alarm clock for the whole town. At promptly 6:00 and 6:15 am every morning the bell rang and rang and rang. I understand it rang to wake up the town for the day. It was a shock the first morning but after that I wore my ear plugs. No problem.
At El Meson we met an interesting couple, Mary Ann and Greg. Mary Ann lives in Cuenca, Ecuador and is from the East Coast. She is in her early 40s. She invited Greg down for a nice holiday and they were visiting El Meson the same time that we were. Greg lives on the East Coast. We decided we could do some things together and share taxi costs. The taxis are great but can be a little expensive if you travel too far. The better option is buses. However, buses can be intimidating if you don't know your way around.
Tourists are targets on buses. It is just a fact of life. Life is hard in Ecuador and the easy way out is often theft. Tourists are wonderful targets as they often carry large amounts of cash and are extremely naive. So, buses can be a real haven for this type of activity and you have to be more travel savvy to use them. We, being completely new at this, were not in that category so took taxis. So, Mary Ann and Greg became our traveling companions on various excursions.
One of our excursions was to this amazing place north of Cotacachi and our property in Imbaya. It was a hot springs that you could use for $4. You read right, $4. The Japanese at some point in time came to Ecuador and showed the Ecuadorians the usefulness of hot springs. We were to benefit from this knowledge. So, off we went and what an experience it was. We were savoring the warm, therapeutic waters and lamenting the difficulties we were encountering in this "third-world country."
On another day we were off to Peguche Falls. This is this absolutely beautiful waterfall park close to Ibarra and Cotacachi. Again, a jewel in the midst of very modest surroundings. The park is quite popular on the weekends, as the hot springs and other recreational spots are, but during the week it is relatively quiet. The beauty is breathtaking. The trees and flowers and other wildlife were unique and the waterfalls were something else. A good time was had by all.
Cotacachi is a special little town that a lot of expats have discovered, thanks to Ecuador Living and ProEcuador. There are new housing developments going in around there catered especially to ex pats. I would love to live there because it is rich in culture and tradition but has all of the comforts of home. However, the weather is like San Francisco and some of the cities to the south of it. Not exactly my kind of weather but it is very mild overall. Most people would find it quite delicious.
Cotacachi has a wonderful market full of organic fruits and vegetables. That is very inviting. It is a popular spot for tourists because of its leather goods. A lot of the town folk have their own little shop because they live above it. It is easy money for them. One of the town's folk decided that public restrooms would be a good way to earn some money. Really. No public restrooms so some enterprising family decided that they would go into the restroom business. My husband needed to use one. He had to spend 25 cents to use it. That wasn't the unusual part. The unusual part was the woman walking back and forth in the restroom rocking her baby as my husband used the urinal. I mean, really. Urinating in public is apparently a common thing and nothing to be self conscious about. I just couldn't imagine spending my days walking back and forth in a bathroom to earn a living. That is free enterprise in Ecuador.
A very magical place in Cotacachi that more need to know about is El Mirage. El Mirage is a place fit for kings. It is a resort that has all kinds of therapeutic rooms and pools and an extremely elegant restaurant. The grounds are well-manicured and lush. We enjoyed walking them and looking for birds. I would love to spend some time in that magical place. I know you would, too.
Cotacachi is definitely a place that anyone who visits Ecuador needs to stop in to see. There is so much to see and enjoy. It is also a haven for natural healing. We met an interesting M.D. that specializes in various healing modalities at El Meson. Merry and Gary introduced him to us. We look forward to getting to know him better.
The heat got the best of us so we emerged from the car and headed up the direction in which he ventured. To our surprise there was a gate, a rather old rickety wooden gate, that was hidden amongst the brush. Beyond that gate is where Eduardo ventured. After awhile he came back with someone he called his Tio Paolo. Now I don't know if he actually was his tio or if it was just an affectionate term. Tio Paolo had a machete in his hand and a pineapple in the other. He had already peeled the pineapple and only the fruit was exposed. He welcomed us to try some. Well, remember that we were to avoid anything like this but how can you refuse politely? Especially when the fruit looks so inviting. He beckoned us to reach down and grab a part of the pineapple while he cut it off with the machete that was big enough to take down a redwood tree. We politely drew back and gasped. I mean, really. I could just see my fingers getting mixed up in that mess. Anyway, they took care of that by cutting it and handing it to us. The fruit tasted divine. Nothing like it.
They invited us up through the gate into the land of Narnia. I felt like I had fallen through the wardrobe. It wasn't white, though, it was green and luscious with every type of plant imaginable. On one side were potato plants. On the other were plants and trees of various fruits and vegetables. A true haven with a humble little cottage ahead. We traversed through the fruit groves and as we went Tio Paolo cut various pieces of fruit encouraging us to try it. One of the fruits was so acidic we puckered up and begged reprieve. Then there was sugar cane. He cut a big stalk off and beckoned us to eat some. We tasted it and it was wonderful but my gluten-intolerant vegetarian husband warned me not to eat any further down the stock. He whispered to me about his hands and wondering when they, and the machete, were washed last. That convinced me and I just wandered along holding the sugar cane and admiring the beauty of this hidden jewel. It was remarkable that something like this could be hidden in the mountains and no one would know. Eduardo showed us a little cottage further down the way that was owned by an American. He would be interesting to meet.
After that we ventured onward to Cotacachi. Cotacachi is this idyllic little town southwest of Ibarra. It is well known by anyone familiar with Ecuador because of Ecuador Living and ProEcuador. Authors of both websites reside there. I wasn't sure until I visited the place. Then I understood why. It is a rather magical place.
We stayed at El Meson, which is owned by Merri and Gary Scott of Ecuador Living. They were so incredibly helpful, along with their assistant, Ray Manna, in ensuring that our trip was truly magical and safe. El Meson is an old colonial hotel that has been refurbished and brought up to the standards of the typical spoiled American traveler. The only thing that was missing was a bathtub. It actually had hot water. Wow! That was the first hot water we had since we arrived in Ibarra. And hot it was and the water pressure was unbelievable.
Cotacachi is known for its leather goods. There is a whole street that is devoted to the sale of leather goods. INCREDIBLE! Some of the loveliest jackets and other leather goods for the most amazing prices. I just drooled but restrained myself. I need another suitcase to bring all of that back to the states. Next summer..
We enjoyed three meals at El Meson. They provided breakfast but you had to pay for lunch and dinner. Again, the coffee and chocolate were divine. Nothing like that here in the States, for sure. We hiked around the country and felt very safe. The streets are being refurbished and a lot of the buildings are, too. The mayor has a special interest in cleaning up the little town and it shows.
Next door to the hotel is a large Catholic cathedral. The cathedrals in Ecuador are beautiful architectural wonders. This was one of them. The difference with this one was that it had a bell. Well, I am sure they all have a bell. But this bell was the alarm clock for the whole town. At promptly 6:00 and 6:15 am every morning the bell rang and rang and rang. I understand it rang to wake up the town for the day. It was a shock the first morning but after that I wore my ear plugs. No problem.
At El Meson we met an interesting couple, Mary Ann and Greg. Mary Ann lives in Cuenca, Ecuador and is from the East Coast. She is in her early 40s. She invited Greg down for a nice holiday and they were visiting El Meson the same time that we were. Greg lives on the East Coast. We decided we could do some things together and share taxi costs. The taxis are great but can be a little expensive if you travel too far. The better option is buses. However, buses can be intimidating if you don't know your way around.
Tourists are targets on buses. It is just a fact of life. Life is hard in Ecuador and the easy way out is often theft. Tourists are wonderful targets as they often carry large amounts of cash and are extremely naive. So, buses can be a real haven for this type of activity and you have to be more travel savvy to use them. We, being completely new at this, were not in that category so took taxis. So, Mary Ann and Greg became our traveling companions on various excursions.
One of our excursions was to this amazing place north of Cotacachi and our property in Imbaya. It was a hot springs that you could use for $4. You read right, $4. The Japanese at some point in time came to Ecuador and showed the Ecuadorians the usefulness of hot springs. We were to benefit from this knowledge. So, off we went and what an experience it was. We were savoring the warm, therapeutic waters and lamenting the difficulties we were encountering in this "third-world country."
On another day we were off to Peguche Falls. This is this absolutely beautiful waterfall park close to Ibarra and Cotacachi. Again, a jewel in the midst of very modest surroundings. The park is quite popular on the weekends, as the hot springs and other recreational spots are, but during the week it is relatively quiet. The beauty is breathtaking. The trees and flowers and other wildlife were unique and the waterfalls were something else. A good time was had by all.
Cotacachi is a special little town that a lot of expats have discovered, thanks to Ecuador Living and ProEcuador. There are new housing developments going in around there catered especially to ex pats. I would love to live there because it is rich in culture and tradition but has all of the comforts of home. However, the weather is like San Francisco and some of the cities to the south of it. Not exactly my kind of weather but it is very mild overall. Most people would find it quite delicious.
Cotacachi has a wonderful market full of organic fruits and vegetables. That is very inviting. It is a popular spot for tourists because of its leather goods. A lot of the town folk have their own little shop because they live above it. It is easy money for them. One of the town's folk decided that public restrooms would be a good way to earn some money. Really. No public restrooms so some enterprising family decided that they would go into the restroom business. My husband needed to use one. He had to spend 25 cents to use it. That wasn't the unusual part. The unusual part was the woman walking back and forth in the restroom rocking her baby as my husband used the urinal. I mean, really. Urinating in public is apparently a common thing and nothing to be self conscious about. I just couldn't imagine spending my days walking back and forth in a bathroom to earn a living. That is free enterprise in Ecuador.
A very magical place in Cotacachi that more need to know about is El Mirage. El Mirage is a place fit for kings. It is a resort that has all kinds of therapeutic rooms and pools and an extremely elegant restaurant. The grounds are well-manicured and lush. We enjoyed walking them and looking for birds. I would love to spend some time in that magical place. I know you would, too.
Cotacachi is definitely a place that anyone who visits Ecuador needs to stop in to see. There is so much to see and enjoy. It is also a haven for natural healing. We met an interesting M.D. that specializes in various healing modalities at El Meson. Merry and Gary introduced him to us. We look forward to getting to know him better.
Our Property
Somewhere in the midst of this journey I must mention our property. We purchased a hectare of land a couple of miles or so north of Imbaya, which is very close to Ibarra. We purchased it sight unseen except for pictures our daughter took. You see, she also purchased a hectare of land there. She is also having a house built. We visited the property twice while we were there. We were very thrilled to find it in such a lovely place with very warm temperatures. The views were also exquisite. The land is extremely fertile and well watered. Because of a new service offered by Porta, a cell phone carrier in Ecuador, we will have have a satellite high-speed internet connection out there.
Milton has property there and he has a barn full of goats. The goats are really cute with lots of little ones. He also has cows but will probably not keep them. The price he can charge for milk does not offset the cost of the cows. The soil is fertile and the climate is mild. You can grow tomatoes year round! It is really something to think of being able to grow food crops year round. I am also looking forward to planting all kinds of flowering plants and trees around the house we will build.
We have decided to build but the decision is when. There are too many things that we need to work out to do it. For now we will plan and dream. Ecuador is very friendly to expats. We found out that they are lovely people and the visa laws are generous. If you own at least $25k worth of property in Ecuador, you can become a permanent resident. The property taxes are less than $100 per year and utilities are very inexpensive, also, Food is extremely abundant and nutritious and inexpensive. Health care is another reason to want to spend time in Ecuador because it is much less than the U.S. and they are open to various healing modalities. There are a lot of possibilities.
Milton has property there and he has a barn full of goats. The goats are really cute with lots of little ones. He also has cows but will probably not keep them. The price he can charge for milk does not offset the cost of the cows. The soil is fertile and the climate is mild. You can grow tomatoes year round! It is really something to think of being able to grow food crops year round. I am also looking forward to planting all kinds of flowering plants and trees around the house we will build.
We have decided to build but the decision is when. There are too many things that we need to work out to do it. For now we will plan and dream. Ecuador is very friendly to expats. We found out that they are lovely people and the visa laws are generous. If you own at least $25k worth of property in Ecuador, you can become a permanent resident. The property taxes are less than $100 per year and utilities are very inexpensive, also, Food is extremely abundant and nutritious and inexpensive. Health care is another reason to want to spend time in Ecuador because it is much less than the U.S. and they are open to various healing modalities. There are a lot of possibilities.
Day 4 & 5 - January 5 & 6, 2009
Today is Sunday and we are off to Bosque De Paz in El Limonal. Bosque De Paz means Peace Forest. It is a fascinating place. A Belgian came to Ecuador many years ago and had a passion for the rain forests. They are being easily depleted because of over farming, cattle grazing and the burning of the land that comes with that. We were very surprised to see people farming in the mountains on a piece of land that was practically vertical. Amazing. When we were driving over to El Limonal we noticed a lot of the mountainous area all of the sudden appeared rather desert like. We didn't know why. When we reached Bosque De Paz and listened to Piet's presentation, we understood. The desert-like conditions are man made.
So, Piet is on a mission to educate the Ecuadorian farmer that they can grow their needed crops while still maintaining the forests. He teaches them that the forests are life and water and without them, the land will die. His passion for the mountain forests reminded me of Dian Fossey's passion for the gorillas. I hope his future turns out better.
He has taken a piece of land and brought it back to the forest while farming within it. He has a nice ecolodge in the midst and loves to have people stay and volunteer. You can also stay for $17 per night without doing anything but enjoying the place. That is what we did. The $17 per night includes breakfast but you can also get lunch and dinner for extra. That is what we did. The food was divine. Piet's wife is an Afro-Ecuadorian who does amazing things with the herbs from the area. We did not enjoy food anywhere else as much as we enjoyed it there. Her herb teas and soups tasted like nothing I have ever experienced. One of the things you do not get for $17 is a hot shower, though. At Terecita's there was also no hot shower. Each place had only one faucet. I couldn't imagine going through life never being able to enjoy a hot shower or bath. Remember that when you turn on your hot water tonight.
Piet has two darling little girls about 6 and 4. The older one was quite outgoing and is going to be a real beauty. I have a picture of her here holding her new puppy. The puppy and the older dog decided to go hiking with us. That wasn't the best idea because we wanted to watch birds. Puppies and bird watching do not mix. We also hiked the surrounding area. One of our trips was to town. Sadly, El Limonal had to be the poorest area we visited. The evidence of it was the dog population. We actually saw a dog wandering the park that was skin and bones. It broke my heart. The children looked healthy but the dogs did not. We also hiked a country road up into the mountains and took pictures. The country is amazingly picturesque and it did not cease to amaze us to find so many people living amongst the mountains. If you decide to visit Bosque De Paz, remember to put on the bug spray. We did not and suffered for it. It wasn't the mosquitos. It was the little, invisible bugs we call "noseeums." We suffered for days from the bites.
So, Piet is on a mission to educate the Ecuadorian farmer that they can grow their needed crops while still maintaining the forests. He teaches them that the forests are life and water and without them, the land will die. His passion for the mountain forests reminded me of Dian Fossey's passion for the gorillas. I hope his future turns out better.
He has taken a piece of land and brought it back to the forest while farming within it. He has a nice ecolodge in the midst and loves to have people stay and volunteer. You can also stay for $17 per night without doing anything but enjoying the place. That is what we did. The $17 per night includes breakfast but you can also get lunch and dinner for extra. That is what we did. The food was divine. Piet's wife is an Afro-Ecuadorian who does amazing things with the herbs from the area. We did not enjoy food anywhere else as much as we enjoyed it there. Her herb teas and soups tasted like nothing I have ever experienced. One of the things you do not get for $17 is a hot shower, though. At Terecita's there was also no hot shower. Each place had only one faucet. I couldn't imagine going through life never being able to enjoy a hot shower or bath. Remember that when you turn on your hot water tonight.
Piet has two darling little girls about 6 and 4. The older one was quite outgoing and is going to be a real beauty. I have a picture of her here holding her new puppy. The puppy and the older dog decided to go hiking with us. That wasn't the best idea because we wanted to watch birds. Puppies and bird watching do not mix. We also hiked the surrounding area. One of our trips was to town. Sadly, El Limonal had to be the poorest area we visited. The evidence of it was the dog population. We actually saw a dog wandering the park that was skin and bones. It broke my heart. The children looked healthy but the dogs did not. We also hiked a country road up into the mountains and took pictures. The country is amazingly picturesque and it did not cease to amaze us to find so many people living amongst the mountains. If you decide to visit Bosque De Paz, remember to put on the bug spray. We did not and suffered for it. It wasn't the mosquitos. It was the little, invisible bugs we call "noseeums." We suffered for days from the bites.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Day 4 - January 3, 2009
Today is Sabbath. Well, it is for Sabbath keepers all around the world and this family is amongst them. We go to church in an extremely run-down part of town. The buildings are sad and the people look tired. Most of the neighborhood is Afro-Ecuadorian. There is a large Afro-Ecuadorian population in the northwest of Ecuador. They are descendants of slaves and carry the same stigma descendants of slaves do in the western hemisphere; the struggle is a steep climb up. Communities may flourish throughout but overall there is severe economic disparity. Apparently in Ecuador your success is measured largely upon which ethnic group you belong. Afro-Ecuadorians and the indigenous people have the greatest struggle.
Why is this such a universal problem? It is not solely an American problem. I read an article awhile back, after Obama was elected, by some obnoxious Englishman about how the United States has finally become civilized. The article more than implied that we are the only country on the planet that has such racism and now we are moving past that. So much vitriolic diatribe I wanted to puke. It is a rampant universal problem and America does not have a corner on the market. So, here it is in Ecuador, also.
Anyway, the church is in a very poor part of town. The church is packed full of young families. Children everywhere. Ecuador is filled with children; beautiful children. The population growth needs to be slowed to maximize opportunity but I enjoyed seeing so many sweet, young faces. I live in a community of mostly retired folks. I enjoyed doting over all of those sweet babies. We were very much in the minority and anyone over 50 was. Even the young people ran most of the service. Two girls around 13 to 15 led a song service at the beginning of the worship hour. It was so refreshing to see such enthusiasm and confidence in young people. The service was vibrant but not overly emotional and, of course, in Spanish. Which meant we understood little directly but did understand the key messages presented. I believe that is the most important thing. In Sabbath School the adults were discussing a topic on Christ's sacrifice and how that is all sufficient. One woman went into a deep discussion on how important that message is. I believe it was so important to her because of the Catholic doctrine that tends to add so much more to the requirements for salvation and how that can become such a burden. It was interesting to hear.
The bathroom situation in Ecuador is interesting, to say the least. I was warned to bring toilet paper because you often will find none. Also, the guidebooks tell you that most places you do not flush the toilet paper. I neglected the TP when I went to church. Mistake. I went to find the bathroom and it was wide open and one room for both sexes. There were no doors on the stalls and the urinals were wide open. There was no toilet paper. I changed my mind. I didn't have to go so bad after all.
The rest of the afternoon we were alone with Terecita. I was a little surprised at this. I thought the families would get together for the noon meal. We were picked up later on, though, by Milton and his wife to go for pizza. Pizza in Ecuador is very similar to our pizza but it seemed to have more focus on flavorful herbs and vegetables and less on just cheese and bread. I enjoyed it more. Of course, the gluten-intolerant vegetarian couldn't eat pizza so he ate a big salad. Well, that is not the best thing to eat when you are trying to avoid raw vegetables that have not been peeled.
After dinner and an interesting conversation (again a challenge with the language barrier) between myself, primarily, and Milton's wife, we picked up Milton's son and a few of his friends. They jumped in the back of the truck. Milton drove us all over the city of Ibarra to see its landmarks with the young people in the cab in the back. Milton, like his brother, has the bumper sticker "get in, sit down, shut up and hold on" in Spanish somewhere on his bumper. We went wildly careening up and down and around on the streets with these young people in the back. I was very frightened for them. I was sure someone was going to get hurt. As we drove around late on a Saturday night I saw so many young people and children out on the streets visiting and having a good time. I, again, felt fear and wondered where their parents were.
All at once it struck me; I am afraid of so many things and they are not. They are enjoying life to the fullest and not living behind closed doors in fear. I realized that our society has bred so much fear into us. How can that be freeing? It cannot. We are slaves and our children are the prisoners of it. Are we really better at protecting our children because of our fear and overprotectiveness? I don't believe so. I believe we are just becoming more and more enslaved by these fears.
These Ecuadorians have a lot more to fear because there is so much economic instability in this country with so much. And yet they refuse to become prisoners of fear in all aspects of their lives. We need to sit down and learn from them.
Why is this such a universal problem? It is not solely an American problem. I read an article awhile back, after Obama was elected, by some obnoxious Englishman about how the United States has finally become civilized. The article more than implied that we are the only country on the planet that has such racism and now we are moving past that. So much vitriolic diatribe I wanted to puke. It is a rampant universal problem and America does not have a corner on the market. So, here it is in Ecuador, also.
Anyway, the church is in a very poor part of town. The church is packed full of young families. Children everywhere. Ecuador is filled with children; beautiful children. The population growth needs to be slowed to maximize opportunity but I enjoyed seeing so many sweet, young faces. I live in a community of mostly retired folks. I enjoyed doting over all of those sweet babies. We were very much in the minority and anyone over 50 was. Even the young people ran most of the service. Two girls around 13 to 15 led a song service at the beginning of the worship hour. It was so refreshing to see such enthusiasm and confidence in young people. The service was vibrant but not overly emotional and, of course, in Spanish. Which meant we understood little directly but did understand the key messages presented. I believe that is the most important thing. In Sabbath School the adults were discussing a topic on Christ's sacrifice and how that is all sufficient. One woman went into a deep discussion on how important that message is. I believe it was so important to her because of the Catholic doctrine that tends to add so much more to the requirements for salvation and how that can become such a burden. It was interesting to hear.
The bathroom situation in Ecuador is interesting, to say the least. I was warned to bring toilet paper because you often will find none. Also, the guidebooks tell you that most places you do not flush the toilet paper. I neglected the TP when I went to church. Mistake. I went to find the bathroom and it was wide open and one room for both sexes. There were no doors on the stalls and the urinals were wide open. There was no toilet paper. I changed my mind. I didn't have to go so bad after all.
The rest of the afternoon we were alone with Terecita. I was a little surprised at this. I thought the families would get together for the noon meal. We were picked up later on, though, by Milton and his wife to go for pizza. Pizza in Ecuador is very similar to our pizza but it seemed to have more focus on flavorful herbs and vegetables and less on just cheese and bread. I enjoyed it more. Of course, the gluten-intolerant vegetarian couldn't eat pizza so he ate a big salad. Well, that is not the best thing to eat when you are trying to avoid raw vegetables that have not been peeled.
After dinner and an interesting conversation (again a challenge with the language barrier) between myself, primarily, and Milton's wife, we picked up Milton's son and a few of his friends. They jumped in the back of the truck. Milton drove us all over the city of Ibarra to see its landmarks with the young people in the cab in the back. Milton, like his brother, has the bumper sticker "get in, sit down, shut up and hold on" in Spanish somewhere on his bumper. We went wildly careening up and down and around on the streets with these young people in the back. I was very frightened for them. I was sure someone was going to get hurt. As we drove around late on a Saturday night I saw so many young people and children out on the streets visiting and having a good time. I, again, felt fear and wondered where their parents were.
All at once it struck me; I am afraid of so many things and they are not. They are enjoying life to the fullest and not living behind closed doors in fear. I realized that our society has bred so much fear into us. How can that be freeing? It cannot. We are slaves and our children are the prisoners of it. Are we really better at protecting our children because of our fear and overprotectiveness? I don't believe so. I believe we are just becoming more and more enslaved by these fears.
These Ecuadorians have a lot more to fear because there is so much economic instability in this country with so much. And yet they refuse to become prisoners of fear in all aspects of their lives. We need to sit down and learn from them.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 3 – January 2, 2009
Today we woke up in Quito. Our hotel is very nice and the breakfast buffet is interesting. It has, among the typical stuff, kefir and fresh juices that are typical of Ecuador. My first introduction to the food and I already like it. Quito looks like San Francisco in the 50's. The buildings are old and not well maintained. You can see green mountains in the distance. Reminds me of the Coastal Range except on a MUCH bigger scale.
We are picked up at noon by Eduardo. He is the brother of a good friend of our daughter's. We have never met and he speaks little English. This is definitely going to be interesting, I think to myself. His nephew, Daniel, is there to help because he speaks some English while we speak little Spanish. The combination is the beginning of the way things will be throughout our whole trip.
They whiz us off to lunch in a cute little place. We were instructed in all of the guidebooks to avoid the water and ice in our drinks. Also, do not eat anything that has not been peeled. So, eating something that doesn't have those things in it when you are a gluten-intolerant vegetarian (who eats a little fish) is challenging. We finally settle on some beans and rice with a side salad and a juice drink. We look at the salad and move it away from the rest of the food because it has not been peeled. This is going to be an adventure in eating.
We are on our way up the Pan American highway. I have heard about the driving in Ecuador but living it was something else. Eduardo drives like he is in the Indy 500. He drives fast and passes every car that he comes up on. That wouldn't be so bad except that it is a two-lane highway. Well, it is a two-lane highway but in Ecuador there is an invisible third lane. It is the suicide lane without any lines. As he began to pass his first car while another car was coming at us I thought for sure we were meant to die in Ecuador. Sure glad we updated our trust before we left. We hadn't even had a chance to see the country and this was it; we were history. But the other car actually got out of the way as if they were expecting it all along. Driving defensively is something the Ecuadorian's are very good at. They have to be. I was looking for the bumper sticker on Eduardo's car, when I got out, that said in Spanish "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on" but I didn't see it. I am sure it is there somewhere.
Along the way to Ibarra we made stops at a couple of places. One was what the Ecuadorian's call the center of the world. It is the Equatorial line or parallel 0degrees0'0". It was discovered by the ancient peoples by following the stars and the Ecuadorian Geological Institute confirmed it with Satellite Technology. On the location is a very large circle with various lines intersecting and a tall tube right in the center. At the equinox the sun is directly overhead of the hollow tube and reflects down it. It is rather difficult to explain. Check out the pictures on the right (I haven't been able to figure out how to get the pictures to insert within the blog). It is a large part of their culture.
We also stopped at Otavalo. A darling little town with many vendors of very fine hand-made goods. The Otavalans are fine craftsmen and enterprising businessmen. They have figured out the gringos like their goods and made a thriving business of it. It is unique and under appreciated. Other areas could learn from them. I could have bought up the place. But, I restrained myself. With Eduardo's fine bargaining skills, I was able to procure a beautiful sweater made of Alpaca wool for $13, four kitchen towels embroidered with different scenes of the indigenous and the surrounding scenery. I got these for $11. There is no way they are going to be used for towels. I would like to make pillows out of them. I also purchased a nice cotton blouse with embroidery and a scarf of Alpaca wool with rich hues of blue and purple. I look forward to venturing back there again when I return.
We finally arrived in Ibarra and stayed in his mother, Terecita's, house. She lives in a very humble dwelling in Ibarra, which is about two hours north of Quito. The neighborhood is a little unsavory and there are bars on the windows and everyone lives behind a gate. They also have a very inexpensive alarm system installed - dogs live on the roof. No kidding. Terecita had two labs living on her roof. I didn't think this was exactly the life these water-loving dogs had in mind but it was better than most of the dogs in Ecuador. I also discovered that there were a lot of homeless dogs in Ecuador. They are everywhere. When we were madly careening up the Pan American Highway there were dogs walking along side of it, one here and one there. They were running but to nowhere and were oblivious of the cars whipping past them. There are dogs all over the city. Depressing.
Family members came over to meet us. What a lovely family. I was quite impressed with the young men. I was sitting on the bed organizing stuff and these two boys came in and came over and bent down and hugged and kissed me on the cheek. Two strange boys. I found out that they were 16 and 13 and sons of one of the brothers, Milton. They were very handsome and looked much younger than their ages. I thought it was remarkable how comfortable they were with just coming up to me, a perfect stranger, and greeting me in that manner. It was very touching.
We are picked up at noon by Eduardo. He is the brother of a good friend of our daughter's. We have never met and he speaks little English. This is definitely going to be interesting, I think to myself. His nephew, Daniel, is there to help because he speaks some English while we speak little Spanish. The combination is the beginning of the way things will be throughout our whole trip.
They whiz us off to lunch in a cute little place. We were instructed in all of the guidebooks to avoid the water and ice in our drinks. Also, do not eat anything that has not been peeled. So, eating something that doesn't have those things in it when you are a gluten-intolerant vegetarian (who eats a little fish) is challenging. We finally settle on some beans and rice with a side salad and a juice drink. We look at the salad and move it away from the rest of the food because it has not been peeled. This is going to be an adventure in eating.
We are on our way up the Pan American highway. I have heard about the driving in Ecuador but living it was something else. Eduardo drives like he is in the Indy 500. He drives fast and passes every car that he comes up on. That wouldn't be so bad except that it is a two-lane highway. Well, it is a two-lane highway but in Ecuador there is an invisible third lane. It is the suicide lane without any lines. As he began to pass his first car while another car was coming at us I thought for sure we were meant to die in Ecuador. Sure glad we updated our trust before we left. We hadn't even had a chance to see the country and this was it; we were history. But the other car actually got out of the way as if they were expecting it all along. Driving defensively is something the Ecuadorian's are very good at. They have to be. I was looking for the bumper sticker on Eduardo's car, when I got out, that said in Spanish "Get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on" but I didn't see it. I am sure it is there somewhere.
Along the way to Ibarra we made stops at a couple of places. One was what the Ecuadorian's call the center of the world. It is the Equatorial line or parallel 0degrees0'0". It was discovered by the ancient peoples by following the stars and the Ecuadorian Geological Institute confirmed it with Satellite Technology. On the location is a very large circle with various lines intersecting and a tall tube right in the center. At the equinox the sun is directly overhead of the hollow tube and reflects down it. It is rather difficult to explain. Check out the pictures on the right (I haven't been able to figure out how to get the pictures to insert within the blog). It is a large part of their culture.
We also stopped at Otavalo. A darling little town with many vendors of very fine hand-made goods. The Otavalans are fine craftsmen and enterprising businessmen. They have figured out the gringos like their goods and made a thriving business of it. It is unique and under appreciated. Other areas could learn from them. I could have bought up the place. But, I restrained myself. With Eduardo's fine bargaining skills, I was able to procure a beautiful sweater made of Alpaca wool for $13, four kitchen towels embroidered with different scenes of the indigenous and the surrounding scenery. I got these for $11. There is no way they are going to be used for towels. I would like to make pillows out of them. I also purchased a nice cotton blouse with embroidery and a scarf of Alpaca wool with rich hues of blue and purple. I look forward to venturing back there again when I return.
We finally arrived in Ibarra and stayed in his mother, Terecita's, house. She lives in a very humble dwelling in Ibarra, which is about two hours north of Quito. The neighborhood is a little unsavory and there are bars on the windows and everyone lives behind a gate. They also have a very inexpensive alarm system installed - dogs live on the roof. No kidding. Terecita had two labs living on her roof. I didn't think this was exactly the life these water-loving dogs had in mind but it was better than most of the dogs in Ecuador. I also discovered that there were a lot of homeless dogs in Ecuador. They are everywhere. When we were madly careening up the Pan American Highway there were dogs walking along side of it, one here and one there. They were running but to nowhere and were oblivious of the cars whipping past them. There are dogs all over the city. Depressing.
Family members came over to meet us. What a lovely family. I was quite impressed with the young men. I was sitting on the bed organizing stuff and these two boys came in and came over and bent down and hugged and kissed me on the cheek. Two strange boys. I found out that they were 16 and 13 and sons of one of the brothers, Milton. They were very handsome and looked much younger than their ages. I thought it was remarkable how comfortable they were with just coming up to me, a perfect stranger, and greeting me in that manner. It was very touching.
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