sunburnt from Salasaca

Hello! I hope this finds you all doing well and for friends at UNC I hope you all are not too swamped with work this week before your spring break.

Sunday I returned from a weekend field trip with my Anthropology class to an indigenous community called Salasaca. It was a 3 hour drive from Quito and is also high up in the mountains (therefore, while I did not get burnt at the beach this weekend, I did this weekend!)

The drive was beautiful (as are most drives in Ecuador!) and as I woke up from a nap I looked out the window to see expansive farm land and our big bus seemed to frighten a few cows as we pulled into the hostal. Our weekend was spent at a hostal called Hostal Runa Huasi which is completely family run and tourist-oriented. Alonso, the owner, employs his family in different ways to provide an indigenous community experience for tourists (and they are really hoping for more so if you ever get the chance, they would love for you to visit!)

Alonso walked us through a demonstration of the entire process of making thread from sheep wool as his mother (on the left) and sister (on the right) demonstrated. We even got to participate as Alonso's sister walked us through the steps of combing the wool and then spinning.

I must say, it was definitely more difficult than it appeared! These steps of the process are female-dominated and girls as young as 6 learn how to spin. To fill an entire "scene", working at 8 hours a day, one must work for about five days! We were also shown the right hand of Alonso's mother, with very bent fingers due to so much spinning in her 70+ years. We were given a quick demonstration of how threads are dyed with natural plants and then were taken to the "studio" where Alonso's brother-in-law demonstrated the actual weaving step of the process (more male-dominated).

 To weave, Alonso's brother-in-law sat on a sack of hay and began working, alternating the threads using small wooden pieces to separate the needed colors. He worked quickly, but we could still tell that the process takes a very long time. For this, we were told that unlike many indigenous people, this family only sells their products in the studio at their house, mainly to tourists that understand the process, or to other community members. While they could easily make a better income selling their products (bracelets, belts, wall hangings...) at markets, they do not prefer that option because customers do not understand the time and energy that went into making the products (and after this weekend I have a very deep understanding and appreciation for the time and energy needed!). 

Alonso realized halfway through the demonstration that his brother-in-law did not have any traditional clothing on so he quickly gave him his poncho and found a hat for him to wear for photos. Alonso explained that he typically does not wear traditional clothing because whenever he travels outside of the community, he is often met with discrimination. Therefore, he saves traditional clothing for special occasions and holidays. Interestingly enough, the majority of men that we met (Alonso's family members) also wore modern/Western clothing but all of the women wore traditional clothing.

We were given a tour around the community of the Salasacas sacred places - sites around the mountain where Salasacas go to experience the spirit of the mountains and where they are able to leave offerings (anything from coca leaves to (what we perceive as) trash to food to live cuy (guinea pig) dressed in small clothing that they make). The views from these sites were incredible and it was easy to see why these sites were chosen as sacred.

On a later walk, we saw the Tunguragua Volcano ERUPTING! While we didn't see lava spitting out we did see lots of smoke. We also had clear views of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo (two of the largest volcanoes & mountains in the country). The clouds (per usual) were beautiful and pictures couldn't really capture the vastness of the valleys around the community (sorry!).

A musical performance on Saturday evening by family members (all men) gave us a taste of traditional Andean music. We all took turns playing a percussion instrument and all danced around a fire in the middle of the hostal patio (the musicians led the way).

While we were given a "true" indigenous experience, it was difficult to understand the community dynamics because we only saw the community through the eyes of one family. Apparently there are about 5000 members of the Salasaca community but due to the dynamics of the hostal, we did not receive a true understanding of the size of the community. However, it was interesting to learn (according to Alonso) that the community is always united on issues such as involvement in political issues and rulings. We also learned that many community members over the last 30 years have moved to the Galapagos Islands in search of different ways to make a living (field life around Salasaca is very difficult).

We were very well fed at the hostal and while one day I hope to create a blog post dedicated to all of the unique and fresh fruits in Ecuador, this is a picture of the fruit "tomato de arbol" or tree tomato. This is a popular juice here in Ecuador and we were lucky enough to drink juice from fruit that we saw growing on a tree right outside of the hostal! The juice tastes nothing like tomatoes, it is very sweet and doesn't really have an equivalent in the U.S.

It might seem that I write a lot more about my weekend adventures than my "work"-week adventures...Classes are going well and I am especially enjoying my Social Problems in Ecuador class and my Ecology of the Galapagos Classes. Currently, I am starting my final papers (professors make us start very early!) on Child Labor in Ecuador (for Social Problems) and Sea Lion Behavior (for Galapagos). In my Anthropology class, I will soon begin my final paper on Afroecuatorianos, a group that makes up about 5% of Ecuador and a group that I unfortunately know little about (hence why I chose it for my topic!). Yes, while it might seem that all I do is travel, eat, and relax, I am keeping up with my classes during the week even though I find it very easy to get distracted by planning and exploring the next place to visit. 

Carnaval in Canoa

Carnaval: This four day holiday (essentially an extended Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday) in Ecuador is celebrated in different ways around the country from parades to water throwing (or spraying with water guns) to spraying foam to throwing eggs and flour. Overall, it is a time when people relax, spend time with friends and family, and there is a general aura of joy and happiness – no stress allowed. Lots of people living in the Quito/Sierra region head to the beach, which is exactly what my friends and I decided to do.

I am excited to announce that I have now officially spent time in two of Ecuador’s three main geographical regions, the Sierra region (where Quito is located) and the Coast. This post is all about my Carnaval celebration in Canoa, Ecuador this past weekend! 

Nightbus: we (my four friends and I) left Quito at night and in the morning woke up and we had arrived at the beach! Stepping off of the bus we knew we were not in Quito anymore when we breathed thick air, felt warm air, didn’t hear planes and car alarms, and heard the ocean.

Beach: we observed the beach in many different states over the four days that we were in Canoa. When we arrived Friday morning (at 6am) we noticed lots of debris on the beach which apparently came from a storm the night before. We were disappointed that we did not see the beautiful, pristine beach for which we were hoping but soon enough; a community clean-up effort began. Bulldozers emerged as well as shovels and rakes as if to say “the people are coming for Carnaval, we need to clean up!” Sure enough we were soon able to see the beautiful beach and people began to arrive, more and more on Saturday and Sunday. Overall, I would explain the beach as ALIVE (in contrast to US beaches where everyone seeks their own personal space in which to sunbathe, read, picnic, or maybe throw a Frisbee). The sun is very strong because we are so close to the Equator, so most beaches (Canoa included) have several tents available to rent for the day which is exactly what we did each day (and I am proud to say that I survived the weekend without any sunburn! Some of my friends unfortunately cannot say the same…). These tents share walls so we literally have neighbors on either wall – most Ecuadorians are very comfortable with little personal space, unlike many Americans! There are many vendors walking around selling drinks, jewelry/art, ice cream, hats and sunglasses. There is loud, energizing music (especially the popular Portugese song “Mosa Mosa Asi Voce Me Mata”) playing from the speakers of the nearby cabanas that also sell drinks and food. There are lots of kids running around and this weekend, there was lots of foam spraying (a Carnaval tradition-see the picture above). There are many rocks, a few very beautiful shells, several snails in these beautiful shells, and some unidentified fruits in the sand. There are lots of surfers. Interesting to us was the enjoyment Ecuadorians found in burying each other and playing in sand – it seemed that everyone walking or sitting on the beach was covered in sand! Overall, I really loved the energy of the beach and was also pleased to observe that the water of the Pacific was warmer and less salty than that of NC beaches!

Dogs: There were lots (this is not uncommon in Ecuador). However, these dogs were smart. Somehow, they knew that my friends and I like dogs so it was not uncommon that one or two (or three) dogs would join us in our tent on the beach to steal our shade (without helping to chip in the daily $8). 

Sky: I have reached the conclusion that for some reason, the sky in Ecuador is more beautiful than in at least, North Carolina if not the entire US. The sky in Canoa proved to be just as beautiful and interesting. We were very lucky in seeing beautiful sunsets three out of four nights (and the sun set directly over the ocean-something I rarely see at NC beaches). Also, in one day we saw THREE rainbows! The first two we saw together and one actually made a complete RING around the sun (and was accompanied by an upside down rainbow to form a double-rainbow). 

Food: Days after returning to Quito, I cannot stop thinking about the delicious seafood that we ate every day in Canoa. I would not even consider myself a fan of seafood but the ways in which shrimp and fish were prepared were DELICIOUS. Let me try to describe my favorite dishes to you: a) Encocado de camarones (shrimp in a coconut milk sauce) with lots of rice and patacones (salted and quickly fried plantains – even though fried they were not greasy) and b) Pescado al ajillo (fish in a similar but more spicy sauce) with lots of rice and patacones and c) Ceviche, essentially cold soup served with various seafood (I typically chose shrimp) with onion, lime, tomatoes, cilantro, and served cold/room temperature. We frequented one restaurant, Saboreame, the majority of the time we were in Canoa. Overall, we ate extremely well and the food definitely lived up to the expectation that there is wonderful seafood on the Ecuadorian coast!

Overall, aside from some periods of extreme heat, lots of crowds on the beach, and one of my friend’s sickness, it was a terrific weekend and I cannot wait to go back to the coast – although I was relieved to return to Quito’s more temperate climate and lack of mosquitos.

Hope you are well!

Flowers, Friends, and Fourteen Thousand Feet!

Things Ecuador & the US have in common (obviously there are many but these are what come to my mind right away): time zone (they do not practice Daylight Savings Time so currently I’m on EST!), money (with a few exceptions of coins that look slightly different…including a 50 cent coin), electrical outlets (they look just slightly different), and… Valentine’s Day. 

Valentine’s Day in Ecuador was definitely a good one. I started off the day with a HUGE breakfast and it was a treat that my host mom ate with me because usually she eats very early in the morning before I am up. She was also very happy about the card that I made for her and my host sisters. I have never seen so many flowers in one day as I did on Tuesday. Flowers were EVERYWHERE (which I suppose makes sense because the cut-flower industry is one of the most important in Ecuador). They were in stands on the sides of the roads, in the hands of women, and in the hands of men. There was also plenty of PDA (Public Display of Affection), even more than usual (and there is a lot here)! On the bus ride home from school there was incredible traffic as it seemed everyone was on their way to visit a loved one or to go out to dinner. Later in the evening I went to a nice dinner in the Historic Center with three friends and after waiting an hour to get in, we enjoyed being able to see all of Quito at night (the restaurant was located on the fourth floor of a building) as well as eating delicious pasta dishes. On the way to the restaurant in the taxi (the only form of transportation we use at night here), two girls walking by on the sidewalk sprayed “Carnaval” colored foam inside of the taxi, covering the taxi driver and my friend in the front seat! This is one of the many Carnaval traditions (which actually start a week or two before Carnaval).  I am actually heading to the beach in about an hour to celebrate the time off for Carnaval!

What else has happened since my last post (apologies for not writing for so long!)….

It was sad to watch the Heels’ loss to Duke but we were very glad to have found somewhere (after trying three different places) that would show the game! For some reason, Ecuadorian ESPN was not broadcasting the game so the sports bar was kind enough to stream the game through the internet. We'll be hoping for a win next game!

This past weekend I spent one day relaxing in natural hot springs in Papallacta with friends and the next day found myself hiking to 14,000 feet! It was one of the most strenuous hikes I have ever done but was very satisfying to have completed it! We experienced all kinds of terrain…sand, mud, slippery rocks, rocks that required us literally climbing, sleet, rain, lots of fog, and it even snowed for about two minutes! The hike was very difficult because of the high altitude and even though we were very motivated it was difficult to walk more than a few feet on the steep mountain without taking a break as we were often out of breath as we got higher and higher. 

OH! I experienced a “temblor” or in other words, something that feels like an earthquake that is apparently only a mini-earthquake that happens before a real earthquake. Basically, I was awoken around 6 in the morning to my bed shaking for about twenty seconds!

I am beginning to realize how much of a desire people have to learn English here in Ecuador. Almost every Ecuadorian I meet expresses their desire to practice English (but they all say that they are very embarrassed to speak English with a native speaker). However, I have been able to have several conversations with classmates and others that I meet in which we speak in Spanish and English – a true exchange!

A family experience last weekend was very surprising to me…in our apartment, my family was celebrating the birthday of one of my host sister’s (who does not live with us) mother in law! This was a new experience for me but I was reminded how close families are here which I really love. 

Classes are going well and I am glad to say that I rarely experience stress…yesterday was just about the most relaxed day possible: In my first class, I painted. In my second class, I watched a movie about an Indigenous group. In my third class, I listened to a short lecture and looked at many pictures of the animals living on the Galapagos Islands. Not every day looks like this but the work load is definitely a lot lighter than at UNC.

That’s all for now, I hope all is well! I found myself missing friends and family especially on Valentine’s Day so please know that you are being missed.  

Vistas and Virgins

I cannot believe that it is already February! This past Saturday marked one month of my stay in Ecuador and I am slowly beginning to realize that it is going to fly by. While you all are in classes, at work, or perhaps enjoying a quiet morning, I am sitting on my bed listening to the Latina music my host mom is playing as well as the noisy construction outside my window…which occasionally starts at 7am (but today luckily started around 9). It is a very sunny day and it’s times like these where I really appreciate my wall length window with sheer curtains (I can’t say I appreciate them as much early in the morning!). In about an hour I will head to the USFQ (my university) for lunch with friends and my two classes (Andean Anthropology and Ecology & Conservation of the Galapagos).

The fact that two days ago I was very sick with food poisoning makes me INCREDIBLY thankful to be feeling almost completely better and able to continue with my normal daily activities today. I will spare you the unpleasant details and just say that it is not the same to be sick in someone else’s home without your real family to care for you.

I am continuing to enjoy not having Friday classes and this past Friday my friends and I took advantage by further exploring the Historic Center of Quito (El Centro Historico). The highlights of the adventure were ascending to the top of the hill to see the famous El Panecillo (the Virgin statue) and later ascending to the top of La Basilica (an incredible church built in the late 1800s).

As it would be a very long walk up the hill to El Panecillo, we flagged two taxis to accommodate our group of six and were intrigued that the two taxi drivers together set an equal price so that both groups of three would pay an equal amount. Here is a view of El Panecillo (41 meters tall) on the drive up:

And here are some pictures of the view standing in the top of El Panecillo (first of the view looking at North Quito and then looking towards South Quito):

After a delicious pizza lunch (culprit of my sickness…?), we spent some time walking around until we had climbed a few hills to arrive at La Basilica. My friend and I climbed several flights of stairs, crossed an iffy bridge, climbed a very narrow ladder and then two more flights of stairs and ended up in the top of one of the church’s towers. We had a perfect 360 degree view of the city and found it interesting that we could look directly at El Panecillo, where we had been just a few hours prior. Here are a few pictures from La Basilica:

A trip to El Centro Historico always reminds me of what a beautiful city I live in -- I live in the newer part of the city so I don't often see the beautiful buildings, churches, plazas, and hilly streets of El Centro.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the Super Bowl – I was sufficiently able to keep track of what was happening through the many Facebook statuses in my News Feed!