I had accepted the assignment to write about our activities of Friday, Nov. 23, but being a complete novice at writing blogs, I somehow deleted it instead of postinng it! I will try again.
This was the awaited day to go to the hot springs in the town of Chachimbiro, an hour and a half drive from Otavalo. On the beautiful drive, we passed two of the volcanoes in this land of hot springs and volcanoes. The constantly changing cloud formations were so tantalizing, sometimes showing us a glimpse of the tops of the mountains and then quickly obscuring all but the beautiful, green bottom slopes. As we left, we could see how Otavalo has houses spread over a wide valley and running up the mountain sides. After about an hour and a half, we reached the resort of Banos, which is a series of naturally heated pools of water. Paying at the entrance, we were given locker keys and shown into little cubicles. We changed into our swim suits and donned the obligatory swim cap despite protesting that Sara and I had shorter hair than the men who weren´t required to wear them. First we tried the big pool with two spouts of water pouring into it. You could choose which one to sit under and get a hot or cold shower. Next we tried the Turkish bath which was vry hot and steamy and then another room with a shower straight on one´s back--good massage. There also were a spa with jets of hot water, bath tubs in which one could soak, and finally a large pool with tile couches that had big stones for pillow, all of which we took advantage of.
Thoroughly relaxed, we ate left over Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches at picnic tables overlooking a green valley and distant purple mountains. We left, feeling as Sara said, "as limp as cooked spaghetti" and as happy as one could be. Great day!
Helen
Sunday, November 25, 2012
On the road again
So today Las Abuelas got up early. Carmen made us french toast, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and coffee. We said goodbye to Carlos and Carmen who had been incredibly generous with their home, time and companionship. Then on to a new adventure starting with a 5 hour bus ride to Ambato through beautiful countryside The hills are terraced almost to the top as farmers use every inch of land for potatoes, beans, cabbage and many other crops. Past flower farms with plastic green houses. Lots of soccer games in the small towns. At every small town vendors came on briefly selling ice cream, soda, sandwiches and whatever the local specialty happened to be. I purchased a bag of biscochos (undoubtedly spelled wrong), little cookies baked in a wood oven. Rode through the avenue of volcanos listening to cumbia, salsa and who knows what else. We missed seeing Cotopaxi's 12,500 foot peak which was hidden in dense clouds. Then the ALL TIME WORST South American bus movie played for the next hour and a half, Fireball, dubbed in Spanish. I found myself missing Robyn and Sarah, my Peace Corps friends from Tumbes days and glad that the ride was 5 hours not the 22 from Lima to Tumbes! Arrived in Ambato hungry and tired, revived by seafood lunch, naps, ice cream and hot tea. A new adventure began with finding an internet cabina on Sunday in the mostly shut down downtown. We have more blogs and more photos in our heads and cameras. Phyllis is seeking wifi connection which was available every block in Otavalo. Helen and I forgot to bring our camera chips along.
Six word story for the day. Panamericana, volcanos, green, green, ice cream.
Sara
Six word story for the day. Panamericana, volcanos, green, green, ice cream.
Sara
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thanksgiving in Otavalo
A Thanksgiving to remember! Four cooks brought their own skills and expectations to the day. We had several meetings along the way to figure out who was doing what and then things changed a couple of times. Carmen originally wanted to do everything (along with a teaching day) however we wound up quite collaboratively. The turkey was grand. Early in the morning, Helen and I went into Carmen´s kitchen just as she was throwing out the turkey neck and we said simultaneously, "What are you doing??". "It´s gross, I never eat it!". "Where are the giblets?" "In the garbage, they are gross!" We fished out the giblets, rescued the neck and to her horror, took them to the other kitchen to cook up.
After breakfast and another consultation with our hosts, las tres abuelas went to the big market in search of ingredients. Bags loaded with brocolli the size of soccer balls, carrots, onions, limes, we proceeded to find the more difficult items. Turns out the sweet potato vendor wasn´t at the market that day. Folks said there would be sweet potatoes "over there, around that corner, outside that door, a little further on thataway and at Plaza Copacabana." Mushroms, more elusive. Determined, we found our way to Plaza Copacabana, a whole new outdoor market and there we found sweet potatoes. The sweet potato vender was a beautiful woman with a new baby in her arms. I couldn´t resist asking if I could hold the baby while she bagged up our goods. Further along the way, we found mushrooms for the wild rice Helen brought from Wisconsin. Photos of the market day appear on another blog entry.
We spent the day cooking, all 4 cooks. The turkey cooked in the kitchen of Carmen and Carlos´ house were we are staying. Oven temperature?? Who knew?? Much consultation and questioning. Phyllis made a wild rice dish, Helen made fresh rolls, I made a salad, fresh cranberry relish (cranberries from Wisconsin) and steamed broccoli. Carmen made the best empanadas in the world and a sweet tamale with raisons, steamed in banana leaves. There was turkey gravy made with the neck and giblets. We had purchased a chocolate hazelnut cake which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. In the afternoon while Phyllis went with Grazia to teach an ESL class, Helen and I walked to downtown Otavalo to pick up the cake. Walking along Plaza Simon Bolivar, we heard a horn honking beside us and there were Carmen and Carlos who thought we´d been gone too long, were lost and needed rescue! Carlos spent the whole day racing around from kitchen to kitchen helping everyone and nearly losing his mind in the process! Glad he thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.
Dinner guests included friends Susanna, Juan, their daughter and son-in-law, lovely granddaughter, Grazia, and two other teachers from the University of Otavalo who work with Dra. Carmen. After all the turkey worry, the bird and all other dishes were delicious.
A Thanksgiving to remember.
After breakfast and another consultation with our hosts, las tres abuelas went to the big market in search of ingredients. Bags loaded with brocolli the size of soccer balls, carrots, onions, limes, we proceeded to find the more difficult items. Turns out the sweet potato vendor wasn´t at the market that day. Folks said there would be sweet potatoes "over there, around that corner, outside that door, a little further on thataway and at Plaza Copacabana." Mushroms, more elusive. Determined, we found our way to Plaza Copacabana, a whole new outdoor market and there we found sweet potatoes. The sweet potato vender was a beautiful woman with a new baby in her arms. I couldn´t resist asking if I could hold the baby while she bagged up our goods. Further along the way, we found mushrooms for the wild rice Helen brought from Wisconsin. Photos of the market day appear on another blog entry.
We spent the day cooking, all 4 cooks. The turkey cooked in the kitchen of Carmen and Carlos´ house were we are staying. Oven temperature?? Who knew?? Much consultation and questioning. Phyllis made a wild rice dish, Helen made fresh rolls, I made a salad, fresh cranberry relish (cranberries from Wisconsin) and steamed broccoli. Carmen made the best empanadas in the world and a sweet tamale with raisons, steamed in banana leaves. There was turkey gravy made with the neck and giblets. We had purchased a chocolate hazelnut cake which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. In the afternoon while Phyllis went with Grazia to teach an ESL class, Helen and I walked to downtown Otavalo to pick up the cake. Walking along Plaza Simon Bolivar, we heard a horn honking beside us and there were Carmen and Carlos who thought we´d been gone too long, were lost and needed rescue! Carlos spent the whole day racing around from kitchen to kitchen helping everyone and nearly losing his mind in the process! Glad he thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.
Dinner guests included friends Susanna, Juan, their daughter and son-in-law, lovely granddaughter, Grazia, and two other teachers from the University of Otavalo who work with Dra. Carmen. After all the turkey worry, the bird and all other dishes were delicious.
A Thanksgiving to remember.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
The Day Before Thanksgiving
Ahhh... Yesterday we had no agenda but to wander the town and enjoy city luxuries -- little cafes tucked away behind garden walls, good coffee, Ecuadoran quinoa soup, Ecuadoran tortillas, another stroll through the outdoor crafts market.
Today is Thanksgiving! Soon we'll have a turkey in the oven; looking forward to many at the table this evening.
We have a seven-word story today:
Two families. Two houses. Two cultures. Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!
Today is Thanksgiving! Soon we'll have a turkey in the oven; looking forward to many at the table this evening.
We have a seven-word story today:
Two families. Two houses. Two cultures. Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to YOU!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Off to visit the Huaorani in the Amazon forest
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| Being greeted by the Huaorani |
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| Ready to board our plane ( pilot in the center) |
The jungle is beautiful, filled with wonderful plants and the calls of the birds. Animals are there, too, but they are good at keeping themselves hidden. The people are amazing, with skills for living in a jungle that fills their needs if only one knows how. They can live happily and well in a situation that we westernized people are totally incompetent and lost in. Now these people are trying to bridge the two cultures, to keep their traditions while living in a world where the western civilization keeps encroaching on them. The lives of these warm, happy, laughing, and playful people are being threatened by the devastation caused by oil companies who have followed the rubber tappers . We met people such as Moi, who plans to visit DC and hopes to meet with President Obama in January to discuss climate change, while his family lives in a village. Our guide, Mincaye, taught us how to live in the jungle, but also gave us his email address! Amelie, a French-English young woman is teaching at the village of <Keweire-ono and shares her schoolroom home with 3 families of vampire bats is working to help the children learn skills that will help them in the two cultures. Our naturalist is passionate about keeping farms and oil companies from decimating the forest and making it useless as well as toxic.
More pictures and story later. Helen
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| Ready to board our canoe |
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| Minkaye enkedi, our Huaorani guide |
Otavalo Market
Sorry if I caused confusion -- that post entitled, "Our one day in Quito" was something I wrote on November 14. Didn't have access to the Internet until today.
Now it's Nov 20 at 10:15 PM and we're at the end of a full day in Otavalo where it's lovely and cool, and Quichua men and women walk with pride through town wearing the beautiful traditional garments their ancestors have worn for centuries.
Sara, Helen and I have taken our laundry into town to have it washed, found an Internet cafe, and shopped in the outdoor market for chicken and veggies. I managed to brush a few dozen blackberries onto the not-quite sterile market floor. (Note to self: Think twice before turning around in a very crowded and ultra-narrow produce aisle while wearing a backpack!) Before I could offer to pay for the berries, a market vendor picked them up off the floor and put them back in their basket. Yes! Wash your fruits and veggies!
We came home to cook a meal for Carmen, Carlos, and Gracia. It's been a quiet, ordinary day in an extraordinary place.
Time to sleep now but I have to tell you about Mike. You might call him the family guard dog, but we like to call him the Roof Dog because that's where he hangs out, right outside my bedroom window. Mike, an altogether lovable and affectionate polar bear, is his most valiant self at this time of night when he comes on duty, scaring away any possible intruder with his deep growly bark. WOOF! Goodnight!
(Will post this in the morning at some place with WiFi.)
Now it's Nov 20 at 10:15 PM and we're at the end of a full day in Otavalo where it's lovely and cool, and Quichua men and women walk with pride through town wearing the beautiful traditional garments their ancestors have worn for centuries.
Sara, Helen and I have taken our laundry into town to have it washed, found an Internet cafe, and shopped in the outdoor market for chicken and veggies. I managed to brush a few dozen blackberries onto the not-quite sterile market floor. (Note to self: Think twice before turning around in a very crowded and ultra-narrow produce aisle while wearing a backpack!) Before I could offer to pay for the berries, a market vendor picked them up off the floor and put them back in their basket. Yes! Wash your fruits and veggies!
We came home to cook a meal for Carmen, Carlos, and Gracia. It's been a quiet, ordinary day in an extraordinary place.
Time to sleep now but I have to tell you about Mike. You might call him the family guard dog, but we like to call him the Roof Dog because that's where he hangs out, right outside my bedroom window. Mike, an altogether lovable and affectionate polar bear, is his most valiant self at this time of night when he comes on duty, scaring away any possible intruder with his deep growly bark. WOOF! Goodnight!
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| Here's Mike this morning, a bit hoarse after all that barking! |
(Will post this in the morning at some place with WiFi.)
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| Helen and Sara, this morning, beside the door to Carlos and Carmen's house |
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