In Ecuador, Dia de los Difuntos, or the Day of the Dead, has indigenous roots and Catholic traditions and it’s celebrated on all souls day, November 2nd.
Preparations for Dia de los Difuntos involve crafting colorful altars with photographs, favorite foods, and cherished belongings. The bread, “guaguas de pan” (bread babies) and the drink “colada morada” (purple porridge made with purple corn flour and fruits that is served warm) are symbolic culinary gifts to the departed but are mostly shared as a sense of community.
My school had a 3 day weekend but there were plenty of festivities including observing American Halloween.
There were dancing competitions by grade level.I dressed as weird barbie.The elementary school had their own Halloween celebration.Guaguas de panThe ingredients for colada morada
It was a pretty fun time learning about the traditions in a new country.
The flight back home to Quito from Cuenca had a short layover in Guayaquil. Unfortunately, there was a small mechanical problem with the plane and everyone on board missed their connecting flight. It meant a 24 hour stay until the next flight we could get. At least the airline covered all costs and meals at the Marriott until the time of the flight.
Guayaquil is not a very safe city. After setting up lesson plans for my classes and using some of the hotel facilities, I thought I should go sightsee if just for a couple hours. I settled on three places I would want to see and set out in an Uber.
The first was Parque Seminario. It is the oldest park in the city and it’s also known as iguana park for all the iguanas that take up residence there. I was glad to see security in the area.
An iguana ready to greet visitors.The longer the tail with the similar color means it is an elder iguana who has kept their tail in fights.
I next went to Uber to La Peña to climb the 445 stairs in this colorful area. At the top is a lighthouse and a beautiful view of the city.
From here, my last stop was actually a short walk from the bottom of the stairs. The Malecón was built for tourism and is along the water. It was a great stroll and I was happy to see that there was security along the way.
All in all a great time to tour despite my worry of safety. I did meet from the plane a great couple. He grew up in Altoona, not far from where I grew up, and now works in Philly. Such a small world.
I was happy to finally get home though it was midnight.
After a day off meeting Pam, a friend of Susan’s and another couple we met, I am really glad that I talked with others about their experience here. Their insights and suggestions is what I was looking for.
I really love this place. It feels like a small town but has so many arts and other activities. It is very walkable and safe. It is definitely a contender for retirement.
Encebollado, one of the world’s soups one should try. This has fish in it.Lots of dancing expeditions during the festival.So many murals. This is one made of mosaics.So many artisan tents along the city. I want to come back here when there is not a festival to see what the city has to offer The church in San Francisco square.Shopping the river and throughout the city there are so many beautiful buildings.
We took a city bus tour on the last morning to get a different view of some of the areas. Turi was beautiful with a church on the hill and a view of the whole city.
Other views of the city during the celebration.
In El Calderon park. Many activities and a mini parade.
Since day of the dead is over with and there is no Thanksgiving, I should be allowed to put up Christmas decorations as seen by these stores. Agreed?
I know many more are thinking that it is crazy to live somewhere else in the world but I am really liking it here. It is the time after moving here when the newness wears off and you are wondering what you are doing here, but I don’t feel that way. I really love this place and can see splitting my time between Ecuador and the US.
On the way to visit various towns outside of Cuenca, we stopped at a museum and exhibition of spinning and weaving. The spinning of the yarn uses a drop spindle similar to what I’ve used and seen. They also color the yarns similarly as other places of the world.
The weaving however is much different. They sit on the floor and the work is done with the arms instead of using peddles to tighten the weft threads.
Winding the warp threadsTying areas of the threads before dying.Dying methods.Weaving.Weaning the weft thread.Knitting the fringe.
Another cute little town but seemed to sell many shoes as witnessed by the number of people in each of the stores. Since my size is hard to find here I didn’t go into the stores.
Chorteleg
Chorteleg is a cute little town. It is known for its silver and gold industry especially filigree designs. Of course I bought some jewelry.
Artisanal beers with my friend Susan.A specific design that is unique to Chorteleg.This is a beautiful ring.I couldn’t resist turtles.
On the way back to Cuenca we stopped at San Fransisco square.
Note the mannequins on there balconies of the pink building.Tortillas de Tiesto.
After arriving back in Cuenca we listened to some singers and danced a bit in the square. Quite the fun day.
On the walking tour of Cuenca, our guide pointed out the newly elected vice president was here. I went to take a closer picture, and an aide noticed me and asked if I wanted to speak to her. I said yes. He announced I was an extranjero (foreigner). I told her I lived and worked in Quito and love Ecuador. I did that in Spanish. I was amazed at how close everyone was to her and how little security there was.
The cathedral
The cathedral is amazing. It had been designed by someone in Europe but the full design could not be realized as the building materials were different to make such a tall design. Because of this they did not put a bell in the tower.
The history of the cathedral dates back to the reconquest of Cuenca by Alfonso VIII of Castile in 1177. The cathedral was actually constructed on the site of a former mosque, and I wonder what conqueror brought that religion in and when. The initial construction of the cathedral took place during the transition from the Romanesque to Gothic period, resulting in a unique blend of architecture. Subsequent renovations and additions were with the last restoration in the 20th century after a tower collapsed.
The glass in the domes came from Spain. The marble in the cathedral from Italy.
View from the top looking over what used to be the convent and now is a commercial center and restaurants.Looking up where the bell should be.Looking out over the central town square.
The tiles in the towers came from Czechoslovakia.
The town square
A young revolutionary who despite being wounded, crawled to the top of the highest hill to plant the independence flag.Celebrations in the square for independence day.
Food
The largest plantain chips I have seen.Espumilla . It looks and tastes like a wet meringue. Not too sweet. They put it in an ice cream cone. It is delicious and it’s made with fresh fruit puree.Locra de papa. Potato soup with cheese, mota (corn), and avocado. With some added aji (pepper sauce), it is delicious and an Ecuadorian dish.
Other pictures
One of the other churches in Cuenca.The aquiducts created between the four rivers around Cuenca.This drink is said to cure you. Made from rises and a bunch of different herbs and mineral water.The independent and wealthy woman of cuenca who donated large amounts of property to the city.
These are some of the other things I have been doing since arriving in Quito. School of always busy when starting in a new place: new programs to learn, procedures to follow, etc.
Several of the new teachers would go to a few music venues. This one was reggae type music with rap influence.
In my neighborhood is a great gelato place made with local fruits. Very delicious.
Another music event I attended was an afrobeats concert held at an old theater near the historical center. The headliner act is famous in Chile and the whole evening was fantastic. It was difficult to stay in our seats, everyone was dancing.
The opening band played classical jazz. They were amazing.Afrobeats.
I’ve had a few medical appointments about my knee. Walking home after one of them I spotted this place that had Bolivian empanadas
Colada morada is a warm drink made with a large quantity of ingredients including various fruits and purple corn flour. It is thick and actually quite tasty. It is seen here around various holidays including Day of the Dead. Along with a cheese empanada, it was delicious.
I have also never been to a professional soccer game. The stadium is close to school so what better way than to stay after school, grab dinner with friends, and take in a game.
At school, part of the IB program is to complete a G4 project. We took the students to the museum on the equator. It is actually along the equator as determined by GPS (I have been at the other location of where they thought it was by using maps).
Balancing an egg on a nail at the equator. Can you only do it here? Actually no. It just takes practice.A blacksmith hummingbird. It makes a heavy striking sound when it sings.
We have also hosted a BBQ at our place. So great to see people out of school.
For a relaxing long weekend, I went with my friend Susan to papallacta. The town is located in the Ecuadorian Andes about 40 miles outside of Quito.
We left after school but since both of us work in different schools we left through the center of the city. Unfortunately there was a very bad accident that backed up traffic for over six hours. Even though there was a way to finally get off and go through to the other side of town, Quito has a policy that there is one day in the week each person cannot drive through the city from 4 to 9 pm. It is called pico y placa. Our driver could not go back to the city as the number on his plate does not allow him to drive during those hours on Friday. Eventually we were able to move far enough along to get off on a different exit. We eventually made it there much later than anticipated. *They actually did suspend this policy but we were not able to turn around after a certain time.
The hotel we stayed at was Mamallacta Paramor and is located 200 m from the thermal hot springs at Termas. This area has lots of hot springs due to volcanic activity but that place is the best and most expensive. We were able to get a day pass and also book a hot stone massage for much cheaper than staying at the expensive place. It is worth it. I loved my stay there and will definitely go back.
The food was delicious and the people so helpful.
The hotel is very artistic with some amazing touches throughout. It is beautiful.
They even have an opening in the upper floors for the birds who come in can leave. This one forgot how it entered.
I made a new friend Lenny, the burro. He was not as friendly at first but after I fed him clover he accepted hugs and pets on the neck and face. He actually brayed at me rather loudly when I left but did not give him clover. Of course I stopped and did as he asked.
Besides the hot springs we took several hikes through the forests and along the roads. Beautiful and relaxing!
The Antisana volcano.
The area is surrounded by farmland. Besides cows there were plenty of sheep and of course llamas.
We decided to come back a day early and given the traffic into papallacta it was probably a good idea. Many people finally made it to the hot springs. We visited friends who are moving back to the states. It was a lovely way to end the vacation. Their view from their balcony in Guapulo (South Quito) is amazing.
What a great group of people I work with. There is often a suggestion for a trip that someone starts and quickly a group is put together. This weekend was a trip to Quilotoa. We rented a can to pick us up from school and after around 3 hours we arrived at the black sheep inn.
The drive there was amazing with all of the vistas.
Our destination is way out in the distance.
Black sheep inn is an eco hostel that serves vegetarian food only and focused on nature and preserving and conserving resources. They have a great facility and full meals and snacks all day long. Add in massages, helping with transport to hikes, games and things to do.
Beautiful lodge for meals and gathering.The bunk house with quad rooms to share.Yoga room with hammocks.Single house with private bathroom. All others are shared. This is where I stayed as I love privacy and sleep as I am a very light sleeper.It did get chilly here at night as it is 1000 feet higher than Quito. It is a little cooler here.Composting toilet. It is a pit toilet that you sprinkle bits of leaves etc. for composting.Private shower with hot water. Worth the extra 40 dollars a night.
They have one very friendly cat, named Choco who loved to hang out around my house.
On Saturday, trucks picked us up to go to Quilotoa. The ride had some other great views of mountains. These two peaks are husband and wife, esposo y esposa called Ilinazas.
Quilotoa is a water-filled caldera and is one of the must do hikes in Ecuador. The caldera was formed 800 years ago when the cone of the volcano collapsed during a massive eruption. Over the centuries, the caldera filled with water, and now you can hike along the rim of the beautiful crater lake.
The surrounding area is also home to several indigenous communities that have lived in the region for centuries, mainly the Kichwa. They have a rich culture and history and still practice traditional farming. I love how they maintain a deep connection to the land and the natural resources. Of course they have built structures to support and encourage tourism.
The hike is pretty difficult. It is 1000 meters above Quito so the air is thinner. It is also a pretty difficult hike with the ascents and descents. I decided to do one kilometer and then turn back. The full hike of the rim is 5 hours. I chose instead to hike down to the bottom of the crater and back up.
Carrie decided not to do the full hike with me and we headed back to hike down the crater.
At the start of the hike we were all together.
Three dogs followed us and continued most of the way. I think they smelled our lunches we carried.The path from the top where I am standing down to the bottom is 2 km, steep and lots of loose gravel on a path that switches back and forth.Starting the descent down.There were llamas to get pictures with and mules or horses to take you back up.
The path up was very steep and loose gravel of course. We were not in any hurry as our friends were taking a long hike. So we stopped often to take long breaks.
Finally we made it to the top.
At the bottom we met Mario who we spoke to in Spanish. We decided to all have beers since we decided to hike up. He took a muleThis is taken for altitude sickness.A band playing right before we were leaving.Just a girl and her alpaca.
Sunrise the next morning.
The town of Chugchilan is where the inn is at. I walked around the last morning to look at buildings and people.
A great weekend with amazing people. When Carrie and I left the group, everyone hugged and we were wished a safe journey back. People are very friendly and caring
One week was to just get the visas, get settled in an apartment, get a cell plan, bank account, etc. Finally it was time for the new teachers to be at school for a week.
First day of school for the new teachers.My classroom.
We have an amazing lab assistant who is so knowledgeable, organized, and we have access to a lot of things which I was so happy about.
Prep space and storage.I’m the library, religion and mythology are in the same section…..Another view of my room.Sports field. We are high up and surrounded by all the mountains.The patio de tortugas. There used to be giant turtles here until the government said they needed to be in a preserve or other place.
After another week with all faculty, students returned. I forget how much energy is required into getting to know a new system and culture in a school. In the second week we had an assembly. Students were asked to wear uniforms even though they do not have to on a daily basis. They started the assembly with both the Ecuador and USA national anthems and ended with the colegio song.
I was impressed that the focus of the assembly was on academics and the arts. Awards were given and a shout out to sports were mentioned at the end.
A student band played. They were very good.
Despite differences in how schools are run and a little disorganization especially where new platforms being used this year that there is little experience in, it has been a good start to the year. The students are kind and motivated in my class. There are always a few students who test you and they are in the lower grades, or 10th grade for me. There is a lot of support for any discipline issues which I’m grateful for.
I joined a bike ride with from Quito to Mindo. All the riders were school teachers from my school and another international school in the city. We live in the mountains so the ride was up and down some steep inclines.
I wasn’t sure my knee would be okay and in the end I did not do the two biggest hills. It was a supported ride, so there was a trailer carrying our bags and also could take you and the bike up a hill. I did do some hills and the knee felt good though tired. I did not want to find out I hurt myself in the middle of the biggest hills.
We first went through Quito at 5:30 am to the point where we loaded bikes to avoid the first hill
At the top of that first hill, I got on the bike but waited for the traffic to clear! I stopped along the highway going downhill to get this shot. So cold. It was just under 40 degrees. We stopped at Nono, the first town, to warm up before continuing on. So beautiful.
From here the road was gravel. On the downhills I went slow as I was not comfortable and also the tight turns. Lots of braking! In the end, going slow let me stop and take some great pictures.
A second stop in Nanegelito. Here I realized the next hill was even steeper and decided to skip it.
At the top of the hill was the next stop at Bellavista. This used to be the old highway and when the new one was put in, the little towns suffered. A foreigner purchased all the land and built the hostel resort and also manages the nature reserve. They had hummingbirds and incredible views.
The hummingbirds were amazing.They loved my red gloves.
So many more hours of downhill on gravel.
Finally I noticed that the vegetation had changed and we were no longer in the forests but in the jungle.
I was do glad to see paved road finally which was faster but it was also still downhill! Finally I made it to Mindo!
Such a cute very small town.I finally found a mixed encebollado to try. It’s a fish soup with onions, yucca, and spices. So delicious. It came with plantain chips.Just a guy and his dog out for a drive. In the center park.Service on Sunday.
A new friend from the other school, Cotopaxi, met me in Mindo. We had a good time hanging out, eating, and walking to the butterfly garden.
Those little flashes of blue on the left side were very beautiful and active blue butterflies. Live music in the park. I danced some salsa with him before boarding the bus back to Quito.More flash of blue at the door. They did not alight anywhere during our stay.One butterfly that just emerged from the chrysalis.
We packed up our things but went to lunch to wait for the bus to go back to Quito. Devon and Sergio know great friends of mine from Guangzhou. Kathy and Mitch thought that was great too!
The cacao margarita was fresh (no syrup). We ate at Quetzal, which had amazing food.
