With Papa Jacinto, Alex’s Grandpa.

In the first week of January we spent a bit of time catching up with various members of the family. Time was flying by and some we had not yet seen. We caught up with Alex’s Auntie Bebita, who played an instrumental part in Alex’s life when he was growing up. She obviously holds a very special place in his heart. And of course we saw Papa Jacinto, Alex’s Grandpa. Every time he sees me his eyes light up as he hugs me tightly and says, “Hola mi gringuita” (hello my little foreigner), which is a term of endearment. I grew very fond of Papa Jacinto when I lived in Ecuador in 1999/2000 and he too holds a very special place in my heart.

With Dad and Alex, Cafe Mosaico, Itchimbiya

One night we took Alex’s sister Karen and family to Café Mosaico in Itchimbiya, very close to the historical centre. The café really does have spectacular views over both the city and surrounding mountains. We had been there a little over a year prior with our friends Mel and Dan. The Greek food is reasonable, but then it’s not for the food that one goes. Dad was gob smacked. How many amazing views from one city can one have? When the city is in a valley cradled by the Andes mountains and volcanoes, an amazingly high number!

Jean Pierre, Axel and Johnny, El Panecillo

After a lovely meal, and lots of laughs, we went to El Panecillo, which literally means small loaf of bread.  Not far from the historical centre, and not unlike Itchimbiya, at 3016 metres above sea level, it offers another spectacular vantage point for viewing Quito. Atop sits the famous Virgen de Quito (Virgin of Quito); it’s possible to climb up and through her and get even more amazing views.  I must say, as far as spectacular views go, Quito would have to be up there in my top five.  It’s like constantly being at the top of the Eureka Tower on a good day!

Ready for the train ride to El Boliche

We also took a one day train ride to El Boliche Reserve, which sits at the base of the towering and Cotopaxi volcano. By some accounts the 5897 metre volcano is the highest active volcano in the world. The Ferrocarriles Del Ecuador or Federal Railway of Ecuador fell into disrepair in the last half of the 20th century and has recently been renovated. There are a number of different trips that one can take, several from Quito, and the line cuts across some of South America’s most scenic landscapes. For engineers, it is a marvel of innovation that starts at sea level in Guayaquil and rises to more than 9000 feet as it nears the Andean plateau. Thankfully, in the past few years, the government has invested time and money in refurbishing the railway, making for a relaxing journey with (yet more!) spectacular views.
perfectly symmetrical

A train with a view!

The Quito-El Boliche run covers about 110 miles there and back. On a clear day you can see Cotopaxi looming in the distance from the moment you leave Quito. Unfortunately, it was not our lucky day! The ride does, however, cover 33 000 hectares of craggy green countryside showcasing the spectacular Ecuadorian Andes. So, we sat back and enjoyed! We got off at El Boliche where the train stops for a couple of hours before turning around and going back to Quito. It was lovely to go for a short exploratory walk and breathe in the fresh air!

Jungle living

There was still one more thing that we needed to do but hadn’t gotten around to it yet due to one thing or another … a trip to El Oriente, which is the rainforest area that occupies the lowlands of the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. It is a land of many different indigenous tribes and where nature and wildlife abounds. We would do a three night/ four day trip with Alex’s Uncle Gustavo, his Auntie Marcia and cousin Valeria. Along with Dad, Alex, Jean Pierre and myself it would be a nice little group. We were all looking forward to it, and I think Dad was secretly excited, especially as it would be at a much lower altitude than Quito.

Indigenous lady from Misahualli

We set off early one morning and made our way to Tena, which is is the quintessential South American jungle town and is renowned as a jungle transport hub. Whilst it’s only 115 kilometres from Quito, the winding roads make it a five or six hour ride, descending from the Andes into jungle lowlands. Not only is it easier to breathe due to the lower altitude, but it’s also much warmer (bring it on!). It’s also very laid back compared to Quito and feels like the kind of place you would expect to run in to Indiana Jones stocking up on supplies before setting out in search of a lost city! Let the adventure begin! We stopped for a bite to eat and then made our way to Misahualli, which sits at the confluence of the Misahualli and Coca Rivers.

A tribe on the River Coco in Misahualli dance for us

No sooner had we dumped our bags in our quaint little hostel, than we were at the sandy riverbank, within walking distance, organising a boat ride along the river. It truly was an excellent ‘expedition’ and I must admit to feeling a little like I actually was in an Indiana Jones movie! We all threw on some life jackets and in no time we were zooming up the river with the wind blowing through our hair. The highlight was a stop at an indigenous community. We pulled up at the bank and walked up a muddy slope to firstly be taken through a museum of their ways and customs, and then we watched a traditional dance. We were even shown an area where herbal remedies were prepared.  It is here that we bought some sangre de drago, or dragon’s blood,  a medicinal blood-like latex/ sap, which comes from the rainforests of the Upper Amazon.  It has an amazing array of medicinal properties, including helping heal cuts and stings. Don’t let the secret out though, the pharmaceuticals will go broke!

Treehouse near Shell

Over the next couple of days we would eat well, sleep well (to the sounds of chirping birds and whispering trees) and see lots and lots of things. So many, in fact, that I struggle to recount them all We passed through Puyo, but our second night was spent in Shell, in a lovely hostel that had a lovely warm spa … and a cold pool!  Alex also spent a lot of his childhood here as his Auntie Paty spent many years here as a teacher. We visited a very artistic and funky place set in the jungle near Shell that was all done up in mosaics; caves, pools and murals. It had a very mystical feel and the property included some amazing tree houses, where upon climbing to the top, you could literally see over the top of the rainforest canopy. Some more wow moments!  And Ecuador certainly has many! Word of mouth also took us to a site where indigenous soldiers train (the turf out here is quite different to the highland Andes). On that site is an amazing outdoor museum which takes you on a walking tour of the jungle, which has intermittent descriptions of and examples of huts from the different Amazonian jungle tribes. At the end there is a large open space where you can see a range of animals, including monkeys, jaguars and a variety of tropical birds … all set amongst lush rainforest.

Cable car Ecuadorian style!

Our last night was spent in Banos, back in the Andean Highlands, which sits just under the Tunguraghua volcano  (which I’d seen spit out ash in 1999), between lush mountains and cascading waterfalls. Its name is derived from Quichua (Kichwa), the native language of Andean indigenous Ecuadorians, and means throat of fire. A pretty apt name considering that volcanic activity started again in 1999 after a very long lull.  Banos means baths and its name is derived from the famous hydrothermal springs in the area.  It is known as the adventure capital of Ecuador and as we entered the small town, I could see why. Its wide and steep gorges with raging waterfalls and running rivers (the Pastaza River cuts right through the town) below are spectacular, and cable cars run across from many points. It’s also the place to mountain-bike, hike, raft and party … not on this trip! We did have a couple of goes on the open-air cable cars (tarabitas) though.  Exhilarating as it was, it would NEVER have passed an OH&S check in Australia; the open cage barely came up to our waists! We also managed to visit the local fresh produce market as well as walk around the main square at night; two prime people-watching places.

The Devil’s Cauldron, Banos

On our last day we did a double-decker bus tour around Banos, which mainly took us to a number of exceptional waterfalls. The two most impressive ones were the Manto de la novia (the Bride’s veil) and the Pailon del Diablo (the Devil’s cauldron). Unlike the Bride’s veil, where you can simply stare in awe, or get a little closer on a cable car, in order to get up close and personal with the Cauldron, you have to go on a bit of a hike, including bobbing down and walking hunched over through low and cramped spaces … but the view from virtually inside the Cauldron is … impresionante! We also got to see some ‘puenting’ or bridging, a type of low-cost, low safety bridge jumping. I shook my head in horror!  I tried to convince myself that I’d bungee jumped over the Victoria Falls on the Zambia/ Zimbabwe border in 1995, so I didn’t need to ‘go there’ anymore. I have done some crazy things in my life.  Am I  getting too old for this stuff or has age has taught me something about the value of my life?!

Tunguraghua Volcano

We made our way back to Quito amidst continuous beautiful landscapes. We were all tired but it had been so worth it. We knew we were approaching Quito when the traffic started to get heavy and at points grinded to a halt. All we wanted was a bed and some sleep. By the time we got dropped off, we were exhausted.  It had certainly been a fun-filled and adventure-packed four days.

Desert … the final touch to Dad’s favourite meal

There were only days to go and we would be flying back to Melbourne. On reflection, we had done so much, and I think Dad had been able to see and experience enough of the culture and people to gain a decent understanding of the country that I call my second home. In the days prior to leaving we caught up with various members of the extended family. We also went to dinner at Alex’s Dad and step mother Nancy’s house.  Nancy, my dad thought your food was the best he’d had in his entire stay in Ecuador! (Nancy, mi papi dijo que tu comida era la mejor que habia provado entre todo el tiempo que paso en Ecuador).

Last night in Ecuador

It’s always sad when we leave Ecuador, because we are leaving behind the family and friends that we love and will miss so much. The night before we left many people came around to say goodbye; it’s bitter-sweet to have them all around, especially when you know your time’s up! Dad had seen and experienced so much, and we were so glad that he had been able to share this, our life, with us. I looked at little Thomas and Isabella and wondered how much of their lives and growing up I would miss because we lived so far. It transported me back to 1999 when Denisse  was only six years old (now 19 years old) and she bawled her eyes out when she found out that Alex got his visa to go to Australia. Her uncle was leaving her and going to live far away!

Sons ‘n’ daughters

What followed next was business as usual. We got up and ready, nice and early, and Karen and Boli (Christian’s father) took us to the airport, where we were also met by Alex’s Dad, brother and step-mum Nancy. It was time to say goodbye … hugs and tears all around.  I knew we would be back again!  It’s just the way my life ius now! Although Dad may not ever come back, this trip had been a real eye-opener for him. He would come home a changed person and we will be forever grateful that he had been able to have this experience.  It had also meant the world to Alex!

Tunguraghua volcano, near Banos

With no stop-overs (as we did on the way over), it was a looooooooong flight home.  Our first flight changeover was in Miami. OMG!!! What a nightmare! One hour and forty minutes JUST to get through passport control … eye scan, finger scan, thumb scan.  Just when we thought we were over the line, so to speak, and picking up our baggage, we saw the line to go through to customs … OMGGGGGG!  I looked at Alex and told him in Spanish that we were going to lose our flight to LA, as I did not want to stress Dad out. Problem was that if we lost that flight, we would also miss the connecting flight to Melbourne.  Had it been just Alex and I …whatever … but with Dad there, it just was not going to happen! Big breath … I hadn’t done drama at university for nothing!  I used my gift of the gab and spoke to someone about ‘our situation’. He helped us to skip the line very discreetly. But … yes … there’s more … we finally had to go through the scanners, but it was take off your shoes, socks, jocks etc etc etc and we just happened to get a person with some serious attitude!  I was tired, headachy and stressed. She had picked the wrong person on the wrong day!  So, I proceeded to tell her, quite frankly, that she had an attitude problem, and then I told her supervisor too. Dad came up and gently tried to pull me away as I was rather irate, to say the least.  I think he thought that they were going to lock me up!

Goodbye Ecuador, until next time …

The flight to LA was fine but I had, by this stage unfortunately, developed a migraine. I did sleep for most of the flight and by the time we reached LA I felt shocking.  I slept on the floor, on my sarong, as we waited for our next flight. We finally boarded for Melbourne and  I slept most of the way, albeit with a migraine.  Although it dissipated, somewhat, I felt totally washed out and drained upon our Sunday morning arrival in Melbourne.  We collected our bags and came home.  All I wanted to do was sleep! We had taken a taxi home as my brother was camping and not around to do the ‘usual pick up’, so Alex and I got dropped off first and then Dad. We dumped our bags on the floor and went straight to sleep. I set the alarm to wake up a few hours later at 3.00pm, but actually slept until 3.00am the next morning! Of course I couldn’t get back to sleep!

Another trip bites the dust … but there will be many, many more!

Ombi

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” – Dr Seuss

Next: Our two weeks in Vanuatu over Easter.

Egg seller, Banos

Alex with some friends

Restaurant with a jungle view, near Shell

Faces … Banos market

Downtown Banos

The many faces of the marketplace, Banos

Alex with his two Dads, Dino (L) and Hugo

Eatint ar a restaurant near Shell

The kitchen at the restaurant near Shell

Crossing the gorge, Banos

Alex and his Dad, Hugo

With Uncle Paparazzi (Gustavo)

Vegetable market, Banos

Alex with his friends

Dad with Carola

Bride’s Veil waterfall, Banos

Breathtakingly beautiful Banos

Devil’s Cauldron, Banos

Devil’s Cauldron, Banos

Fresh sugar cane juice, Banos

Ecuadorian bird life

Ocelot

With my family in the jungle near Shell

A (tree) house with a view, Ecuadorian jungle

Valeria and Jean Pierre inside the mosaic cave near Shell

Indiana Jones country

Coca River, Misahualli

Nature, Misahualli

Guinea pigs (‘cuy’) … pets here, but often dinner in Ecuador!

Birds of the jungle

Alex with Uncle Paparazzi in the jungle

Flowers of the Ecuadorian jungle

Ecuador … loves life!

The train master

View from the train

Pit stop on the train to El Boliche

Train to El Boliche

Thomas, our nephew, El Panecillo

View of Quito from El Panecillo

Good times … Dad and I in Ecuador

The south part of Quito, just as we leave from railway station

Princess Isabella

Alex with Jean Pierre and Dad at the railway station, Quito.

Johnny, Jean Pierre and Axel, atop La Virgen

Cafe Mosaico, Itchimbiya, Quito

Fun times at Cafe Mosaico

The Virgin of Quito

L to R: Cousins Salome and Andrea, Ombi, Papa Jacinto

La Virgen de Quito, El Panecillo

Alex with his siblings and some of the Benavides cousins

Magical Quito by night, Cafe Mosaico, Itchimbiya, Quito

Dad with Papa Jacinto

Alex with Papa Jacinto

With father-in-law Hugo and Denisse in Quito

With Hugo

The children await the activities!

This year Alex and I decided that we would not give any Christmas presents, as apart from the fact that neither of us are believers, we find the commercialism and money spent around the event rather offensive. We have slowly been cutting back over the years, and this year we decided … no more!  We did decide to ‘give’, however, in another way. Our brother-in-law Christian’s auntie is involved with a poor community on the outskirts of Quito. For the last five or so years, she and her extended family (on Christian’s mother’s side), go out to the community close to Christmas and spend a day there. Each family donates food and goods (such as clothes and shoes) as well as organise a pantomime and activities for the children. Everybody gets involved, adults and children alike, and in the true spirit of Christmas it’s all about giving! This year, we got involved too.

Dad helping with the hampers.

In the weeks before the visit, each family donates something like tuna, corn flower or margarine (staples) and approximately 100 bags are made up. The families also collate clothes and shoes that they may have, that can also be passed on. These are also divided up into bags. The reality in Ecuador is that there is still a massive divide between the rich and the poor. Sad but true! The day started with the people from the community lining up to receive a bag of food and a bag of clothes/ shoes each. We all helped hand them out, from our youngest niece Isabella, to my Dad. The look of gratitude in the eyes of the people receiving the goods is beyond description. I can still see and feel those eyes boring into mine as I retell the story. It breaks my heart! I will never understand how, on a planet where there is enough for all, some still have so incredibly little and some have so much! I found it beyond difficult to compose myself at times and my eyes were constantly welling up with tears!

The actors.

After all the goods were distributed, we went into a hall and put on a pantomime for the children, where they were also handed out drinks and sandwiches. Later we had various games and prizes for them all, as well as dancing and games.  Again, we all got involved. The sparkle in their eyes impacted greatly on me. How often did they get ‘this much’? One little girl lost a game and bawled inconsolably, tears streaming down her face, for not having won the prize. She was not being a spoilt brat, she was simply devastated by her loss. When would she be able to ‘win’ something like this again? In a year? We gave her a prize! The injustice was doing my head in!

After the event, after all the children and adults had been and

Fun and games.

gone, we all sat down in the hall to a meal ourselves, which Chris’s aunties had prepared. It had been a good day, a fun day, a ‘successful’ day. Amidst our chatting I heard a lot of people reflecting upon the event and I wondered if ‘one day’ could really make a difference.  Now I think back to the laughter, the smiles and the hugs that so many children gave me that day. I can only hope that I did help to make a difference … however small … on that day!

With Carola and her family.

In the time around Christmas, we also caught up with Carola and her husband Jorge. Carola had stayed with us for a few weeks, a year and a half earlier, in Melbourne. We went to her place for dinner (and an excellent one at that!) and it was a really lovely night. Carola had been to Dad’s place for dinner and she commented on how great it was for her to be able to do the same, this time in her country.

Santa with our nephew Thomas.

A few days later we would be having our own family Christmas celebrations. In Latin America, they celebrate on the eve and not on the actual day. Karen and Chris invited various members of their families over and we celebrated at their place (where we were staying). People started trickling in at 7.30pm and the last of them rolled up at around 10.00pm. We hung around, chatted and reminisced. We even got a surprise visit from Santa (aka Alex’s cousin Ronald). One of the games played involved us all pulling a name out of a hat and then decorating (arts and craft style) a plastic cup for that person with whatever was available. We had ten minutes in which to make it and when finished we all had to go around describing the person we had decorated the cup for, and when the name was guessed, the cup was presented.

Christmas with our Ecuadorian family.

At midnight we all wished each other a Merry Christmas and had some dinner. But it was after dinner that the real festivities began. Tables, chairs and the likes were shoved to the side, and the dancing began. As the night went on and people tired, one by one they drifted off to beds, couches and chairs, but a group of us partied on until the wee hours of the morning. Needless to say, we were totally knackered the next day and did not do a lot apart from sleep in and take it easy… very easy!

With Iliana.

Over the next few days I also managed to catch up with Iliana, a great friend I had made when I worked in Ecuador in 1999. We had taught at the same school. Over the years we had kept in contact but she had moved to the USA. Although she often comes to Ecuador for short trips, it does not always tee up with when we go there. This time I got lucky and we managed to catch up. We caught up in the food court of a local shopping centre, and chatted, laughed, reminisced and laughed some more. It was just like the old days … nothing had changed. Well, perhaps some things had. Thirteen years ago you could not find a decent coffee to save your life! Sad but true, the best coffee gets exported. These days, however, it’s not such an arduous task. Colombian chain Juan Valdez provides an excellent drop of liquid gold. We also had lunch at a sushi place that left me pleasantly surprised, and in fact was better than a lot of places I have been to back at home.

Fact or fiction? Balancing egg in the centre of the world.

We also managed to do a few different things on the weekends with Karen, Chris and the kids, as they both work during the week. We went out to visit The Temple of the Sun, a recreation of an Incan temple, not too far from the Centre of the World monument we had visited when we first arrived. Set on a misty plain it really evoked the feeling of bygone times. We were greeted by two young ladies, dressed in traditional garb, who showed us around and explained some of the history and culture as well as explained Andean naturopathy and natural healing and

Ortega and his ‘flash’ painting.

medicine. We were also treated to a presentation of Cristobal Ortega Maila, who painted an Andean landscape for his audience in only minutes. He is renowned as the fastest painter in the world. He was truly incredible to watch. And the painting was amazing! He also took the time to explain the benefits of coca leaves in tea as an herbal remedy (great for altitude sickness) or in liquid form for muscular aches and pains. He had some very interesting facts and figures. And NO, unprocessed coca leaves are not a drug.

Isabella and Boli (her Grandpa) boogie on New Year’s Eve.

No sooner had Christmas passed than New Year was upon us. In the same way as Christmas, New Year is celebrated with a dinner the night before as well as a number of other festivities. We would be spending at it Chris’s parents and brother Johnny’s house, across the road. The turning of the calendar in Ecuador from the old to the new, however, is as much a purification ritual than anything else, and provides a New Year’s celebration like no other. The ‘Año Viejo’ (literally Old Year) is, quite literally, a fiery tradition that symbolically burns up the failures, regrets and anger of the old year in order to usher in the hopes and resolutions of the new one. On the last day of the year, people construct life-size dummies that might represent an irritating person, a disliked political figure, or even disappointment about past mistakes or unachieved goals. Then at midnight they are burned and ‘put to rest’. It’s quite quaint to see little ‘bonfires’ burning all over the place. Not sure how that would all go in fire-prone Victoria!

The ‘widows’ out on New Year.

We also all went for a drive to see the ‘viudas’ (the widows). Men dress up as women — the viudas alegres, or merry widows — and beg for money to pay for the funeral of the Old Year. It’s quite a spectacle; all dressed up to the nines, and strutting out to the middle of the road, they stop the traffic with the aim of relieving you of your small change. This often involves a lot of bantering including dancing in front of the car, leaning in to give you are kiss and thrusting their pillow-clad breasts into your face. We also saw three widows jump onto the back of a motorbike and one even rolled across our car bonnet. It’s rather hilarious and lots of fun to both see and be a part of. The traffic, as you can imagine, is banked up everywhere. But nobody seems to care … it’s New Year’s and the Ecuadorians want to party.

Burning our ‘Ano Viejo’!

 seemed to take us forever to get back home, not due to the distance, but because of all the viudas on the road. We counted in the New Year, gave each other kisses and hugs, went outside to watch the Old Years being burnt to smithereens and then went back inside and ate. I must say, Dad found the late night eating rather odd, custom or no custom. And then the party started … with lots of music and dancing. A few other Ecuadorian New Year customs include: Wearing yellow underwear for prosperity in the new year; Eating 12 grapes, one for each month of the year, starting the minute before midnight. With each grape, you are supposed to make a wish for the upcoming year; To hope for abundant travel in the upcoming year, Ecuadorians run to the end of the street they live on and loop back to their house.

New Year Part 2 with the Benavides Clan.

At around 1.00am Alex’s cousin Sandy and his brother Rodrigo came to pick us up and we went
to his Uncle Raul’s house with Alex’s other brother Jean Pierre, where the Benavides Clan (Alex’s Dad’s side) were celebrating the New Year. His Dad is part of a big family and it was lovely to be able to see them all again. Unfortunately, on this trip, it would be the only time we got to see the bulk of them. But we were warmly welcomed and immediately made to feel at home. They were eating just as we got there, and of course Alex went another round. Alex never says no to food! Very rarely, anyway. It really is the way to his heart! And then … the dancing began. We were having so much fun. I danced until I simply could not stand up any longer (and hey, I do not go down that easily!). I think it must have been about 4.00am when I crawled into someone’s empty bed. When the dancers had all ‘gone down’ the singing and karaoke started. I am sure that it went on until after 6.00am.

Alex’s cousin Oscar, the morning after New Year.

At around 7.00am, one of Alex’s uncles finally took us home. The streets were dead! Absolutely null and void of any life or activity! In fact I had never seen Quito so empty ever. With lots of little burnt mounds of Old Years from the night before, it looked like a scene out of Mad Max! Desolate, barren and bare!

When we got home, everyone (except for Dad) was still asleep. Alex and I were exhausted, so we went to bed, and did not get up until the early hours of the afternoon. Needless to say, the rest of the day was very, very, very laid back.

It was hard to believe that it was already the first day of the New Year. We only had a week and a half left. How much more could we possibly pack in?

Ombi

Next: Visiting Ecuador’s jungle in the Amazonian Basin.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”  – Robert Frost

Partying with the Benavides’ – New Year.

New Year with the Benavides’.

New Year’s dancin’ … me in the green!

With the Benavides mob.

With Papa Jacinto, Alex’s grandpa.

Master painter, Isabella, at the Temple of the Sun.

Shaman, Temple of the Sun.

Indigenous lady, Quito.

What kind of chicken is that?

Thomas and Axel.

Me and my Superman!

New Year’s Eve dinner at Boli and Lili’s house.

Hello 2013!

Alex with his ‘other son’; Chrismas in Quito.

Sexy New Year’s widow.

L to R: Lili and Samy, with decorated glasses.

Dad and Aunty Paty.

Aunty Paty with Deni, Christmas.

Thomas, Christmas Eve.

L to R: Axel, Chris, Santa, Thomas, Karen and Deni.

Brother-in-law Jean Pierre.

Isabella too tired to wait up for Santa.

Dad with Aunty Gladys.

Enjoying yourselves?  Yes!

L to R: Axel and Jean Pierre with Santa.

Christian handing out food hampers.

Gratitude or sheer relief?!

L to R: Miguel, Deni and Axel.

Look at me in the photo!

A kiss of sheer gratitude.

Lining up for Christmas food hampers.

Johnny (Chris’s brother) and Boli, his Dad.

Dad giving out food and drinks.

Priceless look upon receiving foodstuffs!

The look of gratitude, as this lady receives her Christmas hamper.

Who’s a cheeky girl?  Sisa!

Catching up on the local goss’, Quito.

Nonno reading a book to Sisa in English.

Man in historical centre, Quito.

Viva Ecuador!

The first few days in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, were spent hanging out at home, acclimatising and reconnecting with our family. Normally, we jokingly call it ‘Full House’ for all the people that live there, but with us there as well it was more like ‘Packed to the Rafters’!  Add Alex, Dad and I to: Karen, Christian, Denisse, Axel, Thomas, Isabella and Jean Pierre (Alex’s brother). That’s a lot of people in a smallish apartment! But it was wonderful! Dad felt comfortable from day dot!

With Alex’s mum’s sisters at Karen amnd Chris’s house

Over the coming weeks, Dad would really bond with all of them. Language wasn’t a big problem, as most of Alex’s family speak English in varying degrees … he also had two personal translators/ interpreters with him! Little Isabella took a real shine to Dad and he soon became ‘Nonno’ (Grandpa in Italian). Actually, we all got side-swiped for Nonno, as when he was around it was Nonno this and Nonno that. It was lovely to see! Dad has always been great with kids; I remember my own childhood where he would read and play with us.  I loved my Dad then and nothing has changed now!

Isabella with Nonno

In the nights to come we had visits from several family members, including Alex’s four aunts and their families (Alex’s mum is one of five girls, and they and their families all live in Quito, except his mum who lives in New York). It was great to see them all again, as it was for Dad to see me in my other home environment. As our lungs slowly adapted to less oxygen, we started to go out and do a few more things. We would often go with Karen in her car as she drove to work and then do our own thing. Dad was blown away by the traffic, and I must say that it does seem to get worse and worse every time we come over. The reality is that as the economy grows, so does the number of people buying cars. The problem is that the streets and highways are in no condition (both physically and space wise) to accept this growing number of vehicles.  So being stuck bumper-to-bumper in traffic is the order of the day!  Add to that the unroadworthiness of many cars and a ‘simple’ drive into work can become a logistical nightmare.

Isabella helping mum put away the shopping

Having said that, it certainly gives one a lot of time to observe. Dad was bowled over by Quito’s spectacular position, high in the Andes, amid dramatic, mist-covered peaks, which were always visible in some form or another, from most parts of the city. Due to the such slow moving traffic, Dad was also able to observe daily life; unlike Australia, a lot of it happens on the streets. Kids selling lollies, adults selling fruit and whatever else they could, and amputees begging … all doing whatever they could in order to eke out a living. Dad found this very confrontational, and in the first few days, he was overcome with emotion! It threw me back to some 14 years ago, when I had first come to Ecuador, when the poverty and lack of equality overwhelmed me so much that I often felt sick to my core. How many times I had simply stopped and cried, as I did not know what else to do! Not that I didn’t care now, but I had seen it so many times (not just in Ecuador but in other third world/ developing countries) that it wasn’t new to me. Dad’s reactions brought back all of my own feelings of sadness and despair about our unjust world, and my own overwhelming feeling of wanting to make a ‘wrong world right!’ Dad and I would later chat about this often … he was getting an insight into the world beyond Australia; the different world that his daughter has long been an inhabitant of!

Near Otavalo, Quito

Karen works in the area of Quito called Amazonas, otherwise known as Gringolandia (gringo being the slang word for foreigner). With so many foreigners staying there (as I did some 14 years ago and it’s also where I met Alex) it is abundant with restaurants, cafes , internet cafes and all that pertain to being a tourist, as well as a craft market, which showcases a variety of beautiful things from all over the country. We took Dad for a browse through there. Over the years, however, I have noticed imports from other countries slowly filtering through, yet they still try to pass them off as their own.  That’s globalisation for you!

With Don Pedro in Otavalo

We had found out that our good friend and the person who used to supply us with the bulk of our jewellery when we had an import business in the early part of the noughties, Byron Ushina, would be displaying his jewellery at a local fair called Texturas y Colores (Textures and Colours). This fair showcases the work of Ecuadorian artists and artisans. Dad and I thought that we would pop in and surprise him, as he did not know exactly when we would be arriving in Quito. And what a surprise it was! We casually walked up to his stand, and when he saw us, his mouth dropped to the floor, and then he came over and hugged us both. Dad had heard so much about Byron and Byron so much about Dad. For me it was wonderful to be able to see my Dad join the dots of the fabric of my life; for so long he had heard about my world and now he was living it!

Fresh bizcochos, Cayambe

Our first weekend in Quito was spent at Humberto’s house in Ibarra, 70 kilometres northeast of Quito,Cayambe, famous for its bizcochos (savoury biscuits made up of buttery flaky pastry) and queso de hoja (cheese wrapped in ‘atzera’ leaf, which is typical to the region), which is Alex’s all time favourite cheese.  I love both! We took Dad in to a place and showed him how the biscuits were made. It’s like a ritual, whenever passing through this town, we go to the place that makes them (there are many) and then order both the cheese and the biscuits and dig in!
where he had a party for all of his cousins (Alex’s mum’s sisters and their families). He normally does this in the middle of the year, but this year he changed the date in honour of us and Dad being in Ecuador. The three of us went in Marcia (Alex’s auntie) and Gustavo’s van, along with other relatives in their cars.  It was like a convoy, and we all stopped in different places along the way. 

Indigenous lady, Otavalo

Next on the list was the famous Otavalo market. As we neared the town we stopped for some more spectacular views of the surrounding area. Ecuador is a visual feast where beauty and striking scenery don’t descend but, rather, impose themselves upon you! It’s the best type of imposition, however, as each time you go around one of the (many, many, many!) curves, you are treated to yet another visual spectacle!

Indegenous man, Otavalo

For hundreds of years Otavalo has hosted one of the most important markets in the Andes, originally celebrating the gods of commerce. The colourful open-air market place is abuzz with products from all over Ecuador, and as mentioned before, imports are cleverly disguised, but slowly creeping in.  Having said that, it’s still a great place to see the local indigenous people (as well as many from surrounding villages and areas) bartering with Ecuadorians and foreigners alike, selling their wares. Bartering is a totally acceptable practice, but one has to be careful about haggling over the last ten cents!  The deal should be a happy medium, a ‘good for you, good for me’, outcome.  I am generally pretty good at bargaining and speaking Spanish fluently is a huge bonus.  Alex has often said that I am able to get a better deal than the average Ecuadorian!

Indigenous child, Otavalo

I must admit that Otavalo holds a very special place in my heart as it brings back many wonderful memories of my backpacking days through South America in 1999. It encapsulates everything that backpacking is about … a totally different culture, indigenous people dressed in their garb, the buying and selling of different goods … the memories flooded back … and I do have a multitude of amazing memories from my travels of all over the world.  Yet, here I was today, not ‘really’ as a tourist, but with my Ecuadorian-born husband and ‘my’ family. Wow, life’s twists and turns are often unpredictable. If you had have asked me 13 years ago if my path would have included marrying an Ecuadorian, I would have said that it would have been about as likely as me learning ancient Arabic overnight!  But here I am today, happily married (almost 11 years) to my soul mate and the love of my life, Alex … the Ecuadorian!  Life!

At Humberto’s house with the family

After an early start to the day and a  full day of sightseeing, we arrived at Humberto’s house close to 6.00pm, where we were greeted by Humberto, his wife Karina, and her parents. What a night it proved to be. All of the relatives rocked up slowly, one by one, and by 8.00pm it was well and truly a full house.  They had prepared food for us, which we were eating in rounds, due to the fact that there were so many people. Food washed down, the music cranked up! Time to get the party started!  We sang and we danced, and danced and danced!

Humberto and I did a rendition of Gangnam Style and whilst we provided the group with a good laugh, the next day, I felt like I had been belted. I refuse to admit that I am not 20 anymore! Even our one and a half year old niece, Isabella, was bopping to the music. Bed?  No way, this little party animal was out to play!  It runs in the family! The next morning, we were treated to breakfast and then slowly, we all made our way back to Quito. Everyone was clearly tired. Not only did it end up being an early night, but the next day was a day of rest at home.

Isabella and Chris, party animals

In the weeks before Christmas we would do lots of day trips here and there as there is so much we wanted to show and share with Dad.  This was interspersed with a bit of resting and visits to the doctor.  Unfortunately Dad ended up with both bronchitis and gout. It appears that it was his body rebelling against the high altitude. Whilst the gout was able to be treated almost immediately, the bronchitis seemed to go on forever, and in fact, despite taking antibiotics, it didn’t go away properly until after we came back home.

Smack, bang in the Midde of the World!

There were a couple of things that were on Dad’s more immediate hit list.  The first was a visit to the Centro del Mundo or  ‘The Middle of the World’. Ecuador’s biggest claim to fame is is its location right on the equator, and is the place where measurements were made in 1736 showing that this was indeed the equatorial line. Touristy, yes, but some things just need to be ticked off the list! Whilst the site now has lots of restaurants, cafes and handicrafts stalls, there are still lots of interesting displays.  The 30 metre high stone trapezoidal monument topped by a brass globe not only has a viewing platform at the top (more spectacular views of the surrounding Andes!) but also houses an ethnographic museum. The displays  of the several indigenous groups of Ecuador through various models, clothing displays and photos, give a real insight into the variety housed within such a small country.

Cruz Loma, 4100 metres above sea level

The other ‘must do’ on Dad’s list was the TeleferiQo, or cable car; it is one of the highest aerial lifts in Cruz Loma. Although both Alex and I had done this before, it was still very exciting.  Dad was blown away, quite literally! As the cable car zooms up the slope, and leaves the city behind and below, one can only gape and gaze in wonder. The views at the top are mind blowing! Dad absolutely loved it. In fact, any view in Quito is spectacular, simply due to the altitude. We walked around a little, took in the fresh air (certainly cleaner and fresher than down below), had a coffee and empanada, and contemplated the meaning of life!  I was loving my Dad experiencing my world, and watching him love it as much
the world. The cable car is in central Quito and  reaches 4050 meters on the summit of
as I do!

Dad and I in Quito’s historical centre

Another day or two were spent in Quito’s old town, or historical centre. Its claim to fame is that it’s one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers in the Americas. It has been listed as a world heritage site through UNESCO since 1978. Yet another of Ecuador’s many hidden gems.  In fact I have backpacked all over South America and have often wondered why so many people skip this tiny but fascinating country. In my opinion, it truly is the jewel of South America. I have now known about this secret for years! With its narrow streets, restored colonial architecture and large and lively plazas (brilliant for people watching), the historical centre, or El Centro as the locals call it, is a marvel to wander. We ate, we visited churches, we watched; always fascinating. Our ex-jewellery supplier (for our fair-trade jewellery import business that we had a few years back) and now friend, Byron Ushina, has a gallery in San Francisco Plaza, in the historical centre, so we popped in to see him and show Dad the gallery. Again, it was lovely to be able to show Dad the elements that had been part of my world for so long. It also worked in reverse; this gringa had been coming to Ecuador for years, from a place far away called Australia. My Ecuadorian family and friends were also learning a bit more about me, who I was and where I came from.

El Panecillo

I was actually quite enjoying being the tour guide for Dad.  It made me feel a bit less like a tourist myself. Dad and I decided to go on the Quito Tour Bus (whilst Alex hung out with his own Dad) which is a double-decker that takes you all around town and shows you Quito’s most important sights.  Dad and I agreed that you got a totally different perspective of the city from up high. You can also hop on and off as many times as you like, taking in the sights in at your own pace. One of the final stops is to El Panecillo (the Little Bread Loaf), the ever-present hill to the south of the Old Town. A major Quito landmark, it is topped by a huge statue of La Virgen de Quito (Virgin of Quito), with a crown of stars, angelic wings and a chained dragon atop the world. Quitenos (the people native to Quito) proudly claim that she is the only Madonna in the world depicted with wings. From the summit there are eye-catching (running out of synonyms to describe Quito’s aerial views!) views of the sprawling city and the surrounding volcanoes.  Dad was left gob-smacked yet again!

With Maria Antonieta

Quito is also home to a multitude of excellent museums. With so many to choose from we went with the Museo Nacional, or the National Museum, which houses one of the country’s largest collections of Ecuadorian art. The most impressive rooms, however, are the archaeological ones, which showcase more than 1000 ceramic pieces dating from 12 000 BC to AD 1534. Whilst here is only so much one can see and take in, we were giving it our best shot!

Belen with baby Elias

Christmas was only around the corner yet we felt like we’d packed in a lifetime since our arrival only a few weeks earlier. Amongst all of the sightseeing there were also the many catch ups, get togethers and meeting up with various members of Alex’s family, as well as our friends. With so much to do and relatively little time, we had to see some of our friends separately. I did manage to see my very dear friend Maria Antonieta a few times. She too holds a very special place in my heart as she was one of my best friends when I lived in Ecuador for a year between 1999 and 2000. I also managed to catch up with some other friends, through Maria Antonieta, that I hadn’t seen since in years. One, Geovany, has a new partner, Shirley, and we hit it off like a house on fire. We also took Dad to Edison and Belen’s house and met their new little baby boy, Elias. Unfortunately, Edison was at work and due to time constraints we would not end up seeing him on this trip. When I left Ecuador for the first time in 2000, Edison gave me a beautifully painted wooden mask, which holds prize of place on my wall … so I may not have seen you this time Eddy, but you and your family are never far from my thoughts.

Ombi

Next: Christmas and New Year Ecuadorian style.

“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love” – Ernest Hemingway

My two best friends

Dedication: To my Dad, Dino, and husband, Alex. On this trip I travelled with the two people I love most. This trip was all about you Dad! I wanted to show you the other half of my life, the other half of my world. I know you got it! I know that you understand what draws me back to this tiny country called Ecuador, again and again. I know that now you  understand both parts of the world I live in. Alex – thanks for showing your other Dad your first world, the world that has helped shape the person you are today. I thank you both for loving me unconditionally, supporting the crazy gal that I am, and for helping me to become the person that I am today!

Alex with brothers Rodrigo (L) and Jean Pierre (R)

The two ‘fathers’ meet

Baby Elias, future backpacker

Not all are equal, historical centre, Quito

Historical centre, Quito

Deni and boyfriend Miguel (Fosfi)

Busker in historical centre, Quito

Cable car back down from Cruz Loma

Fresh air on Cruz Loma, 4100 metres above sea level

Indigenous lady, Otavalo

Friit vendor, Otavalo

Otavalena

In the historical centre of Quito

Dad and Alex, near Otavalo

Cemetery, Cayambe

Thomas and Karen trying on hats, Otavalo

Alex’s sister Karen and family

Woman from Otavalo

Thomas … unadulterated bliss!

How’s this for fashion?

Fresh bread anyone?

Thomas in his school’s Christmas concert

Isabella

Artisan shop at Centre of the World

Thomy and his beloved dinosaurs

The many faces of Ecuador – Ethnographic Museum

Straddling both hemispheres

Me with Dad at ‘the Centre’

A ‘chiva’ (party bus) at the ‘Centre’

Protest in Buenos Aires.

Argentina certainly ain’t the cheap place it used to be … well it was expensive, then cheap, and now, well it’s certainly not the place to get your bargains! Argentina has had a tumultuous last ten or fifteen years, but I do not even want to get into the politics. The last time Alex and I had been to Buenos Aires (apart from overnight a few weeks back) was in 2000 on our way back ‘home’ when Alex had decided to come and live with me in Australia. We were arriving early on Monday morning and would be leaving the following Saturday. I know, not a lot of time, but we were here on a mission – to catch up with three sets of very, very dear friends.

Market in San Telmo.

The flight from Quito to Buenos Aires (BA) was rather uneventful, in that all went well and we arrived safely. Leaving Ecuador always has me reflecting on my time there, Alex’s time there and life in general, and it’s always hard. I have, over the years, come to terms with the fact that I will always straddle the two continents in which I live and visit frequently. It’s just the way it is! We arrived in BA early on Monday morning, and we now knew exactly how to get to Charo’s house in the beautiful and historic San Telmo … fork out $40.00 for a taxi.  Too expensive?  The only option, unless of course you want to spend two and a half hours on a bus (instead of half an hour in a taxi) with copious lugguge. Not an option.

Charito & Ombi in BA.

Although it was just after 9.00am when we arrived, Charo (very dear friend number 1!) was at work. We had already organised with her to get the key from the porter of the building when we arrived. We were both knackered and so we took ourselves upstairs and had a rest … well, a few hours of sleep. Charo only works half days so that afternoon was a very lazy one; shooting the breeze and talking about times gone by. How did we know Charo? I met Charo in 1999 in Colonia Suiza (Uriguay) when I was backpacking through South America. She was there with her late husband, Piero, a gem of a man. I was sitting at the table of the gorgeous hostel we were staying in and writing furiously. Not sure how it happened, but I soon started chatting to Charo, or Charito as we fondly call her, and we realised that we had a lot in common, including that we could both speak the same three languages; English, Italian and Spanish (although how well I could actually speak Spanish only a couple of months into my South American sojourn remains debatable). Before I knew it, I had met Piero (who had migrated to Argentina from Naples many years ago) and we started to talk in all three languages … about everything and anything. As the saying goes, the rest is history! From that day on I kept in touch with both Piero and Charo, and Alex was able to meet them both as we passed through BA in August 2000 on our way back to Melbourne. Soooooo many good memories!

Musicians in Parque Lezama.

Alex and I both felt tired on that first day in Buenos Aires, so we took it really easy. San Telmo is the oldest barrio, or neighbourhood, in BA. Set around Plaza Dorrego, it’s a gorgeous place and characterised by its colonial buildings, cafes, tango parlours and antique shops. Its cobblestone streets make it all the more atmospheric; lots of artists and artisans and great for people watching (a renowned favourite pastime of mine). Charo and I also walked through the very picturesque Parque Lezama (Lezama Park). Again, a great experiment in people-watching; we saw everything from skate boarders to artists to guitar players to homeless people. I want to add here that the economic situation in Argentina is dire at the moment and that there is thus a huge problem with homeless people.

L to R: Gaby, Nico, Alex, Gonzy, Flopy & Faby.

Mid-week we would be going out to visit my friend Fabiana (very dear friend number 2!) and her family who live about 40 kilometres from the city centre. I met Faby when I was backpacking in Europe when I was twenty-something (only a few years ago!). We travelled through parts of Europe together and had a blast! We have remained friends ever since!

As with all of my Argentine friends, the last time I saw Faby was in 2000, when we also met her husband Gabriel (Gaby) and son Nicolas (Nico). At the time they were living in Palermo, in the centre of BA. Since then they have added Gonzalo (Gonzy) and Florencia (Flopy) to their brood.  What a wonderful family! They live on a spacious property in the country, which we easily accessed by bus. Faby came to pick us up from the bus stop with her youngest, Flopy, and it was as though no time had passed. We only stayed an afternoon and a night but we really made the most of it. We went to the local park with the kids, played outside, had afternoon snacks in their backyard, had a great dinner with the family, and Faby and I reminisced about old times. Just not long enough!  Before we knew it, the next morning we were back on the bus making our way to BA.

L to R: Brenda, Julian, Charo, Julia, Ombi & Nico.

That night Charo organised an impromptu dinner at her place with some of her nieces and nephews, Julia, Juliana and Brenda. It was great … everyone simply rocked up with some food and started cooking.  I felt right at home! We ate, chatted and chilled out, but like all good things the night came to an end all too quickly!

Tango in La Boca.

As Alex and I love walking and exploring we still managed to do a bit of that, including Puerto Madero (like a Southbank meets Docklands) and La Boca, a colourful neighbourhood which has its roots in the settlement of Italian immigrants. It’s not the safest neighbourhood in BA (I was mugged there in 1999 … but I chased my muggers and got most of my things back!  As you do!) and I could not believe how over-touristy and commercial it had become.  It was OTT and streaming with tourist buses, as people crowded the streets to get a glimpse of the colourful houses and couples dancing tango. It’s also known to soccer-mad fans as the home to the Boca Juniors, one of the world’s best known soccer clubs.

Un besote para mi Diego!

Along with Charo, we also caught up with Diego (very dear friend number 3!) and had a great coffee at El Gato Negro. I had I met Argentine Diego when we were both living in Quito in 1999–2000. My fondest memories of Diego are of us dancing together (many, many times!) Again, it was like no time had ever passed, as we talked about, well, what we had been doing for the last ten years or so!  We organised to go out for dinner, along with his partner Federico (whom I’d not met before) on Friday night.

With Caro & Luis at Cafe Oui Oui.

Time was simply going too quickly, and I still had to catch up with Carolina (very dear friend number 4!) I also met Carolina on my European backpacking trip, but not at the same time as I met Fabiana (they actually met each other through me in 2000). Hope I have not confused you. Luckily we got to meet up a couple of times as well as meeting her lovely and kind-spirited partner, Luis. Again, not enough time!  Caro took us to a gorgeous cafe called Oui Oui in a neighbourhood called Palermo Hollywood, and yes, the coffee as well as the company was excellent. We both had tears in our eyes as we said goodbye.  This is the thing that I like least about travelling. Having said that, when I think about the calibre of some of the people I have met on my travels, I feel very lucky. It’s not quantity, but quality.

L to R: Alex, Diego & Fede.

I could feel this trip quickly coming to an end and before we knew it we were catching up with Diego and his partner Federico on the Friday night. We had a relaxed night chatting but we were accutely aware that tomorrow it would be all over red rover! Federico and Diego live in a fantastic little place in San Telmo, overlooking all the action.  I loved it!

Having a coffee with Roberto, Gladys & Charo.

Ah, last but not least, I want to mention Charo’s parents, Roberto and Gladys.  They live in the same apartment as Charo in San Telmo, so we saw them frequently in our week there. What wonderful people.  They made us laugh and kept us entertained and Gladys, you are a great cook!  Roberto had us keeling over with some of his expressions and anecdotes. Highly intelligent and not backwards in coming forwards. Both in their 80s … I want to be like them when I grow up!

Saturday morning had arrived. We went out with Charito to do some last minute shopping; we bought some alfajores (sweet biscuits filled with caramelised milk – there are a number of variations) and dulce de leche (caramelised milk), which in my opinion is the pinnacle of culinary utopia. Bags packed, we said our goodbyes to Charo, Gladys, Roberto and Nico (Charo’s nephew who was also living in the house). I would miss them all.

Yep, I had to bin it!

The ride to the airport on a Saturday morning with minimal traffic hardly took any time at all. All went smoothly, and we made it through all the filters with our newly purchased goods … until … just before we boarded the plane. For some unknown reason they have an extra check point at the airport in BA. What, we could not take on our 500 gram jar of dulce de leche (sweetened caramelised milk)! It was over the maximum allowance (50 grams max, I think). I am going to say it as it is … I was spewing! Could I … perhaps, open it up, and smear it into a few zip lock bags? No!!! I could eat it, right? Yes!!!  Sigh! I ripped it open and had a few mouthfuls before ditching it. I mean how many spoonfuls of caramelised milk can one have in a single hit?  I think I made it to three!  Yeh, I suppose worse things really could happen in life!  Can you tell that I REALLY love dulce de leche?

The flight back home was tranquil, but this time I did not sleep much as we were flying early afternoon and would be arriving  in Melbourne at 9.30pm. As it worked out we got into Sydney a little later, which meant that we missed our connecting flight to Melbourne. No biggie, we just caught the next available flight and got in to Melbourne at 10.30pm. We had already cleared customs in Sydney, so we were ready to go when we landed in Melbourne!  Dad’s taxi service was there to pick us up, as always.  Thanks Dad.

Dad dropped us off and we went straight to bed.  We were exhausted! Poor Alex had to go to work the next day!

Ombi

View from Charo’s apartment window in san Telmo.

Dedication: To my wonderful Argentine friends whom I have come to know and love: Charito, Piero (not with us physically but always in our hearts), Gladys, Roberto, Carolina, Fabiana and Diego. Thank you for your love and friendship – you all mean the world to us and occupy a very special place in our hearts.

Dedicacion: Para mis amigos argentinos maravillosos, quien he podido conocer y amar: Charito, Piero (no esta con nosotros fisicamente pero siempre esta en nuestros corazones), Gladys, Roberto, Carolina, Fabiana y Diego. Gracias a todos ustedes por su amor y amistad – cada uno de ustedes es muy importante para nosotros y ocupan un  lugar muy especial en nuestros corazones.

Books read:


Outrageous Fortunes – The Twelve Surprising Trends that will Reshape the Global Economy by Daniel Altman

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends” – Richard Bach.

Next: Ecuador’s turn to ‘visit’ Australia – our niece comes to Australia.

Who counts in Argentina?

Ombi with Florencia (Flopy) outside her home.

Alex and Roberto.

With Faby drinking mate (pronounced ma-tay).

Drinking mate at Faby’s place.

Picturesque window in La Boca.

Ombi and Charo in downtown BA.

Philosophising at El Gato Negro with Diego and Charo.

With Caro … just like old times.

Ombi and Gladys.

Alex in La Boca.

In the streets of Buenos Aires.

Our niece Isabella … cute as a button!

Alex and our nephew Axel.

We had so much fun in the ‘full house’ we stayed in for three and a half weeks in Ecuador. We laughed, we cried, we shared and I fell more in love with my new little niece, Isabella, by the day. I love all my nieces and nephews equally, but it was the first time we ‘met’ Isabella (as opposed to goo and gaa at her over skype). Whilst it made me happy to see that little bundle of joy giggling and smiling at me, I was also accutely aware that it would end soon enough, and that I would have to revert back to watching her grow over Face Book and skype.  How things have changed!  (Geez, now I sound like my mother). I love Ecuador and I love my family there.

Ombi and Axel.

What didn’t we do whilst we were there?  Apart from lots of socialising, eating and doing things such as visiting the dentist (way cheaper than back at home) we spent lots of quality time just hanging out.  On our second weekend in Ecuador, all of Alex’s family on his mum’s side was invited to go to Ibarra to a party that Humberto (Alex’s mum’s first cousin) and his wife would be hosting. The idea was that various groups would go in several cars or vans and meet up there.  We would be going with Tio (uncle) Gustavo and his family in his van. We were supposed to get picked up early Saturday morning … did you hear that ….’early’ … well, early for Ecuador was around 10.00am.  Not bad I thought! And off we went, van chockers!

The Middle of the World.

Ah, the beauty of my second home never ceases to amaze me. After getting through the (normal) and ridiculous amount of inner city traffic, we started to weave in and around the mountains, which is what you need to do to get anywhere in a mountainous country. The visuals are always breathtaking and rarely disappointing! We would pass through the ‘middle of the world’ as well as the famous Otavalo market, but not before a pit-stop in Cayambe, which is renowned for its queso de hoja y biscochos (cheese wrapped in leaves and crumbly, savoury biscuits). Trust me, they are delish! We finally made it to Otavalo, and all the memories came

Freshly made bizcochos, Cayambe.

flooding back. I was transported to 1999 and my travels around South America, of which I have a multitude of poignant memories. I first came here as a ‘gringa’ (foreigner) and now some twelve years later, here I was with my Ecuadorian family.  I was now on the other side of the fence, a defector!? Who would have thought all those years ago that Ecuador would become such a huge part of my life. Amidst the hustle and bustle, I pondered and absorbed … life, hey!

An Otavalena selling her wares.

I love Otavalo, I really do.  Boasting one of the best handicrafts and textile markets in the world, its bright and colourful goods and people hold a very special place in my heart. Although goods are sold every day the market days are officially Wednesdays and Saturdays, especially Saturdays, where the central Plaza de Ponchos fills up with people from all over the world haggling for a bargain. It’s mostly all good-natured though, and the vendors will usually give you a rebaja (discount), unless your request is totally unreasonable. Over the years I have come to know what things are worth, and so I am able to get a reasonable price pretty much off the bat. Age and

Otavalena food vendor.

maturity, however, have also also taught me that that last dollar means far more to the vendor than the buyer, so whilst an ‘amicable haggle’ is fun, I am always very aware that that last dollar means far more to the vendor than the buyer. We all had fun and bought lots of bits and bobs.

Peguche Waterfalls.

The family at Humberto & Karina’s house, Ibarra.

Time to move on, but not before a brief stop to the Peguche Waterfalls only a couple of kilometres from Otavalo . We made it to Ibarra by just after 6.00pm, where we were warmly greeted by Humberto and his wife Karina. What ensued was a night of feasting and merriment. We ate, we drank, we danced, and … drank and ate and danced some more! I was even given a special vegetarian plate. I was particularly exhausted, but even between power-naps on the couch, I was up and dancing. There was a massive congregation and the partying went on until the wee hours of the morning; I am sure that I did not get to bed before 4.00am. Humberto’s house is quite large, and we slept wherever we could find a bed or a spot … somehow, we all found a spot! In the morning we were all treated to a cooked breakfast. We had all been treated like royalty. And like all good things our fun came to an end, and we had to all go back home. Needless to say that Sunday night was a very early night.

Alex’s Uncle Gustavo and Auntie Marcia have a beach house on the coast in Rio Verde, and we were invited to go. Again, it would be a family affair with quite a number of us going up. Unfortunately Alex’s sister, Karen, and husband, Christian, could not go as they had to work, but Alex and I went with Rocio (Alex’s mum), sister Angie and niece and nephew Denisse and Axel. We took an overnight bus and were greeted in the early hours of the morning by Alex’s uncle Gustavo. What a great place!  It was like something out of the movies. Gustavo had built it himself out of timber. It had that really relaxed and isolated feel about it. Despite my many trips to Ecuador over the past ten years, it was the first time I had ever been here. And yet again (as often

Outside the beach house, buying some fish from the locals.

happens in Ecuador) I fell in love with the place! We all put in some money which went towards having three home cooked meals a day. Fabiola was a local and our ‘master chef’ … I had patacones (fried green plantains) coming out of my ears by the end of our five day stay there, but … I was not complaining.  I love patacones and always ensure that I get as many into me as I can in Ecuador, as plantains are not that easy to find in Australia.

Five days of sleeping, eating, going to the beach, going to various watering holes, sunbaking and going for runs along the beach. Ah, this is the life! What I loved most about Rio Verde was how unassuming it was; rather than a bustling tourist metropolis, it was a quiet and local backwater. This is MY kind of tourism.

L to R: Dad Hugo and Alex with brothers Piero & Rodrigo.

With Daniel and Dani and baby Felipe.

Time was going by way, way too quickly. We managed to see Alex’s dad, Hugo, a couple of times, but unfortunately he was busy working interstate a lot of the time. We also caught up with his brother Rodrigo, his grandad, Papa Jacinto, and a number of other family members on his dad’s side. Time is NEVER our best friend in Ecuador, and it’s hard to pack it all in in such a short amount of time. We gave it our best though. Even catching up with many of our friends proved impossible, but we did have a night out with our very dear friends, Edison (Eddy) and Belen, finding out that they are pregnant with their first child. Eddy used to work with Alex when I met him all those years ago and we have all remained very good friends since. Eddy and Belen, you hold a very special place in our hearts! (Eddy y Belen ocupen un espacio muy especial en nuestros corazones!) We also caught up with Dani, her beautiful mum Martha, her partner Daniel and their gorgeous little boy Felipe.

With Mel and Dan ‘on top of’ The Basilica.

We also caught up with our friends Mel and Dan who are backpacking through South and Central America. I used to work with Mel and Dan is her value-for-money-partner (we love you Dan!) It just so happened that they would be in Ecuador at the same time we would be and we managed to spend a entire day with them. We had so much fun, being led by Alex, our personal Ecuadorian tour guide. Even I got to do things that I had never done before! We met in the historical centre of Quito, and took it from there. It’s always fun and exciting when you get to meet up with friends in a totally different country.

Crossin’ the plank; The Basilica, Quito.

Our morning started with some decent coffee (Ecuador has gotten much better at this over the years) and lots of chit-chat about the highlights of their journey. In my case, as I was doing that exact trip when I met Alex some 12 years ago, there was also a lot of reminiscing. We visited (I for the first time) La Compania Church, which was physically spectacular, but it was the Basilica that I thought was most impressive … for a number of reasons. In Australia we’d probably say, “Only half built mate!” Its construction began in 1926, and it was clearly never finished.
The highlight is the basilica’s towers, some of which I had the nerve to climb and others not. To get to the towers however  you need to actually cross a rickety wooden plank inside the main roof and  THEN climb steep stairs and ladders to the top (with nothing on either side except for some thin metal rails and fresh air). Hmmmmm! You can also climb the spiral staircase and three sets of ladders into and above the clock tower. I was so not going to do that!  So, whilst Dan, Mel and Alex climbed, I stayed on the ‘lower rungs’ and made some new friends, whom also had no intention of going any higher. I believe the views were arresting!  I will simply have to take their word for it!

“La gente es una puta …solo jode “

Meanwhile, back at base camp (ground level that is) we saw a man sitting down in the grounds of the Basilica with a sign saying, ‘La gente es una puta – solo jode’, which loosely translates to ‘People are arseholes – all they do is bust chops’. Very interesting. We went up and had a chat to him. Whilst it appeared that he was indeed a little senile, there was a method to his madness and he made some very poignant comments. I questioned him about his sign and he kept repeating that people did not care about each other or treat each other with respect anymore and that their only focus seemed to be around themselves, material wealth and money. He was not too off the mark. He was also a painter and gave us a self-portrait (Mel and Dan we are looking after this for you until you get back). As we all waved and said goodbye, I could not help thinking who was really mad, him or the ‘others’?

Itchimbia, with Mel, Dan, Axel & Angie (Alex’s sister).

Our day finished off with a spectacular night at Cafe Mosaico in Itchimbia. We went with a whole bunch of Alex’s family and Mel and Dan came too. The food was  great, but the views even better. Itchimbia is very close to the historical centre of Quito and as it sits up on a hill the views are amazing. The view at night with all of the lights over the old town was very pretty, and a good time was had by all. What more can you ask for, good food, good company and great views! We had had a fantastic day and we were glad that we had been able to show Mel and Dan a part of ‘our’ world! Looking forward to reminiscing about this when you are back in Melbourne guys!

With Byron’s kids, L to R: Dylan, Amy & Mishell.

We also managed to catch up with our special friends Byron and Alexa, who live out in Sangolqui, about 20 kilometres from Quito’s old or historical town. Many of you may recall that when Alex and I had our fair-trade import business that they were our first suppliers. They have their own wholesale business called Ushina Jewelers, but also have a beautiful gallery, Ari Gallery, in the Plaza San Francisco, in Quito’s historical centre. As always, a night at their place in the countryside not only provides a tranquil getaway from the buzz of the city, but Alexa always cooks up a storm (her home made aji di mani, or chilli sauce with peanuts is to die for!) We spent the night chatting away to them and also spent some time with their three children Mishell, Amy and Dylan, who are delightful. Clearly a night was nowhere near enough, but no time ever is.

Catching up with Carola.

Fortunately, we also caught up with Carola, our Ecuadorian friend who stayed with us when she came to Australia a few months back. We had lunch and a couple of hours together … not long enough, but better than nothing. We know that we have made a lifelong friend in you Carola!

Our time in Ecuador was clearly coming to an end, and I am never a good one for endings. Alex’s mum and sister would be flying back to New York on the Saturday, the day before us, so Friday night at Karen’s house was FULL, FULL house with all the relatives coming to  say goodbye. Alex and I both went to the airport the next day. Life certainly can be interesting – whilst I have the honour of living with my soul mate and the love of my life on ‘the other side of the world’, I have fleeting moments of sadness as I realise that Alex is unable to spend more time with the rest of his family that he so dearly loves.

Christian cooking up a storm!

Next day was our turn; we would be leaving later on Sunday night. Karen and Christian cooked up a parillada or BBQ and also some yummy vegetarian food. Everyone was in a sombre mood as we knew that sooner, rather than later, we would all be saying goodbye. I felt particularly sad. My gorgeous nephew, Thomas, had grown so much since I last met him as a baby more than two years ago and as I watched tiny Isabella gurgle and giggle I wondered when I would see her again, and how much of her growing up I would miss. My nephew Axel was now 14, and no longer the little two and half year old I met 12 years ago. It was a very emotional day. Boly and Lily (Christian’s parents) and Jonathan and Naty (Chris’ brother and girlfriend) also came over to say goodbye. Tick, tick, tick … so did Carola and her husband Jorge (first time we met him and what a great guy). Alex’s Dad and Rodrigo were there also.

Isabella.

The time had arrived and we had to go to the airport. Hugs and tears all around. My last goodbye was to little six month Isabella, who I gave one more hug and kiss to before I left. She was too little to understand the bond I had formed with her in only a few weeks and how much I would miss her! The person I had least trouble saying goodbye to was Denisse, as we had just submitted (after days and days of work!) the paperwork for her to study in Australia for six months to the Australian Embassy in Chile (there isn’t one in Ecuador). We would hopefully soon have a little piece of Ecuador with us in Australia!

Before we knew it, we were on the plane flying to Buenos Aires in Argentina, where we would spend the last week of our holidays. I closed my eyes, and sighed deeply … when you gain something you lose something, and when you lose something you gain something!

Ombi

Denisse and Axel.

Dedication: To my nieces and nephews in Ecuador, Denisse, Axel, Thomas and Isabella. Although you live far away you occupy a very special place in my heart and I love you all very much. Distance is no barrier to the great love and pride I have for all of you. I want you to know that you can always count on me – your auntie, La Gringa Loca.

PS  And Angie, my beautiful American sister-in-law, who isn’t so little anymore … love you too precious!

Dedicacion: Para mis sobrinos en Ecuador, Denisse, Axel, Thomas y Isabella. Aunque viven tan lejos ocupan un espacio muy especial en mi corazon y les amo montones. La distancia no es una barrera para el gran amor y orgullo que tengo para cada uno de ustedes. Quiero que sepan que siempre pueden contar conmigo – tu tia, La Gringa Loca.

PD  Y Angie, mi cunada americana linda, que ya no es tan pequena … te amo tambien preciosa!

Books read:
“Outliers – The Story of Success“ by Malcolm Gladwell.

Next blog: One week in Buenos Aires.

Flying into Quito from Santiago.

Our nephew Thomas hangin’ out in the kitchen cupboard.

This is what happens when you hang out in kitchen cupboard for too long!

Fruit and veggie market – Quito.

Do you think Isabella looks like her Dad, Christian?

Chocotos rule!

L to R: Jean Pierre, Axel & Alex.

The beautiful countryside on the way to Ibarra.

Rocio (Alex’s mum) dancing with Humberto.

L to R: Paty, Maricela, Humberto, Rocio & Marcia.

Humberto and Alex at Party Central!

Futbol (soccer) on the beach at Rio Verde.

The way to Alex’s heart … it’s no secret, food!!!

Fun in the sun in Rio Verde.

Downtown Quito. Cotopaxi Volcano

Alex with his Grandpa, Papa Jacinto.

At the Basilica, Quito.

Colourful scarves at Otavalo market.

Lunch at a seafood restaurant in Quito with Alex’s family.

Thomas with Naty.

Alex’s sister, Angie, with Isabella and Thomas.

Diego and Christina.

This is what cute looks like … Isabella.

The Andes as seen from Karen and Christian’s house, Quito.

Paty Lu y yo (Alex) cerca de Rio Verde – Esmeraldas Ecuador

Quito by night.

Faces of Quito.

Aunts, uncles & cousins at crazy Uncle Raul’s.

L t R: Piero, Angie, Oscar, Rocio, Alex, Geno, Thomas, Ombi , Karina & Rodri. The ‘farra” … Alex’s birthday party.

Alex with siblings Karen and Jean Pierre.

It is no longer a secret that my ‘home’ now lies between two continents … I live in Australia but frequently visit, and think about, Ecuador. Having met and married an Ecuadorian and having returned more times than I can remember in the last 13 years, it is a country that I have grown to love on so many levels and for so many reasons. Primarily a huge portion of my family lives there and they play a huge part in my life … not to mention Alex’s. This was a very special trip as Alex’s mum, Rocio, and 13 year old sister Angie who live in New York would also be meeting us over there. It would be the first time that Alex’s mum would be with all of her children in the same place, at the same time, in over 20 years. How do you put a price on that? Needless to say, we were all extremely excited!

Dad takes us to the airport, as usual.

The trip over would be a long one … a particularly long one! We had managed to purchase some ridiculously cheap flights over but with lots of  stop-overs. Lan Chile and Qantas would code share and get us from Melbourne to Buenos Aires (BA) in Argentina and then Lan Chile would get us from Buenos Aires to Quito. The flight was leaving early and luckily we were organised (for once) as the alarm had been set incorrectly and so we did not get up when planned. Having said that we did make it to the airport on time, courtesy of Dad’s taxi service, and we even all had time for a cuppa together once we got there. We eventually said our goodbyes and we were off. Nothing unfamiliar to my Dad!

Pizza at Pedro Telmo with Charito.

Our flight across would be Melbourne–Sydney–Santiago (Chile)–Buenos Aires … overnight in Buenos Aires … and then Buenos Aires–Lima(Peru)–Quito. The flight to Buenos Aires was fine; as I usually sleep most of the way long flights for me do not usually seem so long anyway. We had to spend a night in BA as the BA-Quito return portion had been bought separately and we were afraid that we would not make the connection to Quito if we did not do it this way. We were excited anyway as we would be spending the night with our very special friend Charo, who I actually met in Uruguay way back in early 1999, before I met Alex. The last time we saw her was in 2000 when Alex and I passed through BA on our way back to Australia; the year when Alex moved to Australia and made it his ‘home’. Over the years we have always kept in close contact.

Alex and I with Nico at Pedro Telmo.

Charo lives in the heart of Buenos Aires in a gorgeous suburb called San Telmo. It is renowned as the tango capital of Argentina. We were surprised at how expensive BA had become since we’d last been here. The airport is around 35 kilometres from the city centre and a taxi ride in costs AUD $40.00. Whilst the bus is way cheaper, the ride in would take around two and a half hours … with or without suitcases this is not an option, unless you particularly want to spend that amount of time on a bus and especially after such a lengthy flight. It was soooooooo lovely to see Charo again after such a long time. Hugs all around and in seconds it was as if no time had passed at all. We briefly went to visit Charo’s parents Gladys and Roberto who live in the same apartment block but on a different floor, and then went off to have some pizza. Nico, Charo’s nephew who is staying with her at present, also came along. I must say that we were rather tired so despite the fact that we had lots to catch up on it wasn’t a late night. Besides, on the way back we would be spending a week in Buenos Aires, which would give us proper catch up time.

L to R: Aunty Marcia, Uncle Ruben, Rocio (Alex’s mum) and Alex.

Up early the next morning we had a quick breakfast with Charo and before we knew it we were back in a taxi on our way back to the airport. Our flight to Quito was via Lima, Peru. We were due to arrive in Quito at 3.30pm on Friday 19 August. The view as the plane descends into Quito, surrounded by the Andes Mountains, is always spectacularly breathtaking either by day or night. And then for Alex and I there’s always that heart-flutter moment of … we’re home! The plane landed on time, and as we disembarked, collected our luggage and went through immigration we could see Alex’s mum and sister waving at us through the glass at the level above us. More heart-fluttering! Before we knew it we were through the doors and hugging Rocio and Angie. Alex’s aunt Patty, cousin Samy, sister Karen, niece Denisse and dad Hugo were also there. Those first few moments always offer a mix of emotions; we felt excited and overwhelmed but also very happy. Alex and I also felt knackered! There simply ain’t a ‘quick way’ to get to Ecuador.

Alex with his mum and siblings; Angie, Karen & Jean Pierre.

We would all be staying with Alex’s sister, Karen, and her family in Ecuador’s capital Quito. Let me introduce you: Karen, husband Christian, Alex’s brother Jean-Pierre (who we also call Piero) and our nieces and nephews Denisse (18), Axel (14), Thomas (2.5) and Isabella (7 months). In addition Alex’s mum and younger sister were staying there as well as us. Talk about a full house! Karen lives in the north of the city in an area called El Condado, which is perched up on one of Quito’s many hills. Consider that Quito, at approximately 2800 metres above sea level is the world’s second-highest capital after La Paz, Bolivia, we were pretty high up. At this altitude breathing is a tad more difficult as the air is thinner due to less oxygen. We had to walk up a flight of stairs to get to Karen’s apartment and we were gasping for air, and feeling like we had run a marathon. High altitude is tough and acclimatisation can take several days if not longer.

L to R: Denisse, Axel, Jonathan (Christian’s brother), Isabella and Piero.

That first night was great although we were tired. We met our little niece Isabella for the first time, and I instantly fell in love with her. Of course we all keep in touch via skype, but face-to-face is another story. Unbeknownst, to Alex I had been communicating with Karen to organise a surprise birthday party for him with all of his cousins and relatives on his mum’s side. His birthday was on 10 August and his party would be on 20 August. Karen had effectively organised everything. The POA (plan of action) was that Karen would pretend to have a work appointment on Saturday morning and that I would go with her so that we could get everything set up and organised, whilst Alex hung out with Christian and Jean Pierre. Alex’s Aunt Maricela and Uncle Reuben would have the party at their house, which is quite large and on the outskirts of Quito.

La Banda del Pueblo.

Karen had organised a ‘banda del pueblo’ (village band) which is effectively a local band playing local music, some mime artists, a DJ and the food. Maricela had organised the marquee, tables and chairs. When Karen and I got up on Saturday morning (I was still exhausted!) we still had some running around to do. The morning began with us going to the hairdresser to get our hair straightened and styled (a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!), which put us out of pocket a whole $3.00 each. We then had to go and pick up the cake, some balloons, a few other bits and pieces and then go to Maricela’s to get everything organised. The guests had been told that it was a surprise birthday party and that they had to to be there at 10.00am promptly … yeh right, in South America, fat chance!  The birthday boy was to arrive at 11.00am on the premise of visiting a cousin. Karen and I worked furiously to get things organised. As it worked out most of the guests were late but then so was Alex (we kept calling Christian and told him to delay their arrival). The band arrived and set themselves up by just after 11.30am, and most of the guests were there by just before midday. Alex was fortunately the last to arrive and did indeed get a huge surprise.

The mime artist wish Alex a Happy Birthday.

Alex gives thanks to the Chocotos in his birthday speech!

With Alex’s arrival the village band started to play, and with this the party went off! After hugging all of his family, the party got into full swing; we danced to the local band, ate local food, were entertained by mime artists, did some pole-dancing and danced to the rhythms of the DJ. Adults and kids alike had so much fun. That’s what a party is like in Ecuador … fun, fun, fun!!! Karen had organised for people to bring gifts for Alex which had to be hand-made and have some personal significance. Each person presented their gift with a short speech on its significance. His Aunt Gladys got him a huge canvas print of the both of us in Machu Picchu several years ago and his Aunt Patty put together a photo album of all the cousins … there were both tears and laughter as we all reminisced about how and when the photos were taken. We cried as we recalled Santiago, Patty’s 26-year-old son, who died earlier this year! I cried because I was so happy to have been able to give my husband, partner, confidante and love-of-my-life the present of a lifetime, the gift of his family!

Ombi pole dancing with Mr Paparazzi.

Alex’s brother, Jean Pierre, also gave him an amazing gift; he put together a video of Alex growing up, including pictures of him as a little boy right through to the present day. It was really touching and we all found ourselves crying once again. The only other time we stopped was for a delicious locally made lunch. The rest of the time was party central, which even included a bit of pole dancing! Alex’s Uncle Gustavo, with his video camera, was the official paparazzi, and his mum with her roving iPad was the official ‘mamarazzi’. The ‘day’ ended after 10.00pm. Slowly, slowly everyone went home and we stayed back to clean up. It had been such a good day, despite the fact that by this stage Alex and I were totally exhausted!  Adrenalin was our saviour! We went home and flaked it! Thank goodness the next day was Sunday … nobody would be getting up for anyone or anything!

Ombi

Family shot … far left Samuel (Santi’s son) and mum Andrea.

Dedication: To our cousin Santiago. You were the only one physically missing at Alex’s party, but we know that  you were with us in spirit. We will always remember you with much love. You will never be forgotten.

Dedicacion: Para nuestro primo Santiago. Estuviste la unica persona que no estuve fisicamente presente en la fiesta de Alex pero sabemos que estuviste con nosotros en espiritu. Siempre nos acordamonos de ti con mucho amor. Nunca nos vamos a olvidarnos de ti.

Books read:
“Belching out the Devil – Global Adventures with Coca Cola” by Mark Thomas
“The Link – Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor” by Colin Tudge


“Change your thoughts and you change your world” – Norman Vincent Peale.

Next: What we did in our three weeks in Ecuador.

Alex with Tio Chucha on left and brother-in-law Christian.

Alex with mum Rocio and sister Angie.

Alex with nephew Thomas and Boly (Thomas’ grandpa).

Alex with his mum and younger cousins.

Alex and sister Karen during ‘la hora loca’ (the crazy hour).

More fun during the crazy hour.

It’s Uncle Gustavo, the official paparazzi!

Alex and Angie.

Band members.

Mr Paparazzi with his wife ‘la tigressa’ (the tigress, Marcia).

Family shot.

Happy Birthday Alex!

L to R: Aunty Gladys, Isabella, Alex and cousin Valeria.

Sisters L tio R: Marcia, Maricela, Rocio, Patty & Gladys.

The good time crew, L to R: Ronnald, Gladys, Volney & moi!