The title refers to the fact that we were without water for almost a week in the house. Basically it was even less luxurious than camping- we heated up big pots of water on the stove and bathed in such a fashion. It isn't all that bad though, really!
This past weekend I went to the beach with a lovely family that is hosting the other American boy who is here. It takes about 6-7 hours to get there. The single road to Guayaquil wound its way through fields of banana trees and rice fields. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant in Guayaquil. I see why they call it the Miami of South America. I've never been to Miami, but I definitely thought that it was the most American-city-like city I've seen yet, palm trees and all. The beach we arrived at, called Salinas, was not warm by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the beach. We stayed on a naval base which made it even better- very few people were around us. It was nice to get away. Pero que pena (what a shame) that I had to be in Ecuador for the coldest months... I'm kissing my summer tan goodbye as of this instant.
What else has happened... well, Luke and I took 2 mornings this week to do some museum-visiting in Cuenca. We went to the Modern Art Museum, which I definitely enjoyed. I miss making art... oh I wish I had my paint and markers here with me! I'll have to buy some... We also went to a mini-zoo and saw some turtles (shout out to the TERPS!), tiny little poison arrow frogs, and way-too-big snakes. *shiver* ...I really don't like snakes.
We visited this incredibly wild house that's a self-proclaimed museum of "extreme art." It basically consisted of many strange paintings and skulls and statues and gargoyles for decoration. There were arms and bodies of manikins hanging from the ceiling. Not quite my taste, but definitely piqued my interest, and was the last thing I would expect to find in Cuenca. The Cuencanos don't like it, because it's so counter-conservative. But my travel guide is written by Americans, thus... we checked it out.
The Hat Museum was my favorite of the week. Inside a man named Efriam took us around the factory and showed us how the Panama hat was born. AND I'll have you know that they are only called PANAMA hats because the workers on the canal used them as they were building the canal, since the hats were shipped to Panama from Cuenca and exported the rest of the world from there. They come from CUENCA. It could take 4 months for a chola cuencana to make one of these hats, woven from grass. There I am above hugging a lovely manikin wearing a dress made of Panama hat brims. Dad, I'm going to get you a hat, but I don't know your head size!??
Also, yesterday I had the privilege of meeting another gringita! She's from Colorado, and was studying in Peru for a year and now traveling throughout South America. She's traveling alone- HOW BRAVE. So she came to Cuenca yesterday and Julio and I picked her up and brought her out to lunch. Then she and I walked around the Centro as I tried my best to point out the colonial beauty that is Cuenca. How awesome it felt to walk around without a map in my hand! I know the streets now, without getting lost. Practically a native... aside from the hair and eyes. I got along very well with the girl (Brooke)- it was as if we had known each other for years- and very much wished I could travel with her, but she was leaving that very night. Sigh. But what a blessing to meet a friend from the US, and break some yuca bread and slurp some naranjilla-flavored yogurt with her. She has pictures of us on her camera, or else I would post one...
And today arrived the last Bustos daughter, Liliana. She lived in Wisconsin this past year to learn English, and she returned to Ecuador this afternoon. She is wonderful, sweet, and joyful and I'm so glad she's here! It's been fun to hear about what she thinks of our American customs and how she adjusted, especially concerning the bad food we eat over there... oh boy. :) This weekend is going to be a weekend of celebration of her arrival- on Sunday family and friends will flock to the house to welcome her home.
I'm still very much in love with Ecuador. The Lord is blessing my trip immensely. I feel like crying when I think of leaving it.
No comments:
Post a Comment