Last Sunday I walked around my small pueblo and took some photos so better show those at home what my daily surroundings were like. Here is the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rebeckyrose/MyHomeInEcuadorLumbis#To be honest, one of the best things about this experience is my home here, Lumbisí, Ecuador (when saying it, you stress the last syllable like this (lum-bi-SI). I feel that way because I don't think I could have received a more genuine cultural experience. My family knows absolutely no english, so everytime I go home I get to practice my Spanish (ok so the 4 year old Cristina knows numbers and colors in english! I help teach her other words sometimes).
The mother, Clarita is a truly amazing woman and a phenomenal cook to boot. Part of it could be her love of salt, but I know a huge part is the fact that all our vegetables, all our meat is grown, raised, and prepared in my community. From Lamb to chicken, cucumbers to avacados, it is all fresh on the table. Not to mention every morning I get a huge bowl of fresh fruit-papaya, pineapple, canteloupe, banana, etc.
But the cooking isn't all that makes me happy there. Their family is close-knit, always together at night, enjoying each others company, laughing, joking, and they have a alot to be happy about. Espiritu, my host father, is a carpenter with one of the most respected shops in the community as well as being one of the leaders of Lumbisí. Clarita and him have worked hard their whole lives, but have so much to show for it now. 4 kids two of which are already married with children of their own, as well as countless other family members around the town that know and love them. Clarita is 50-something, and her parents are still living, in their 70's and just the other week Clarita joined them to plant, by hand, the corn in their huge field they own. The word retirement does not exist in this culture! All the elderly of the community continue to work until the day they die, sometimes completely unable to stand up straight.
But all in all, I feel much safer here in Lumbisí than in Quito or even Cumbaya, where my university is. The whole community supports each other, I mean they have to by law-it is considered a commune, in which you do not pay taxes to the state, but must commit to communal work for the betterment of the community. The sign I feel most important which I displayed above for emphasis literally says "The land is neither bought, nor sold-it is worked." Their work ethic here is to be admired, and once again after remembering stereotypes in the States about the laziness of such and such culture or even the historical past of bringing down indigenous by saying they are drunk and lazy-well that is just simply not held up here, where essentially everyone in the community wakes up at dawn and works until sundown. And often with a smile and kind word to boot!
Anyway, I am sure I am leaving some things out-like dog warfare and other strange happenings, but time for class!
This is a shot underneath an amazing Mangrove tree, with all the folks I went to the beach with. This is proof that I've actually made friends in my time here, and all but the insanely blond lady are Ecuadorian.
I loved the calm of Mompiche. Small houses, fishing community, tranquility. More pictures to come via Picasa.
This was my view over the weekend, camping in between the mighty Rumiñahui (top) and the powerful Cotopaxi (below). Its a strange feeling to think of yourself as one of the human beings closest to the sun in all the world, but it is true, when you are up in the Andes near the equator. I have spoken of the páramo before and once again I had the pleasure to spend time amongst the strange and diversified plant life up there. Few animals can be found, and it is one place I think plants really have won out over animals.
The first image is the view of Quito from the Teleferico, which takes you up the mountain Pichincha, the western landmark of the city. The second image is what you can't see from the city, as it is almost always covered by clouds. I climbed almost to the top, but when the trail gave way to craggy loose rocks I called it a day, and got to climb back down in hail.
