This is my usual view when I am fiddling around online with my laptop at the university. I thought I'd show it so you could get a sense of where I am part of my time here.
Sadly, I don't have any photographs of my dinner last night, although it was defintely worthy of them. My friends and I had just been booted from the university, as it closes at 8 (very different from the 24 hour libraries at U of I!) My compañeros had a long ride ahead of them, as they live in Machachi, a mountain town about an hour away from Quito. We were looking for a "typical" ecuadorian joint when coffee and something called humita, which i think is just corn bread type thing wrapped up in a corn husk. The regular joint was closed, and the only open place fitting our criteria seemed to be this very tiny restaurant feauturing Tamales from Colombia. Without further ado, we stepped inside.
The place was seriously no bigger than a wealthy persons closet, and the older couple that owned the place were crammed in the kitchen the size of a porta potty, with the refrigerator already stuffed in. We came in sort of asked them what type of tamale this was, and order one for each of us with coffee as well. When my friend asked where the ahí was, the woman said, well we don't have it but I can make it right now. This was great news as fresh ahí is about as good as it gets.
While waiting for the tamales to cook, we talked with the man about when they came from Colombia, trips there, climate, etc. At one point the other girl, and ecuadorian, with us was mistaken for a foreigner, likely because she has blond hair. I was assumed to be from the coast, Guayaquil, which I gotta say felt cool. Although I was wearing sandals in about 50 degree weather and had just come back from the beach with a nice tan to boot. The couple had so much energy and good humor, they put on the best of Colombian cumbia and we were all dancing in this tiny little place. The tamales came, and were stuffed with carrots, potatoes and a huge piece of chicken. I enjoyed feeling like a local, at least to some extent, and to be with people who were happy to serve you, joke with you, and tell you about their home. And plus for three meals and coffee, it was a whopping $5!
More this week about the nationwide drinking ban that takes place starting Friday at noon that goes until Monday due to the vote on the new constitution...better stock up now...:)
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