Family barbecues and Otavalo.

This past weekend was my first real weekend with my host family. On Saturday I woke up nice and late (for me, anyway) and went straight out the door for a much-needed run. After taking my time with breakfast and getting ready, I went with my host abuela to the clinic for my blood test results. We then drove to the market for some produce--apparently produce is fresher and cheaper at the market, which makes sense. The market is a fun place to be, especially when you have no idea what half of the fruits and vegetables are! It's not the cleanest, though, especially since the raw meat sits out there all day. It's quite a nice smell ;) You can eat there really cheap if you're Ecuadorian, but it's not advisable for foreigners. 

After a trip to Supermaxi (the grocery store here) we had just a few minutes before going to my host aunt and uncle's apartment for a barbecue. So good! We had chips, guacamole with aji (Ecuadorian hot peppers), hot dogs, chicken, beef, salad, potatoes, choclo, and a sweet bread for dessert. It was here that I discovered like like Ecuadorian Fanta better than the American kind. It was a fun, relaxing family time for them. We're never in a hurry in Ecuador, so I didn't get back from "lunch" until almost five. The rest of the night was fairly uneventful, so I took advantage of the time and planned the next English lesson and workshop.

On Sunday we piled in my host uncle's car and headed to Otavalo, an indigenous town known for its market. Once again, we left about two hours late. Typical of this country, fortunately or unfortunately. Otavalo was worth the wait, though! The Quechua culture is notably different from the mestizo culture that characterizes Quito. The native costumes of the women are just beautiful--they really take pride in their appearance, and it shows. The men typically wear North American clothes, but have long hair. The women dress a little something like this:

Anyway, we went to the market first, which is very peaceful and not overly crowded on a Sunday. My host abuela told me not to buy anything, as the same things are available cheaper in Quito. Which I have seen for myself, so I just enjoyed looking. You have to bargain there, too, which I stink at doing. While there, though, I was conversing with my host aunt and explained to her that I'm here to complete my social work internship. Some other Ecuadorians overheard this and were very impressed--one woman even told me welcome and thank you for coming to Ecuador! Helping break down some stereotypes I guess. :) After we were satisfied with the market we stopped for pies before lunch. They taste a little different, but were still delicious. For lunch we drove to a nearby lake, where I had this:

Avocado, peppers, onions, palm tree, "quiche", llapingachos, peanut sauce

Mama Imbabura.

After enjoying the scenery (including some llamas) we decided to take a boat out on the lake, where I enjoyed more gorgeous views of the mountains. The mountain right by the lake is called "Mama Imbabura", which is Quechua for "Mother Imbabura" (not to be confused with the Spanish word for mother, which emphasizes the second syllable). Mama Imbabura has a husband named "Taita Imbabura" and a baby named "Guagua Pichincha" (Pichincha is our volcano in Quito). While on the lake we conversed with the man who drove our boat, who is Quechua. He told us about indigenous marriage traditions and things like that. So fun. A little cold and wet, but fun.




After that it was a slightly scary 1.5 hour drive back to Quito (Ecuadorians have absolutely no reserves about passing in a no passing zone on the side of a mountain going 55 mph). But we survived and I'm here to tell about it. :)