Encounters in Ecuador: Stories from my "Other Country"

Still posting, though very late... Karo's boyfriend, Gary, starting playing for a soccer team in Atuntaqui (about 10 minutes away fromSan Antonio). Gary is a very tall white man from Germany, so he's not hard to find on the field. If you know me, then you know I was pretty excited he joined the team because it meant I got to attend soccer games for...you guessed it, $1. Basically, the entire team consists of Karo's cousins, who are happy to have a new, very tall goal keeper. For the past two Sundays, we've gone to their games. I'm fairly certain the other spectators think I must be related to Gary (there aren't a lot of gringos at the games), whom they often refer to as "the German." In my opinion, there aren't many pitches with a better view, so I was surprised to see the small number of folks who come out to support their teams. However, for many of the spectators, the games are merely an excuse to drink and party in the ...

I know I'm incredibly late in posting these, but I ran out of time while I was still in Ecuador. So, here goes. Fanny's daughter, Karo, sang at the election/coronation of Ibarra's festival queen, so I once again found myself contemplating a future small project on Ecuadorian pageants. This pageant was bigger and a little flashier than Otavalo's. There were 9 candidates, and in addition to the opening choreographed number (done in jeans, t-shirts that read "White City" [Ibarra's nickname, but it was weird because it was in English], and sky-high heels), "traditional" costume, and evening gown portions, there was also a bathing suit demonstration, which was rather unnecessary in my opinion.  This time, I took my phone so I could record a little snippet of the craziness that is each "band"/group of supporters cheering on their candidates. Sorry for the low video & sound quality, but my Ecuadorian cell phone is pre...

The longer I'm here, the faster time seems to fly! As I try to cram all of my gifts into my suitcases, say goodbye to my friends, and mentally prepare to come home, I'll do my best to fill y'all in as well. Last Saturday (9/23/17) was jam-packed with craziness! As with most Saturdays, I left San Antonio and headed to the Plaza de Ponchos. After about an hour, André called and asked me to meet him, since he and his friends were coming to spend the day in Otavalo. I got to his car, only to be whisked away to Cuicocha (by way of Cotacachi) because 3 of his friends were visiting from the US and wanted to see Cuicocha. We once again walked the trail and were subjected to jokes about walking the whole way around, but thankfully, I didn't buy it. After walking on the trail a short bit, half of the group went on a boat ride, while the other half (including Andre and me) waited for them.  Fanny said I need to take more selfies, so I tried. Ugh.  One m...