Leaving Ecuador

Only 5 more days in Ecuador!  The 14 months I have lived here have been some of the best in my life.  Here are some of the things I'll miss.

New Experiences

 

 

The People

My Friends and Colleagues

My Students

Fresh Produce!

Visits from Loved Ones

The Beauty of Ecuador

And finally....CHICKENS!

And I'm looking forward to new adventures and sweet reunions in the U.S. of A.!!

Tim's Visit

On December 28, only a few days after returning to Cuenca from Peru, I flew to Quito to meet my oldest brother, Tim, who arrived that evening from CT.  His 10-day visit was the first time we spent any extended period of time together, just the two of us.  It was a real gift to have this time to get to know him in a new way.

We spent 3 nights in Quito in the historical district.  Although I spent many days in Quito during my 2011 trip, I had a more favorable impression of the city this time around.  The sunny weather helped a lot as well as the fact that we stayed in the historical center of the city.   Our colonial-era hotel was on a quiet street only a few blocks from “Plaza Grande”. 

Casa San Marcos, Quito

View of Quito from hotel 

The town was getting ready for New Year’s Eve.  An important New Year’s Eve tradition is to burn paper effigies--muñecas-- that represent the old year.  Everywhere we went we saw these muñecas—on balconies, in front of restaurants (a marketing tool), and even sharing a meal with a family!

Muñecas for sale

We flew to Cuenca on the 31^st, just in time to participate in Cuenca’s celebration. Another New Year’s Eve tradition here in Ecuador is for men to dress as women and extort money from passersby.  Tim joined in the fun by dressing up in my purple wig and dress.  He made a hit at our neighborhood party at the local park.  I think my neighbors got a real kick out of this VERY tall gringo playing the role of a “viuda” (widow).

Partying it up in the neighborhood!

Tim dancing with two other neighborhood "viudas"

My housemate Ann and her hot date

At midnight, the muñecas were tossed into a pile and lit.  They made quite a bonfire.

Tim and I played tourists in Cuenca and took two day trips:  one to our local Inca ruins, Ingapirca, and the other to the national park, Cajas, just west of town.

Ingapirca

Temple at Ingapirca

Cajas lake (one of hundreds in the park)

Newborn llama and mama llama

I was sad to see Tim leave on January 6.  Now I’ve settled back into a routine of English teaching.  I have 3 classes and I’ve started volunteering at the only Montessori School in town.  It’s fun to dip back into my earlier career as a Montessori teacher! 

PERU--December 2012

My 12-day trip to Peru was over-the-top fabulous!  After traveling solo for 3 months in Ecuador in the fall of 2011, I decided that this time I wanted companionship.  So I signed up for a tour/retreat through Willka T’ika, a retreat center in Peru’s Sacred Valley that a friend highly recommended.  I loved every minute of it.

First stop--Cuzco.   My first impression was how tourist-oriented it seemed, particularly compared to Cuenca.  My second impression was how evident the Inca heritage is.  Wherever you walk, you pass buildings that have been constructed on top of huge Inca foundations.

Cuzco--Plaza de Armas

Inca walls in Cuzco

Such a mystery how these gigantic stones were quarried, transported, cut and fit into place.  I’m convinced they used a technology that we no longer know about.

Puma Paw--Sacsayhumán

Giant stones at Sacsayhumán, just outside Cuzco

Kissing llamas, Sacsayhumán

 Our little group of 11 visited seven Inca sites in all.  Here are some of my favorite photos, some taken by a fellow traveler, Marita Nell, from South Africa.

Inca cave high above the Urubamba River

Inca terracing, Moray

Market scene

Pisac ruins

As you can see, I was there during the rainy season.  This meant that Machu Picchu was shrouded in clouds and we were treated to a rainbow at the end of our visit.  It also meant that the hillsides were a brilliant green.

My fabulous guide Camila and me

Rainbow below the ruins

Most of the time we stayed at Willka T’ika, a retreat center in the Sacred Valley near the town of Urubamba.  The owner, Carol Cumes, has created a magical space with seven “chakra” gardens,  with flowers of all colors of the rainbow, two yoga studios and luxurious rooms.

 

One of the highlights of the trip was to a Quechua school set high in the mountains.  This is one of the four schools sponsored by Carol, the owner of Willka T’ika.  We arrived in time for their Christmas fiesta and were treated to song and dance, as well as a snack of boiled potatoes.

A special focus of the trip was learning about Quechua culture and spirituality.   We met with several indigenous healers who led us in traditional ceremonies.  It was a perfect way for me to spend Solstice 2012!