Ecuador

Saturday, October 17, 2015

We found it to be chilly overnight. We brought a thermometer and it was 55 degrees in the casita when we woke up. I put on a wool sweater over my longjohns in the middle of the night.

There has been an extreme lack of rain in Morochos over the past few months. Everything has been very dry and it is evident when walking through the village that nobody has been able to grow corn, quinoa, or other crops. The family has been able to grow chochos (lupins) but have been forced to buy many of the staples that they usually grow for themselves.

But this week they had three days of heavy rain, and the village is now preparing to plant corn. When we woke up this morning, some neighbors were plowing the family's corn field using two bulls yoked together. The soil that they were turning up looked rich and fertile.



Neighbors plowing our back field with two bulls



We walked through the family's gardens, and noticed that they had constructed a grape arbor. Aida told us that the grapevine was as old as Yupanqui (5 years) and it is finally yielding green grapes.

For breakfast, we had fried eggs, bread, French fries, tea made from a plant in the garden, and naranjilla juice. The family is adding a second and third story to the main house, and we took a tour of the construction. The second floor had exterior and interior walls. The third floor was nothing but a roof deck at this stage, and you could easily step right off the edge.

We went for a walk with the girls and they collected eucalyptus seed pods on the side of the road. They resemble acorns. When we got home, the girls played with them, using them as pretend food, building blocks, etc.

Lunch consisted of soup, chicken in a nice sauce, rice, peas, and tomato and radish salad. The family thanked their neighbors for the plowing help by giving them a large bowl of chochos for lunch. These chochos were grown on the family's new field down the street.

We had a wonderful day playing with the kids. The kids picked flowers and would make us close our eyes. They would fill our hands with flowers and eucalyptus seed pods, and then throw flower petals into the air to rain down on us. It was cute, but made a big mess! Juan Pedro, Antonio's mute cousin, arrived at the house. He was very excited to see us and we gave him a big hug. Sisa read to us in Spanish and Yupanqui "read" to us in Kichwa.

For dinner, we got a special treat: guinea pig. Known as cuy, it is a food for celebrations in the Andes. We each got a thigh and it was very savory and flavorful, with crispy skin. The kids were all sugared up from a bottle of orange soda at dinner, and they couldn't stop laughing, especially Sisa. She got Aida laughing hysterically as well. There is so much love in this family that it really warms our hearts. Tayanta tried to ride Max the dog, and wound up taking a header. She was unharmed, but I managed to capture the digital image.

As we headed off to bed, Antonio's 85-year-old mother Abuelita was sleeping on her tortora reed mat on the floor. Chipi the cat was snuggled up with her, and we thought of our two dear cats at home.
Neighbors with 2 bulls plow our cornfield

Neighbors with 2 bulls plow our cornfield

A hug from Sisa at breakfast

A hug from Sisa at breakfast

Sisa and Yupanqui read to Craig

Sisa and Yupanqui read to Craig

Tayanta's attempt to ride Max the dog ends in a tumble (but she was unhurt). title=

Tayanta's attempt to ride Max the dog ends in a tumble (but she was unhurt).

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