Ecuador 6/1/2024 |
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Saturday, June 1, 2024 - Hummingbird Rescue, Lake Cuicocha, A Surprise Going-Away Party / Kuri's 2nd Birthday with a Mariachi BandWe woke up at 7 o'clock and had breakfast at 8 o'clock with Chloe. For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs with veggies, ham, cheese, and coffee. This morning, in addition to the usual fresh rolls, there were sweet rolls with sugar on top. We had never had those before!Sisa was in Ibarra at English class. Antonio said that we'd go to meet him at work at Lake Cuicocha around 1-1:30 p.m., when Sisa got back from class. It was unfortunate that Chloe would be gone by then (she was going to Otavalo to the Saturday market), as we know she wanted to see the lake. He then said goodbye and headed off to work on his motorbike. Craig and I were in our room starting to get packed up to go home tomorrow when we heard a commotion outside. Aida came to our door very upset, with something tiny in her hands. A poor little hummingbird had crashed into the second floor window and fell to the ground stunned. Chloe had been outside on the phone with her mother in France when the poor little guy had crashed down at her feet. At first we feared he was dead, but then we could see that he was blinking and breathing. I took him from Aida and held him in my warm hands. We couldn't really put him down anywhere, for fear of the cat or dogs bothering him. His little tongue came out and we put him up to a flower to drink. As time went on, he became more active, turning his head and looking around. After about 10 minutes, he flew out of my hand and hovered around us as if to say thank you. He tried to alight on a branch but wound up hanging upside down. Not sure if he hurt a leg or was just still dizzy. But then he flew off out of sight. Godspeed, little one!  Craig and I wanted to take a shower, but the water heater was not working. Despite trying the usual tricks (banging on it, resetting the dials, etc.), we just couldn't get it to work. It seemed to have died, once and for all. We didn't feel like taking freezing cold showers. Even though we are at the equator, we are at close to 9000 feet in altitude, and it can be quite difficult to warm up once your body gets too cold. Aida offered to heat a bucket of water for us. This did the trick, and we were able to take nice warm bucket showers. Yupanki cooked lunch: soup, chicken, fries, rice, and tomatoes. We are so proud of him, and hope that he gets to follow his dream of being a chef some day. Everyone got dressed up in the new clothes that we had brought them in preparation for our trip to the lake. Sisa arrived in a camioneta at 2 o'clock, and it took us up to the lake. I rode in the back with Yupanki, Shina, and Nena. I like riding in the fresh air with a nice view of the surrounding countryside. Mount Cayambe was shining with snow. When we got to the lake, a vendor was selling ice cream near the parking lot. We offered to buy ice cream for the family. Most of us got ice cream novelties, but Sisa got some sherbet that a guy was making in exactly the same way that the family had made ice cream earlier in the trip. Sisa is lactose intolerant, so the sherbet was better for her stomach. Laguna Cuicocha is a volcanic crater lake about 5 km from the house. Though we had always known that the lake was sacred in the context of the Kichwa creation story, we hadn't known until a few days ago that it is said to contain the tears of Mama Cotacachi, a nearby deified volcano, who wept when she was kept separate from her children by her ex-lover, Taita Imbabura (another deified volcano). The weather was perfect, and it was the first time we saw Mama Cotacachi’s peak on this visit (the volcano is visible from the house as well, but the weather has been such that it has been clouded in.) The lake has newer, bigger, more comfortable boats than the last time we were here. They seat more people and have comfy seats rather than benches. Antonio captained our boat as the whole family enjoyed the ride. He is a great guide and told the passengers (about 40 people!) all about the history of the lake and the legends surrounding it. He spoke in Spanish, so we could only glean so much, but the passengers were entertained, laughing at his jokes, and he had a good rapport with them. He spoke much more than previous boat guides we had ridden with on the lake. It was really fun to see Antonio in action at work, and it was fun to get out of the house for the first real time on this visit, enjoying the beautiful weather. After the boat ride, we sat for a while at an outdoor table at the snack bar, and the kids enjoyed eating some chips. At 4 o'clock, the camioneta picked us up and brought us home. Once we arrived, everyone seemed to disappear. Nena hung out with us in the casita, but everyone else was missing. Were they napping? We weren't sure. Nena kept asking if she could have a mandarin to eat. I kept telling her yes, to go get one. Finally , I went with her to the kitchen and realized that the door was locked and she couldn't get in because she couldn't reach the key which was in the lock. I unlocked the door and she was able to get her mandarin. Where was everyone else? Later on, Antonio came home from work, and he and Aida and Sisa gathered in the kitchen. We went into the kitchen for our normal afternoon coffee at 5:30. We noticed a huge bucket of chicken marinating, way more than would feed the family on a normal night. They were obviously up to something, but we didn't ask any questions. They were trying to keep something a secret. They took the chicken out into the front room and grilled it. Aida's cousin Delia came over with her three kids: Ashley, Kelly, and Eli. Ashley and Kelly remember us and came to give us hugs. Eli, a toddler, was terrified of us and hid behind her sisters. Delia immediately kicked into cooking mode. This is not unusual when there is a party of some sort going on, but we weren't sure exactly what was happening. We started to feel a bit chilly in the kitchen, so I went to the casita to get our jackets. Sisa went to her room to get changed into her traditional clothes. She usually wears comfy clothes when at home, and only wears her traditional clothes for more formal occasions, like school or going out to the city. Then a car pulled up out front, they retrieved something from the car, and the car drove away. What was going on? When we seemed a bit puzzled, Sisa told us that they were having a birthday party for Kuri, who would be turning 2 years old tomorrow. This didn't seem like the whole story, though. Why wouldn't they have told us that in advance? Craig thought he saw someone in a big Mexican style hat outside the window, and he also saw a musician carrying a bass. Again, this wasn't entirely unusual, Antonio played in several bands, and maybe they were coming over to play for Kuri's birthday. I tried to go outside to get some pictures of the kids, and Sisa stopped me. She asked me to wait and please sit at the table. Something was definitely up. Everyone was speaking to each other in Kichwa, which meant we had absolutely no chance of understanding what was being said. They turned off the outside lights and shut window so we could no longer see out. The next thing we knew, Sisa and Aida came in with blindfolds. This obviously was more than a 2 year old’s birthday party. They led us, blindfolded, outside. When they took the blindfolds off, a 7-piece mariachi band was standing in front of us and started to serenade us! Sisa had spearheaded this surprise as a thank you to us for always being there for the family. The leader of Mariachi Santa Fe is Sisa's music teacher's brother. There was a cake for us and one for Kuri's birthday (probably what the car had delivered).  After eating, we celebrated Kuri's 2nd birthday. They lit a candle on the cake and he helped to blow it out. He got the obligatory birthday cake face smash, and it was epic. A red gel-like frosting on the side of the cake stuck to his face and peeled off the cake. There was a ribbon of gel frosting connecting his cheek to the cake, and half of his face was obscured by white whipped cream frosting. Everyone started laughing hysterically. Being the good-natured kid that he is, he took it all in stride. He enjoyed the mariachi music, clapping along. When he got his piece of birthday cake, he stuck his fork in the slice and tried to eat it all in one bite. He always makes us laugh.  The party lasted a little over two hours. We were so humbled by this surprise! Thank you to Sisa, Aida, Antonio, Yupanki, Shina, Delia, Miguel, and everyone else who helped out. We are so grateful! After everyone had left, the family asked us to come into the kitchen for a talk. All of a sudden, everyone was very serious, and we wondered what was going on now. They usually give speeches of heartfelt thanks the night before we leave, but this seemed more than that. Aida expressed her appreciation for us as godparents, saying how much it meant to her that we love her children so much. She sat Nena on my lap and Kuri on Craig's. She asked if we would be godparents to Kuri and Nena as well, who have not yet been baptized. We were very honored. We love them just as much as the other kids, even though they have not officially been our godchildren. But we are very happy to make it official. We said an enthusiastic yes, and the family explained that the double baptism would probably take place next July. Our hearts were absolutely full to bursting after all of these expressions of love from our compadres. It would be tough to say goodbye tomorrow. We now realize that Sisa was feeling things out the other day when she asked if we would like to have another godchild. Only it wasn't her cat, as she claimed! It was, in fact, her two younger siblings! We went outside and cleaned up a bit before heading back to our casita to go to sleep. |
 Nena and Shina in the camioneta  Nena and Yupanki at Lake Cuicocha  Achi Taita, Achi Mama, and Kuri at Lake Cuicocha  On the boat at Lake Cuicocha  On the boat at Lake Cuicocha  Kuri, Antonio, and Yupanki driving the boat on Lake Cuicocha  Mariachi Santa Fe  Achi Taita and Sisa  Mariachi Santa Fe  Dancing (Photo courtesy of Mariachi Sante Fe)  Kuri's birthday cake  Kuri's face smash into the cake Photo Gallery June 1 |
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