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June 29th 2022

Published: July 5th 2022

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Sra Sare

Nighty Night

Super warm and cozy, I drift off to sleep wrapped in love and memories.

As promised at the end of my last blog entry, here are some pix of the finished patchwork quilt. Danielle and I worked together on it for over four months. It was a long and arduous process with many fits and starts, pauses and changes, ideas and discoveries. When we first talked about her coming down to stay in my rental apartment for six months, part of the agreement was that she would help me with the project that had been percolating in my mind for so long. I am incredibly grateful for her knowledge, skill and patience as we waded through each step of the creation of this masterpiece!

First I unearthed all of the fabric bits I'd been saving for over 30 years. There were clothes from Bali that shredded after three washings, scraps from my African brother-in-law's tailor shop, pieces of fabric from clothes that had once belonged to me, my Mom, my Dad, and my former husband. My storage trunk included: hand-woven pieces from Ecuador and Guatemala: batik cloth from Malaysia, Indonesia and Africa: ikat weavings from Indonesia and Ecuador: African jacquard and wax print cottons: and yards

The Finished Quilt

Luckily, it fits perfectly on my bedroom wall! So I get to admire it and wander down memory lane looking at each piece of fabric.

and yards of cotton muslin that I bought on clearance decades ago with quilting in mind! Everything had been stored in a lead-lined tea chest that I bought at the Salvation Army in Tokyo, so it smelled pretty rank when I finally pulled it all out.

I washed everything, then soaked it in a starch solution in an attempt to stiffen up the soft cottons, and finally hung up each tiny scrap to dry. Next step, to iron each and every piece. The starch plan had not had the desired effect, so using a combination of the dozens of yards of iron-on stabilizer fabric and several cans of spray starch, we stiffened the chosen fabric pieces to make them easier to work with. Thank you to Shana and Maricarmen for loaning me your ironing board and iron! I do not own an iron...IRON is a four-letter word...and ironing has not ever been a part of my lifestyle. I haven't ironed much since my Mom used to pay me pennies to iron handkerchiefs, pillow cases and tablecloths when I was a kid. For the quilt project I borrowed back a sewing machine

Proud Artistes

Danielle and I worked over 4 months (on and off) to create this masterpiece. The concept and design emerged as the project unfolded.

that I'd helped my goddaughter buy 8 years ago when her first child was a newborn and she wanted to be able to work from home. (She's now 24 and has three children).

Danielle and I decided on a repeated pattern of volcanoes, and I incorporated her brilliant idea to use some of my vast collection of antique lace for clouds and smoke wafting from each volcano! Depending on the size of the fabric scraps we had, we created squares for a 4" or an 8" row, each row separated by a strip of beige muslin to rest the eye between the busy patterns of the fabrics. A large piece of lavender jacquard, left over from the African outfit I had made for my brother's California wedding in 1996, would serve as the outermost border, framing and unifying the colors and patterns. The backing would be an old cotton bedsheet that had followed me around the globe (clearance bin at Bed, Bath and Beyond in the early 90's). Several trip ups to Ambato (nearest big city an hour away) to buy the batting, cutting wheel, scissors, etc.

Elegant Birthday Lunch

For Shana's 82nd bday we blindfolded her and took her to Samari, a fancy hotel with an awesome restaurant!

I warned Danielle that I am the "smash with a hammer and see how things fit together" type of artist - so she was in charge of the precise cutting and sewing aspects of the quilt. My big moment came when it was time to 'tie' all three levels together. Using colored cotton embroidery floss, I carefully passed a thread through all three layers, artfully spacing, knotting and trimming in and around the colored squares. And the finishing touches were the lacy smoke plumes and clouds (one of them puffed up with cotton batting). It was a wonderful bonding experience for me and Danielle and I am completely thrilled with the result. I gifted her all of the leftover fabric clippings for her future projects. I will most likely never undertake another quilting project!!

Shana's birthday was a double celebration this year. On the actual day Maricarmen and I blindfolded her and drove her to Samari, the fanciest hotel in town which has an elegant restaurant in an old stone manse which was once used as a vicarage. I had been there a few months earlier

Another Birthday Lunch

Maricarmen organized a party with 20 friends at a beautiful outdoor venue. A good time was had by all!

for Janis's bday and loved how they made a big deal of her special day, placing a silly hat on her head and bringing the whole staff in to sing to her. The food was excellent, the presentation exquisite, the service outstanding. It was a very special lunch to celebrate a very special friend.

The weekend after her actual birthday we organized an outdoor luncheon for a group of 20 friends. Mari worked hard reserving the venue, planning the menu and arranging for the desserts (cupcakes for each guest and a small fancy cake for Shana). I was in charge of inviting the guests, managing the RSVPs, and collecting $10 per person to help offset the cost of the luncheon. Of course at the last minutes several folks cancelled and we had to cover the cost of their meals, but no biggie. Someone brought a friend along, others requested vegetarian meals...hard to please all of the people all the time but in the end a good time was had by all. Nice to find reasons to gather the expat crowd together for a meal!

Celebrating KiKi Day!

We filled my car with joyous gals to honor Danielle's Mom who passed away two years ago. She loved antique hunting so we found a place in a nearby village.

It was the second anniversary of the passing of Danielle's mom, and we decided to honor her with a ladies' excursion. Her mother, Kiki, had loved antique-hunting and it just so happened that I'd recently met a guy selling antiques by the roadside on the edge of Baños. He told me that his main shop was in Penipe, a small town about 45 minutes from Baños; a beautiful drive half-way over the Andes towards Riobamba. He gave me his contact and a card for his daughter's restaurant in Penipe. SO, we loaded up my little car, five gal pals, and set off on a Kiki day adventure. Lunch was phenomenal, but when we arrived at the antique shop it was locked up tight. I called Moisés (the Spanish version of Moses) and told him we had come all the way to Penipe to visit his shop. He told me he'd leave Baños right then and be there in 40 minutes.

We drove to the town square, wandered around looking at the old buildings in various states of disrepair, had an ice cream in the shade of the church and

Antique Warehouse

Dusty, broken, rusty, twisted - old and forgotten stuff. I found some amazing glass - bottles, jars, vases.

its gardens, and then made our way back to the shop. Alas, it was nearly empty. Clearly Moisés had taken his best pieces to his roadside stall near Baños where there was more passing traffic and potential buyers. Apologizing profusely, he encouraged us to follow him 15 minutes up into the hills where he said he had a large warehouse/bodega with more antiques. Everyone was game so Danielle climbed into his truck with him and I followed closely behind. We were greeted there by his 86 year old mother, Zoila - a beautiful old woman who smiled broadly with all three of her teeth! We spent over an hour sorting through various rooms and sheds full of fascinating old dusty, broken, and rusted bits and pieces. Julie commented that she could spend weeks cleaning and organizing this place. I would have just felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the project. I found some lovely glass jars (delish!) and everyone emerged with a treasure.

En route back up to Quito for some doctors' appointments, I stopped to return the sewing machine my goddaughter had loaned me. I use Google Maps to find

Quito's Basilica

We climbed up the church steeple to get this 'ussie foto' looking over the historic old town towards the Virgen del Panecillo (Virgin on a bread roll)

her house, hidden in a rural area not far from Latacunga. I never seem to remember from one visit to the next because every time I go, Mrs Google takes me via a different route. It's infuriating!! Aside from the medical visits, my trip to Quito was to meet Beth's late night flight, which got later and later with each update. Beth and I first met in Malaysia in 1992 when I was doing a recon trip, planning my students' annual Malaysia Week Adventure. She had been living in and travelling around SE Asia for several years by that time. When I later accompanied the kids on their trip, Beth stayed at my house in Kuala Lumpur and took care of my dog, Simba. When I returned, she and I made plans to meet up again in Kathmandu a few months later and we spent a fascinating week together, trekking in the Himalayas. We've kept track of one another through the intervening years...she married a Filipino guy and their handsome son was now off at college. Now she was coming to Ecuador for 12 days! I'd carefully planned an active itinerary, reserving unique lodgings through the Andes and into the

At Black Sheep Inn

I made the acquaintance of Hachi, a sweet old Husky. I had to giggle when the manager introduced him as 'Hatchski'

Amazon, a number of which required deposits.

The first morning after Beth arrived we explored the National Basilica in the Historic Old Town. La Basilica del Voto Nacional can be visited in its entirety; we climbed up the spires enjoying breathtaking views of the rooftops of the Centro Histórico down below and all around. We then headed south down the Panamerican Highway, destination Black Sheep Inn in the high Andean village of Chugchilán. Alas, we had a few short delays when we happened upon rockslides blocking the road along the way. As luck would have it, every time there were clean-up vehicles right behind us or already at work, so we only had to wait 20 minutes or so at each blockage.

We made it to Black Sheep Inn with plenty of time to settle into our lodgings before dinner was served in the dining room of the ecolodge. All of the meals are prepared without any meat; one of the reasons I chose for us to stay there since Beth is vegetarian. Another reason was that the owners are dear friends

The Studio

At Black Sheep Inn we stayed in the owners' private guest house, called The Studio. Many thanks to Andy and Michelle for sharing this special space with us!

of mine and they offered us their guest house at a special friends and family rate. The Studio, as it is known, is also offered on AirBnB and has basic kitchen facilities, but I made arrangements with the Inn's manager for us to have our meals at the lodge, as well as permitting us to use the sauna, yoga studio and jacuzzi. Our little apartment was super cozy, complete with a wood-burning stove (I melted a pair of pants on it trying to dry them after a dip in the jacuzzi!). The bottle walls in our digs and all around the lodge have been inspiration for various projects at my house!

There are always interesting folks staying there, and this time was no exception. While enjoying the natural sauna (dug into a hillside, heated with firewood) we met a group of KLM flight attendants who made the trek to Chugchilán during their 48 hour layover in Quito. They were a lot of fun! We also helped out a sweet young Dutch girl whose South African boyfriend was holed up in their cabaña, sick with food poisoning. Their rental car alarm wouldn't

Milk Delivery

En route to the cheese factories we crossed paths with this young girl and her animals who had just helped her deliver the day's milk.

stop sounding. It only shut off when the trunk was left open, so I loaned her a piece of rope so she could prop the trunk open, but still have it mostly closed in case of rain. We were able to meet her boyfriend the next day when he felt better. It was fun to hear the story of how this adorable young couple had met four years earlier. Amazing how many people get connected via internet in this day and age.

Beth and I took a short drive up to the hill to visit the cheese factory. I had been to the factory several times before, but now there was a sign with an arrow guiding us in at a different entrance. We ended up at the home of two women who had recently started up a small cheese operation. We bought some mozzarella cheese and continued onward to the larger cheese factory. It's so interesting to see the process, from the delivery of the milk (via burro, llama and truck), to the heating in a huge vat, to the curd/coagulation phase (we got a taste!) and finally draining excess

Cheese Factory

A larger operation which has been functioning for decades. This room is for allowing cheeses to mature and for packing orders.

liquid and pouring into molds for further draining and compression. The whey that is drained away is then fed to their animals. We visited the 'maturation' room and bought a round that had been maturing for two months.

En route back to Baños we made several stops, first at Quilotoa Crater. This natural wonder never ceases to awe and amaze. A collapsed volcanic cone, it has formed a crater lake which is alkaline due to ongoing fumaroles. The colors of the water are just breathtaking! The rim is at 12,400 feet - windy and bitter cold! Even walking slowly, the lungs feel a freezing burn with every step. We then stopped in Tigua, an artisan community famous for their art naïf paintings done on goatskin canvas. We chuckled at a painting of 'Barack O Bama' posing in front of the White House, surrounded by indigenous people. I was eager to get us back to my house before dark on Sunday June 12th because an indigenous uprising had been announced for Monday June 13th. When I first heard rumblings of the 'paro' strikes, I took a look at the dates of Beth's

Quilotoa Crater

At over 12,000 ft it was mighty chilly up there! A collapsed caldera, this crater is now an alkaline lake.

itinerary and felt relieved to see that we would be in Baños around the date of the scheduled start. Hoping that it had been just rumors and that nothing would actually come to pass, I went ahead and planned the rest of her journey.

Alas, the entire following week was one of civil unrest, and we were 'trapped' in Baños for the remainder of Beth's stay. The idea of the indigenous protestors was to paralyze the country by blocking major roadways with burning tires, trees, piles of dirt, etc. Before the roadblocks moved in closer towards town, I was able to drive Beth up to have lunch at Café del Cielo, a gorgeous spot overlooking the whole city. Our plan was to continue on up the mountain to visit the Casa del Arbol and Swing at the End of the World, but just below the restaurant my brakes went mushy and started to smell. As soon as I realized that there was something seriously wrong, I called my friend to get her mechanic's phone# and when I contacted him he assured me that he'd be around to receive my vehicle. It

Termas de la Virgen

Tucked right beneath the Baños waterfall (La Cabellera de la Virgen - the Virgin's 'Hairfall') this mineral hot springs complex is right in town.

was somewhat comforting to know that he was open and expecting me. SO, after lunch I shifted into first gear, put on my emergency flashers, and slowly inched my way down the hill to the mechanic's. We took a taxi home and walked up to the hot springs near my house the next morning, since the mechanic had kept the car overnight. The following day at noon he called saying it was ready, explaining that he had replaced all four brake pads and adjusted the emergency brake. Total cost (including parts AND labor)...$20 !! Just one of the many reasons I love living in Ecuador!

During the next few days I took Beth on my 'gorgeous gorges' tour, we cooked together (quesadillas and eggplant parmesan were big hits!); we ate out a few times, and went to soak in two other thermal mineral bath complexes. We drove to Santa Ana baths on the edge of town. When we got there the gates were wide open, but there was no one working at the ticket booth. We went up to the pools which were clean and filled with warm water. A little

Hot Springs Hellos

Hanging with old friend José in the lower pools at the Virgen and Beth shot this pic from the level above.

while later my painter friend, Michaela, arrived and the three of us had a grand time together, the only ones there for over an hour. When it was time to leave the gate was closed, shut tight with a padlock on it. Someone had locked us in!

I called everyone I could think of to help us out of this predicament. The mother of one of my students runs the snack bar there, but she couldn't arrive with the key because they live on the other side of where the road was blockaded. My buddy Karl had a number for the guy in charge of all the municipal hot springs but he was not answering his phone, so Karl walked over to the Virgen Pools in town and found someone who had the key to the padlock. After about 40 minutes of us waiting the guy arrived, yelling at me! Couldn't I see that the place wasn't open?! That no one was working? Who had I paid my admission to? I offered to pay him then and there; it was all I could do to keep my cool.

Let us Out!!

While bathing in the hot springs, they locked the entry gate and trapped us inside! What a scene!!

I told Beth to climb in the car since I was intending to drive out the gate as soon as he got it open. When he continued to berate me I completely lost it, yelling at him for how irresponsible it was of the person who locked everything up, seeing a car there and not even bothering to walk up to the pools and inform the bathers. In retrospect, he was probably the guy who had locked the gate and that's why he was acting so aggressively and defensively. I pulled off, fuming at the idiocy of the whole situation! Michaela had found a way to exit on foot, climbing up and around the corner of the fencing, so she was long gone!

It must be said that we had unseasonably beautiful weather while Beth was here in Baños. It's winter here now and therefore rainy season, but we had crystal clear skies and bright sunny days all week. It rained at night which meant that the volcano wore a brilliant white snowcap on each clear morning! Beth works as a technical writer so she

Beth Angel

Since we were 'stuck' in Baños, we visited some of the local tourist sites

is very tech savvy. She brought down with her a new HP laptop for me...and just in the nick of time! My old HP (which has lasted for almost 12 years!) was ready to bite the dust. A few weeks earlier I had spilled some water near it, causing the keyboard to malfunction (when I pressed any key on the left side, it typed that whole row of letters!). I was now using an external keyboard, an external modem flash drive, and the battery no longer held a charge at all so it always had to be plugged in. Beth spent the better part of several days loading my new laptop with all of my photos, my music, my documents, and the programs I most needed. She was incredibly patient, answering questions which revealed my limited tech skills and very basic understanding. I'm eternally grateful for her knowledge, her assistance and her generosity. Since I'd laid out the money for hotel deposits, Beth refused to accept any payment (a $580 computer that she got for $320). In the end one hotel agreed to refund my deposit, so I ended up getting a new laptop for just over $100.

Farewell Dinner

Danielle was set to hop an evacuation flight the next morning, so we four gals went out for an elegant meal.

Danielle's stay in my rental apartment was drawing to a close. She was supposed to travel to Guayaquil to meet up with her niece for a trip to the Galapagos and a drive up the coast, but she too was trapped by the roadblocks. Shana's daughter had been visiting with her sons and she found an evacuation flight from the small airport in Shell, 45 minutes east of Baños at the best of times. She left her rental car at the hotel and they were successfully led to the airport on a four hour odyssey, walking across five roadblocks with their luggage, being met by vehicles on the other side of each and escorted by tourist police when the protestors became aggressive. Seeing that they'd successfully caught the flight, Danielle booked it for the following day. We had a farewell dinner in town the night before she departed.

Beth stayed on a few more days, waiting to see if the protests would calm. I had offered her my master suite (hey, I get to enjoy it all the time...why shouldn't someone else have a

Bedroom Window

Snow-capped Mama Tungurahua greets the morning after a rainy night

chance to appreciate its beauty!) and I slept in my old room which is now my office space and has a single bed. When the talks broke down between the government and the indigenous and the protests became more conflictive and violent, Beth decided to get on a flight out as well. Her adventure was even more harrowing...after finally making it to the airport and then waiting all day in Shell, the flight was cancelled at nightfall. All 36 people hoping to fly that day were crammed into the one small hotel in town, sharing rooms with folks they'd just met that morning! As a result, Beth missed her JetBlue flight to the US as well as her flights to California from Florida. In the end it took her three full days to finally get home. In spite of her visit not going as originally planned, she was super easy-going and flexible about how everything turned out and, in the end, quite happy with her adventures in Ecuador. I hope she'll be back, maybe with her hubby!

I continue to enjoy cooking for friends and neighbors several times a week. I

Farewell to Jeanne and Caento

A joyful evening warmed my dining room with friends and fun.

love to entertain - take out my pretty dishware and surround my dining table with laughter and joy. Right after Danielle left, some old friends who got 'stuck' in Baños during the strike asked if they could rent the apartment until they were able to travel north to their new home near Otavalo. Colin is a drone photography enthusiast and he took some awesome aerial and 360 pics of my house and my street while he and his wife Lori were hunkering down and waiting for the strike to end. Stay tuned to see some of those photos in my next blog entry! Lori helped me sort and triage shells and baubles for some of my art projects. While they were here, I invited some other friends. Jeanne & Caento, for a farewell meal before they caught the last evacuation flight north to head back to their home in the US. Colin brought out a bottle of tequila and together with Shana and Maricarmen we had a lunch/supper that lasted into the evening. Fun folks!

Don't stop here! Keep scrolling down and click next to see 20 more great fotos that

Serena the Sirena

The mermaid mosaic project continues...next blog entry will have more artwork to share!

go along with this blog entry. Next time, my latest mosaic projects - just completed but no room to show them here! thanks for reading! drop me a note, if you please!

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