Saying goodbye to Cayambe

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After almost 2 months in Cayambe it was very hard to say goodbye, both to the children in the schools and to the wonderful family I had been staying with.

The final days in the schools were all a bit frantic, due to a mixture of English exams and unpredictable but frequent rehearsals for important processions the following week. The evenings were frantic too, with a stack of corrections - why did I make those exams so long??? However, on my last day in Escuela San Luis de Guachalá, the seventh graders surprised me with a farewell party, for which they had prepared a dance to a song with lyrics in English. In my other school (Escuela Antonio de Alcedo) the second graders, after an almost perfect rendition of “Head Shoulders Knees and Toes”, treated me to a series of children’s songs in Spanish complete with actions - then just about strangled me with hugs. For photos of the children in both schools, see my previous entry.

On my final Saturday night I went with Oswaldo, Blancita and Sebastian to a peña (a traditional bar where there is live music). Before the acts came on I was tempted by some karaoke and managed to find a Beatles number to perform. Was really wishing I’d learned something to sing in Spanish, as the English lyrics generated a bit of a puzzled muttering round the room. Guess I was the first “gringa” to sing in there then! Soon afterwards, the real music kicked off and the dancing started. It was a great night, with lots of local music and a packed dance floor. Half way through the night I was serenaded on stage by a young man called Javier who later proposed to me in front of Oswaldo and Blancita. (He called me the next day to apologise for his drunken behaviour!) I think Blancita was quietly disappointed that it didn’t result in a “yes” - she doesn’t understand why I’m not married yet, "especially given I know how to cook"!

The next day I headed into town to say goodbye to the other members of the family who had all made me feel so welcome during my time there. I had also promised Blancita and Oswaldo’s great-nephew Michael a game of football a while back, but there had not been an opportunity, so (despite being a bit tired from the exertions of the night before) today was the day.

Later, Blancita and Oswaldo, and their children and grandchildren, organized a farewell party for me, complete with cake. It was a very emotional farewell - let’s just say I kept the sunglasses on!

After a slow start on Monday morning (I really didn’t want to leave), Blancita and Oswaldo saw me off on the bus and I headed back to Quito, excited about the prospect of traveling, but still very sad to be leaving behind the good times and the new family I had gained in Cayambe.

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Photos

Oswaldo, Blancita and Sebastian
Night out on my final weekend in Cayambe.

With Javier
who was about to serenade me, and later proposed

On top of the world
On "La Bola" - the monument to the equator just outside the house

Blancita and Oswaldo...
outside the house