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Published: July 27th 2009
IT MUST BE FATE!
We were going to leave yesterday, we really were, even though I kept having the nagging thought, "Maybe we should stay just one more day." But it was one of those things—a friend in Manta (on the coast) was expecting us, we'd checked out at El Meson, said our goodbyes, and packed our bags. We'd even found Diego, our friendly cab driver, to take us a couple of miles out of town to connect with the bus to Quito. We were almost at the bus stop when the hotel reached Diego on his cell to tell us that we'd forgotten our VISA card at the front desk!
Back to Cotacachi we went. "Maybe it's a sign!" I thought. Now I've really tried to outgrow the "it's a sign" thing because of all the times I've messed up my life following so-called "signs," but the truth is that I still love the unexplainable and maybe in this mystical, magical valley one can pay attention to "signs" without fear of the Fates saying, "Ha ha! Gotcha again!"
Anyway, I rationalized, there aren't many flights on Sunday and we probably missed the one I'd hoped for. (No
internet availability to make reservations on the in-country airlines right now for some reason). Thankfully, our saintly amiga in Manta is very understanding and patient. And besides, there was music playing on the church steps when we returned. Our "Welcome Home" band, I'm sure. That's another sign, right?
So...after picking up our VISA and a quick check-in at Arbolita Hostal (lovely Ecuadorian family, $30 a night for two, including taxes, but no wi-fi), we returned to the Plaza. Confirmation Mass was being celebrated by the Bishop and there were rows of beautiful boys and girls in white. We left, then returned, but I missed the procession I'd hoped to capture. Most of the closeup "character shots" today were taken on the Church steps. Some beautiful people and great faces. And so many young mothers with children. We haven't seen any girls who look pregnant, but somehow so many of them seem to have babies! Or as Jack says, "Babies having babies."
One of the things I wanted to do here was go to Cuicocha Crater, 20 minutes and $5 out of town via taxi. Diego drove us up—elevation 9,000 ft.—we had lunch, and hiked a little on a
Old Man
Sitting on the church stepsgood trail that's supposed to go five miles around the lake. There's also a boat that toodles around, but it was a breezy and it didn't look like that much fun. There's a few islands in the middle of the lake and, like everything else here, it's a sacred spot. Shamans apparently go to the islands to perform special ceremonies. The lake's so deep that they couldn't retrieve a car that decided to go for a swim. Apparently there's a tractor down there, too. And maybe Freddo?
Then...one more irresistible visit to check out the site of the Juhua Pacha condos. Some new friends had just had their container of furniture delivered yesterday from the States. How the container delivery works is that you must have residency before you can have it delivered. Residency is apparently easy to get. They had absolutely no problems with their container either. Nothing missing, nothing broken. The mover was great, they said. Their belongings came in on a ship that docked in Guayaquil in southern Ecuador. On the way up to Cotacachi, the mover picked up some sweet helpers from Otavalo who unloaded the truck. They are only the second people to move
into these new condos (four homes to a building) on a hill overlooking Cotacachi. Eventually there will be 10 buildings and amenities like a clubhouse and a tennis court.
"Jahua Pacha" means Heaven in the local Kichwa language and the views from their front window tell you it's well-named. By the way, there "just happened" to be a brochure for the place staring at us on the front desk of our new hostal. Maybe that's why we had to return? The places are beautifully constructed with to die-for views. Another sign? Hmmmm....
Another discovery... We ran into a lovely young family staying at El Meson tonight. They'd been to a village called San Antonio near here. Like Cotacachi is famous for its leather products, San Antonio is famous for its woodworking. The young dad showed me some photos he'd taken. Amazing work. Another interesting thing about San Antonio is that they have 3-4 feet of topsoil. That was the one negative we noted about Jahua Pacha...literally no topsoil. Fine dust was blowing everywhere for now. Anyway, if you appreciate beautiful carvings, etc., you might want to make a note about San Antonio.
Maybe we should stay just
Interesting Men
(The program requires me to write a title, but sometimes I don't really have anything to say). Most photos speak for themselves, yes? one more day...?
~BY JACK~
"CUNA"
Our "going away party" was punctuated by numerous speeches. Interestingly, apparently Ecuador isn't the macho society that is the Mexico tradition. There were not quite as many female as male speakers, but a number none the less. The speakers were all celebrating the same theme. My Spanish is woefully inadequate and, of course, my knowledge of their indigenous language is non-existent, but the theme was unity and cohesion. The message I learned from the speeches is that Cotacachi considers itself a world center for the advancement of togetherness. "Cuna", the property of oneness, was celebrated by all the speakers and it was a oneness that reached north to the Americas and east to Africa. Cuna was what had made Cotacochi the success that it is and cuna will continue to be the driving energy for the new administration.
HOUSING
Cotacachi has been discovered by the gringo and the inevitable growth that follows rich gringos is evident in the upgrades to "Leather Street," the modernization of existing structures, and the budding building boom of new housing, single family and condos. The price of new housing is attractive. "Primavera II" is close
Shirley Temple South
Love that pout! Mama had just taken something away from her. This is the Ecuadorian child version of a "meltdown." Sweet, sweet kids! to town, has great views, is quiet and offers a three bedroom, three bath condo for $54,500. One couple we met is at the stage of completion of their private home that they went to Otavalo yesterday to buy a cat. Their home is one of four in a small complex. With all the extra custom cabinetry in their approximately 1600 square foot home, they have $104,000 invested. The "Heaven" condos Katie talked about are located within walking distance of town and sited for absolutely drop-dead knock your socks off vistas of the surrounding mountains and sell about 1800 square feet for $75,000 on the ground floor and $99,000 on the upper floors with vaulted ceilings and outdoor terraces front and rear. (This gringo and a real estate agent appear in one of the photos in front of one of the buldings earlier in this blog.)
WHAT BRINGS YOU TO ECUADOR ?
We met approximately thirty five people during our five day stay in Cotacachi. Most were gringos, of course. Inevitably we were asked, "Where are you from?," a question I hate to be asked because the answer, no matter what you concoct, tends to identify you and imprint
your image in the questioner forever. Saying you're from Beverly Hills or Greenwich, Connecticut creates one image; saying you're Oxnard or Hoboken, New Jersey creates another. In self defense, I learned to ask, "What brings you to Ecuador?" The answers identify the answerer and imprint their image in the mind of this questioner forever. For instance, one gringo in Cotacachi who recently left Ajijic (Lake Chapala, Mexico) answered," the arrival of Walmart and the inevitable imminent arrival of McDonald's."
Three people we met told us essentially the same story as to why they were escaping from Canada or the States. Only the evil villains differ. There's at least a small cadre of people who are moving to Ecuador because the United States, after going bankrupt, will have built concentration camps throughout the country with railroad tracks running into the camps. The cars which are destined to run on these tracks have shackles for 180 people in each car to keep the victims constrained during the travel. The victims will be captured by a secret army made up of soldiers who don't speak English but who are trained to obey the orders of the facist government of the United
States. The Facist government is under the control, take your choice, of the Illuminati or the Zionists or a coalition of world bankers, which in all cases include the Rockerfellers and the Rothchilds. Ecuador is the country of choice for these folks because the philosophy of the Ecuadorean government is to welcome outsiders, there's fertile soil and pure water aplenty, and "like minded" souls are gathering to form the New World Order. The condor (Ecuador) and the eagle (North America) will soar through the pristine air over the Andes together. Hmmm.
PHYSIOLOGY
I saw an eight year old girl wearing eyeglasses today. All of a sudden I realized Ecudoreans don't wear eyeglasses. (Of course that's not 100% true, but true enough for the purpose of this observation.) We've seen old women embroidering the beautifully decorated blouses that are a staple in the wardrobe of the indigenous women. They don't wear glasses. We've seen merchant after merchant crocheting leather scraps into shawls and ponchos. They don't wear glasses. Women without glasses husk corn, shell peas, cut small bits of meat into even smaller bits. Are those who require glasses to see better denied the therapy of glasses because they can't
afford them? I think not. This is a pretty prosperous town. Is it an organic diet? Altitude? Genetic? Beats me, but it's true. After noticing the eight year old girl we walked through a crowd of what may have been five hundred people. We saw three eyeglass wearers. Like I say, beats me.
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Ardenito
non-member comment
A new "Good Morning? Daily, I hope!
Your blog is totally delightful and most welcomed... and those photos!!!!... even more'so todays shots of the many "madonnas and child" are so fantastic and I can see a very public photo display in your future... like in Ajijic. PLEASE! I'm hooked on this (daily?) fix.... along with the coffee, of course.