WOAH - where did the time go?

I apologize that I haven’t been doing a very good job of keeping my blog updated…We are just so busy! But I will try to provide a quick recap of events here.

Wednesday, June 24
We stayed home to write about Inti Raymi and our work in Peguche. Stuckart said, “It’s important to capture the detail before you lose it, because then it’s just story-telling.”
We headed into town for lunch and tried this little Italian place. There was burlap everywhere, even as a substitute for a wall. Jason thought it was a bit shady; I thought it was awesome. Lol! But the food was awesome and that’s all that matters.
Then, we did a bit of shopping, as we both needed retail therapy after our Inti Raymi experiences. We got some knock-offs that put us in a great mood.

Thursday, June 25
After writing for what seemed like FOR-EV-ERRR, we got a call from Stuckart saying there was something going on in Capilla (chapel) near Otavalo. Although we were both wary of Inti Raymi, we were excited to get out of the house and have a break from writing.

Once again, my heart quickened when we arrived in Capilla because I felt like I was at McKean County Fair! There were kiddie carnival rides & games set up. We even saw people pulling taffy! There were cotton candy & ice cream vendors, too! This kind of Inti Raymi celebration, I can handle!

I decided that the food here could be a problem for me; it’s so good! I just will NEVER need to eat chicken and rice again in my life. Lol. But I love empanadas! Haha. They’re like these fluffy fried bits of heaven. And everything has a ton of sugar here. I may be diabetic by the time we leave, but I’m enjoying it…

“Highlight” of the day: Miguel, Stuckart, & I saw 2 drunk old men – probably in their 70s – fighting about 5 feet in front of us. I found it really sad, gifured they were alcoholics – the festivals had taken their toll. They were so drunk, they couldn’t even hit each other (thank goodness!), just fell on the ground. Thankfully, 2 men cam and broke it up – what I wanted to do all along but knew I couldn’t.

Friday, June 26
Another day of writing and shopping for pirated movies and music to keep us going :)

Saturday, June 27
Big market day

I spent some time with Doña Carmen at her stall in the market, but we have about the same level of Spanish, so conversations require a lot of gesturing and guessing. After a while, I walked around and did a little shopping. I say a little because I only had like $10, but you’d be surprised what that can get you here…

Later, we went to a discoteca! Waaaay fun!!!! I think I surprised everyone that I could dance and that I was so willing to do so. Everyone else was more hesitant…I was only missing a partner! They played salsas, sambas, merengues, bachatas… It was definitely a workout; our bodies ached by the end of the “night” (we left at 3AM), but it was worth it!!

Sunday, June 28
Let me tell you, we all SLEPT IN! haha. It was a wonderful lazy day, as Sundays should be. Jason and I did a little shopping (surprise, surprise). I feel better when it’s spread out over several days because it seems as though I’m spending less and it’s easier to carry. Lol. That evening, we went to a volleyball game. It was cold & they weren’t very good. There were a lot of errors. The rules are a little different, thought, as carries are allowed. But it was interesting to see a game here.

Monday, June 29
We were enjoying yet another day of writing when we got a call from Stuckart, telling us to go to the Campos’ neighbor’s house in Peguche. When we got there, they were stringing fruit – which Stuckart had paid for, our invitation to the event. Jason & I didn’t want to be there – we couldn’t stop ourselves from recalling the horrors of our last Inti Raymi event there (read Jason’s blog for details…) – so we wandered around and took pictures. We stayed away for as long as we dared & when we were on our way back, Paccha found us to tell us it was time to eat; I wished we’d stayed gone longer (I’m pretty sure this is the food that got us sick…). It was really funny when Jason dumped his soup all over. He was so embarrassed, but the dogs loved him for it!

Then came the fun – for real! Paccha asked if we wanted to wear traditional clothes; I said, “Por supuesto.” (Of course!). I followed her into the house and tried not to laugh as she scurried around, trying to find things that would fit me (I’m much taller than most indigenous women, and apparently, I have big arms). She’s so cute! When she finally found everything, her job wasn’t over – poor girl. She had to help me get dressed – rather, she had to dress me! Haha. I could put the blouse on by myself, but that was about it. There are 2 separate anacos (skirts) that are just big pieces of fabric that must be wrapped & tucked to create the proper folds/side pleats. The shirt is tucked into the skirts, light underneath, dark on top, both of wool. Then come 2 belts – 1 for function, 1 for fashion as it matches the color in the shirt of that day. Either Paccha thought I was tiny or it’s fashionable to wear tight belts, but let me tell you, I couldn’t breathe! Jason teased that I just need to lose weight, but they were on my ribs; can’t do anything about that! Then, we had to pull my skirts up a little because that’s what a girl does when she’s looking for a novio (boyfriend). I tried to tell her that I had one already, but she still thought it was necessary. Next came alpargatas (sandals) that were a bit small. Then came the necklace and shawl that goes over 1 shoulder. Later, Paccha came running down the road after us, holding a bright pink cloth that is worn many ways: folded over 1 shoulder, on the head to protect from sun/cold, as a shawl, etc. Basically, getting dressed was a chore for Paccha – although I think she had fun – and an experience for me!

Then, it was time to show it off. Stuckart called it my prom dress & said it was a great photo opp. Then, he made me go outside to take more pics. O dios mio! Everyone started chattering, laughing, pointing, whistling! How embarrassing!!! Stuckart & Jason thought it was HILARIOUS until they realized they were getting dressed up too. Haha.

We walked along the road toward Otavalo. Great: 3 gringos on display. Let’s be honest, I felt like I stood out more when I was dressed like them than I did ANY other time! We stopped several times to dance, on every corner. At a gas station, some guy was recording the dancing on his cell phone; when we danced by, he said, “Look at those Indians!” Too funny!!! All eyes were on us for the entire evening, but it was really fun!!!

Tuesday, June 30
We wrote because we weren’t feeling well, then went to town for lunch. While we were there, we decided to go shopping. Wouldn’t you know that I didn’t have my ATM card or a lot of cash (we never carry much, following the rule “if you can’t afford to lose it, don’t have it with you”)! Major bummer! Two ATM runs later for Jason – he was supplying both of us – we decided we’d done enough damage.

Then, we went to Ibarra, back to the Cultural Center, to watch a show called “Entre Sábanas” (Between the Sheets!). But we didn’t know the meaning until later – we had a good laugh about that! Based off the name, you can probably gather as much as we understood from watching the show…Lol. They were mimes, so the only sound came from music & whistles they used in one scene. It was really weird, but funny. And it was nice to go to the theater.

Wednesday, July 1
By now, Jason & I were sick. We didn’t know what was wrong, but we went to Peguche because we thought we needed to. When we came home, we had some excitement. Jason’s toilet had been clogged, but he was too embarrassed to say anything. He finally fessed up, but she misunderstood the problem (thinking it wouldn’t flush like mine) and tried the handle. Big mistake!! We suddenly hear wooshing water and a surprised “O!” from Cristina as Jason & I sit helpless at the breakfast table. She came down for a broom, refused our offer to help, & went back upstairs like a warrior. (Keep in mind that this woman has a presence; we affectionately call her the Queen when she isn’t around – but it really is a compliment) When we went upstairs, we saw the useless broom leaning against the stairwell wall & water all the way out of the bathroom to the top of the stairs. I can only speculate as to how it got there…

Thursday, July 2
Another Peguche day. I showed them brochures & postcards I’d brought from home so they could see what it’s like where I live. I had a rough go trying to explain some things, but my show & tell was super fun. Thankfully, I finally found an English-Spanish dictionary; it was VERY helpful. Olga and Matilda were fascinated with the pictures of snow. They couldn’t believe how different things look in the winter and the summer. Carmen was quite taken with Main St. of Bradford: 3 lanes (at the end), places to park & walk, & it is all paved! I think she’s probably the only person I’ve ever met to enjoy Main St. so much, but it’s understandable when you think about the roads in Peguche: paving stones at one time, but much of it is dirt now. They kept about ½ my info “as a present to remember me by.” They had me write my name and year as reminders and then told me I’d have to come back & visit so they didn’t forget me. They seemed genuinely sad that I was leaving in 2 weeks, and so was I!

Friday, July 3
Let’s just say today was an experience (like 7 pgs in my diary)…
(Read Jason’s blog)

Saturday, July 4
We spent our Independence Day resting and wishing we were home to celebrate. It was somewhat ironic that Cristina put us on house arrest – in her opinion, we needed to stay home and rest. I was bummed that I didn’t get to market to shop.

Sunday, July 5
We tried to go to church this morning, but we were apparently too late. We came home and read the newspaper – in Spanish, of course (which is actually easier for me than listening/speaking). Then, we went to a friend’s house – where Cristina had found a Pre-Columbian potshard – and watched Cristina and José work. From José, we learned that people often find silver and gold in the walls of old homes. We were surprised when we arrived at the house: it was in the middle of town; we had expected it to be on the outskirts of town if it had treasures, but with José’s statement, it made more sense. It was really entertaining to watch our host parents work – this is what they do (archeology). Cristina was digging in a hole and José was walking around with a metal detector! Loved it!

That evening, we did get to go to the Echeverria’s Catholic Church. We were late once again (hey, Latin Americans operate on their own concept of time; efficiency is a North American concept, according to Stuckart). I got nothing of the message, as it was in Spanish, but that gave me time to observe. Dogs slept or playing in the aisles; children climbed over pews, ran in the aisles, playing with toys; adults seemed restless. Definitely unlike any service I’d been to! The priest sat under the whitest Jesus I’ve ever seen – he was whiter than I am! – on the cross, of course. Then came the music. It was some odd sort of electronic techno melody with 2 live female singers. It was interesting…

Monday, July 6
We got Chinese food to celebrate us feeling better. While we waited, we drank some pop to hold us over. I tried not to laugh when Cristina ordered a special warm one for Jason – following the doctor’s orders to the tee! (He’d had a throat infection, so super cold things apparently were off-limits) I love Cristina, but she’s so funny. She really is like our warden: commanding us to take our medicine, wear shoes/socks (the floor is cold), put on a jacket, don’t leave the house, etc. It’s comical, though, because she does it out of concern.After lunch, Jason & I decided to do a little shopping at the Plaza. But a little turned into A LOT! It was great, though, because I got the majority of my shopping done in one day. Without voicing it, we came up with a great plan: when Jason wanted something, I bargained for him & vice versa. It works well because you can get a better deal when you aren’t emotionally attached to the item. Thank goodness, too, because I spent enough money as it is! But we both got a lot of great gifts.

Ok, there´s the major recap!