It seems like every weekend there is some sort of celebration in little Cotacachi. Saturday night the music was so loud that it sounded like they were playing outside our bedroom window. They party until about 4 am. The sound carries easily through the hills just like it does over water. Sunday afternoon we could still hear the celebration going on so we decided to follow the sounds to investigate.
Turns out that a bullfight was taking place but with young bulls and young children. We learned that part of the culture of Ecuador involves kids and bulls in a ring together, but it’s not really a dangerous situation for either kid or animal. But they were having so much fun and it was exciting to watch!
Young kids and young bulls prance and dance around each other in the bull ring. The crowd cheers, gasps, and laughs. Nobody gets hurt and the audience fun factor is high.
There was what I would say was a close call when a young teenage boy fell on the ground and did not make it back to the safety of the fence in time. The young bull was butting the boy with his head. But his amigo came to his rescue and neither the boy nor the bull was injured. As you can see in the picture that follows, there is give and take as the boy challenges the bull, and the bull challenges the boy in return. The primary elements are a bull, a human, and a blanket instead of a cape. Missing are the spears that bring pain and suffering to the animal. Boys and girls all have a chance to tease and play with the young animals. Sometimes there are half a dozen children racing around a bull in the ring. There’s excitement, drama, fun, and a little anxiety because the bulls do have horns and some of the bulls are pretty feisty.
The whole atmosphere is like a carnival. Lots of food vendors and rides for the children. Everyone was having a wonderful time.
Bill bought some sort of sausage and various meats on a stick. But I decided to opt for roasted corn on a stick dipped in butter and then smothered in cheese. It was wonderful.
I have no idea what the goat on top of the car means. Maybe they raise goats and this is how they advertise?
It is hard to see in this pic but there is a bucket on the bottom left side. There was a man with a bucket of some sort of drink. He was trying to give us each a cup. Of course, I declined since I was not going to drink something that I had no idea what it was or where it came from. The man kept insisting that we try it without charge. Billy Boy finally gave in and tried it and said it was very good. However, I was still not going to try the unknown drink. Later we found out it is called:
Chicha (CHEE-chah)
Fermented maize or cassava drink. Traditionally, the corn was broken down by being chewed by whoever was making it. It’s frequently served street-side during festivals and holiday events. Yuk so glad I did not drink it! Certainly not what I want to try.
Earlier in the day, we saw this young girl and man riding their horses right down the middle of Leather Street. Behind them was a young unbridled horse that just followed along. It is not unusual to see horses in town. The girl does not look happy about the whole situation.
Baby Goat
A baby goat was born in the pasture behind our house. It is so friendly that it will come to you and let you pet it. In the pic, I was afraid to bend all the way down in fear that the mother would become angry and come after me. The little goat also began to eat my jeans. My little granddaughter has named the baby “hungry boo”. A few days later Bill was walking down the path and ‘hungry boo” just started to follow him like a little dog. He had to be shooed back to his mother.
Otavalo
Note the snow on the peak of Mama Cotacachi.
Pizza Night: Arbol de Montalvo – Restaurante
A true pizza oven
Me Wyatt Bruce
(not pictured Bill & Bob)
The end to a perfect day was placing a call to my good friend in Arlington. Magic Jack certainly worked the magic in getting to connect with Sandra.
This special treatment is oriented towards the total relaxation of the entire body. Incorporated in this treatment are stones, energized in the Equatorial Sun, and natural formations found in the volcanic rocks of this mystical region. Both of these elements influence the mind, spirit and soul.
I was immersed in a warm bathtub that looked like a cave covered in crystals. A roaring fire was burning in the fireplace. I was given crystals to hold in each hand and crystals were gently rubbed on my face, arms, and legs. Rose petrels were added to the bath. The ritual bath combines crystal energized water, mineral salts, medicinal herbs and the aroma of the medicinal Palo Santo plant found in the Machalilla National Park of Ecuador.
The therapist then assisted me onto the massage table and covered me with warm blankets! She then proceeded to align my Chakras (which are the center force, located within our esthetic body) which are very important in restoring the natural harmony of the body. Then I was given a full warm stone body massage.
After the treatment I was led to the eucalyptus room which had exotic candles burning as well as salt lamps and a nice fire in the fire place. My feet were placed on a cushion and I was served a delicious hot tea.
The entire treatment was magical!
Twelve Grapes at Midnight or Black-eyed peas?
It’s a tradition to eat Hoppin’ John, a stew made of black-eyed peas, in the American South. “Many Southerners believed that the black-eyed peas symbolized coins and eating them insured economic prosperity for the coming year”. Well no blackened peas here.
The Ecuadorian New Year’s custom is to eat 12 grapes for 12 months of good luck. But here’s the catch: to bring about a year’s worth of good fortune, you must start eating the grapes when the clock strikes midnight, then eat one for each toll of the clock. The best strategy? “Just take a solid bite and then swallow, pits and all.
Apparently New Year’s is a much bigger holiday than Christmas even though the Ecuadorians are about 95% Catholic. One of Latin America’s most colorful — and bizarre — traditions is the year-end burning of the dummies. When the clock ticks over to 2014 an observer with a good vantage point in will behold an other-worldly sight of thousands of burning dummies and a sky filled with smoke and fireworks. Think Danté’s hell. Think Mad Max. Think Happy New Year.
Most dummies, called año viejos because they represent the old year, are made of cloth and filled either with sawdust, ground cardboard, straw, or leaves. Others are made of paper maché. Dummy faces are masks representing everyone from presidents and city councilmen to wayward family members. Most of the masks are paper maché and hand-made, although some are manufactured plastic. The dummy’s’ stuffing often contains firecrackers and, occasionally, Chinese rockets, which are set off during the immolation. These sacrificial offerings do not go gently into that good night.
The dummy tradition goes back at least two centuries, but its origin is largely a mystery. Visitors to Ecuador report the practice in the early 1800s. Several history books report, without providing sources, that the practice combines ancient Andean ritual with Spanish rites of the 1700s, most likely connected with the Feast of St. Joseph. Although it began in Ecuador, the tradition was spread, reportedly by Catholic priests and monks, to other Latin American countries.
The meaning of the event seems simple enough: out with the old and, we can assume, in with the new. It’s the symbolic catharsis and purification. For good measure, many celebrants jump over the burning or smoldering dummies three times at midnight. Each year, several of the dozens of folks who show up in emergency rooms on New Year’s Eve have the misfortune of jumping into an exploding rocket.
Although the burning are practiced all over Ecuador. On New Year’s Eve, the city sees dozens of neighborhood block parties, complete with bands, open bars, and roaming and noticeably unsteady troubadours accompanied by barking dogs. The highlight of the evening in every corner of the city is the burning of the dummies in the streets.
Although politicians are popular dummies and Presidents Rafael Cornea and Barak Obama will burn hundreds of times during the night, some are of friends and family members of the cremators. Many turnings aren’t simply acts of “good-riddance,” but are conducted with hopes of cleansing bad habits. According to Ecuadorian writer Juana Córdova Pozo, “This tradition is a powerful feature of our culture. For us, it is an important act of renewal. It helps us to partly erase the past, both the good and bad. We are leaving things behind that must be left behind.”
“For many, the fire is a symbolic element that has the ability to scare off evil –- which we literally see vanishing in the smoke.”
New Year’s Eve: La Mirage Style
So what do the Henry’s have in common with the Queen of Spain? Well we both have spent New Year’s Eve at La Mirage. Unfortunately the Queen was not present this year but lots of interesting people certainly were.
What better way to start 2014 than at La Mirage? Well it certainly was not a mirage but a magical evening with making new friends, splendor of La Mirage all decked out in decorations, fine dinning, good wine, fireworks and dancing. I think pic’s can describe this better than anything I can write.
Prayer in the La Mirage Chapel before dinner.
Senior Michel decided to pair Bill and I with another couple for dinner. Turns out that they had both lived in Arlington not far from our house. Nancy is an RN and worked at Arlington Memorial Hospital. She knew a friend of mine from Desert Storm and a friend of Bill’s from Downtown Singles. This certainly makes me believe in the Six Degrees of Separation theory.
Nancy and Martin currently live in Quito and told us where we can find real cheddar cheese! Oh my a trip to Quito is in our upcoming plans.
Texas friends: Martin & Nancy.
Our table.
Martin and Chef. Later the chef drove us home…how nice is that?
Me!
Fire works start outside. Note the USA flag!
Dummy to be burned at La Mirage!
Bill with some sort of rocket!
Billy boy ready to party!
Dinner Menu
Amuse Boucher – offered by Chef
Rabbit Ravioli in Red Wine Reduction
Quail Consommé
Sherbet of Albahaca
Ginger Tempura Prawn & Grilled Grouper with Crab Meat in a delicate Mandarin Sauce
Sherbet of Green Apple with White Wine
Argentinean Lamp Chop, on top of Quino Llapingacho filled with Goat Cheese, Mint Sauce
Sherbet Guanabana with Champagne Accent
Seared Duck Breast with a rich orange cinnamon reduction, Boutique Potatoes
Phyllo Baked Pear, Ruby Port Reduction
Homemade Rose Sherbet with petals, atop Cherry Brandy Roulade
To be honest The print on the menu was so small and along with the candle light I did not realize what I ate until going back over this menu for my blog! I have to admit every was delicious but oh my rabbit, duck, goat cheese and lamb are not something I would ever order much less consume. The portions were petit otherwise we never would have made it through so many courses. I am so glad I did not know I did not know what was eating. Thank havens it was not Guinea Pig!
My brother reminded me as is our family tradition to say “rabbit”at midnight. Of course I forgot yo do this as well as forgot to eat those 12 grapes. I wonder if eating rabbit will count instead of actually saying “rabbit”? I doubt the rabbit would agree.
New Year’s Day Breakfast
Bill wanted to host New Year’s Day breakfast for the folks in our HOA just like he did in Texas. He made breakfast tacos. I made Mora (raspberry) enchiladas to replace the standard cherry that I make and to be honest they were better than the cherry. We served Bloody Mary’s and had a great time getting to know our neighbors better. It was such a hit they want to something similar each month taking turns hosting. Honestly, I thought that this was one tradition we would leave in Texas! But Bill enjoys this event so much each year! He does the majority of the work. Usually we do not go out on New Years Eve but this year we went to La Mirage and did not get home until around 1a so it was a challenge to get up early and start to haul everything to the club house. I had to go to a neighbors to cook the Mora enchiladas since I do not gave an oven.
We have a young Ecuadorian couple that have a baby and a little boy that will be building a house in March. The both speak English and were such a delight. They used to have 2 rose plantations so we will be able to get lots of advise on growing flowers. The young women said she will help us with Spanish and in turn we will help her with English. The two children will be surrounded by lots of San Miguel grandparents.
Happy New Year to all our friends and family! The adventure continues!
