July was the first Chili-Cook off competition at Airport Suites in Quito, Ecuador. Bill prepared the chili using an old fashion cast iron pot that he brought from Texas. He used his outside gas stove top nestled in our outside kitchen. He added a variety of different pork sausages, fire roasted tomatoes and my secret mixture of Texas spices. NO BEANS! Carlos from Taco Bello in Otavalo prepared a large thermos filled with complimentary margarita’s. Everyone loved his chili and the margarita’s was a nice touch!
August was the next Chili Cook-Off in little Cotacachi, Ecuador hosted by the L&S Farm. There were around 400 folks attending. The competition was stiff this year. Bill had won twice before. However, last year he did have Carlos come and make complimentary margaritas .Buffalo Bill just called this marketing. Did it make a difference? This year the entries were told no alcohol beverages. Some folks thought the margarita’s gave Bill an edge. So we tried to come up with another marketing strategy. Our friend Bob Horn suggested Bill wear his cow outfit. We had the cow suit from parties we had in Texas. So we located the forgotten suit and Bill wore it! Well he won hands down. So he did not need margarita’s and I am not sure if the cow outfit made a difference but he does prepare the best darn chili with a Texas kick. You can take the man out of Texas but you cannot take Texas out of the man.
Highlights are in the video below….enjoy.
Some folks think Bill should not enter next year to give others a chance to win. A year is a long way off and who knows. What do you think?
The annual Fiesta de la Jora was in full swing in little Cotacachi, Ecuador. A favorite is the Paseo del Chagra Horse Parade. The horses prance eagerly at the bridge that leads into Cotacachi. The riders are anxious to get the show on the road. Soon you hear the hoofs tapping on the road and each horse and rider show off their skills. The horses have been adorned with brightly colored ribbons and matching socks. So from very young to seasoned riders are demonstrating and showing off their pride with their horses.
Enjoy the video with highlights of the parade. A special thank you to the photographer Bill Dale.
Gosh, we are now going on 9 years since we moved from Texas to the little town of Cotacachi, Ecuador nestled between 2 volcanos high in the Andes mountains. I was first introduced to the little red bracelet custom after a La Mirage massage treatment. The tiny bracelet was tied to my left wrist while I lay on the massage table. The left wrist is closer to the heart, and this side of the body has more emotional value cause of the proximity to the heart. I learned that the red bracelet’s meaning varies slightly in different cultures but nowadays it is almost always used as a symbol of luck and protection when worn around the wrist. It is believed to protect the wearer from harm and bring good luck. In some cultures, the red thread is also worn as a symbol of faith in their spiritual beliefs.
No one ever told me that I should never take the bracelet off until it literally just fell off. So, I have not been compliant out of ignorance. I now have a wide selection of red bracelets but from now on I only will keep my favorite one on my wrist until it does fall off. When it does fall off I can replace it with a new one as a reminder of happy memories.
Recently, I began to research what religion was tied to the red bracelets. What I learned is the significance of wearing the red bracelet can be seen in several different religions for example Buddhism, Hinduism Judaism, and, Christianity.
Buddhism the red bracelet is worn to remind themselves to show empathy, compassion, and kindness to others.
In Christianity red is a symbol of Pentecost. Wearing the red bracelet on the left wrist is a symbol of fire the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ or the martyred Saints.
In the United States, the red string began to grow popular in the 1990s. Celebrities began wearing them as they joined Philip Berg’s “Kabbalah Center.”
Some of the traditional benefits the red string bracelet is said to bless us with:
Positive energies, gaining a closer connection with the Holy Spirit
Success, prosperity, and God’s blessings (“good luck”)
Overall happiness and harmony
Protection from the “evil eye” and witchcraft from external sources
Protection from dark forces and negative energies from within
Protection from negative thoughts and misfortunes both from others and from self
The most common scripture referenced in relation to the scarlet string is likely Genesis 38:37-30:
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, ‘This came out first.’ And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, ‘How hast thou broken forth? this breach is upon thee: therefore, his name was called Pharez.’ And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.”
Another source of scripture is in Joshua 2. In the Book of Joshua, Rahab saves the Israelite spies. She uses a scarlet thread in her window as a sign that she may be spared when the Israelites attack the city of Jericho (Joshua 2:12-22). This is very reminiscent of the scarlet bracelet being protection.
“Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.” -Joshua 2:18
I think wearing the red bracelet is a daily reminder of trying to be the best that you can be each day and in turn the form of protection surrounds you.
Maybe you might want to make your own red bracelets.
