1. Question: What are some of the “things” or activities that the people of Quito do for fun?

Answer:

The classic South American tradition of enjoying restaurants and cafes is evident in Quito. The Quitenos with a vibrant dining scene enjoy time around the table, exploring the art of conversation and lingering over steaming coffee.

The city at a whopping 9,350-feet above sea level, surrounded by steep-sided hills, volcanoes, and the Andes Mountains, affords the opportunity for adventurous outings such as a ride on the teleferico cable car up Pichincha Volcano, or a hike to the summit of Pancillo that dominates the city, and is crowned with the statue of Virgin Mary. Other pleasures are drives into the countryside and to the indigenous craft and produce markets. Quitenos are avid soccer or football aficionados, and support the city’s ongoing festivals.

2. Question: What’s one thing the public probably does NOT know about Quito?

Answer:

The official currency for Quito and Ecuador is the American dollar. All fees, charges, and store prices throughout the city are noted with United States currency. Quito does not acknowledge summer and winter, but goes by rainy and dry. The rainy season, roughly, December to April is a better time to visit, with warmer nights, sunny mornings, and easily avoidable afternoon rain showers. Quito has one of the largest and best preserved historic centers in Latin America, covering some 800 acres, and the first city in the world to be declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

3. Question: Share some aspect of what Quito has contributed to the world.

Answer:

Quito has impressive conservation agendas in place. In the northwest of the city there are several ecological reserves ideal for the observation of native and endemic birds, and is ranked among the most internationally recognized bird-watching area in the world. Quito was also honored by National Geographic in 2017 as among the 17 best nature destinations to visit.  Quito’s Festival of Lights in August, unique to South America, draws over a million visitors from throughout the world.  Quito is also noted as the world’s second largest rose producer, and near the top for variety.

The post Three Things About Quito, Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Interruption

As I shared last week, I was on an extended travel to a beach house in a little village named Dalipuga in Southern Philippines. While I was there, so many things happened back in the States (both in business and personal matters) that needed my attention so by the first week I was already pinning to go back home. It was an excruciating countdown to return to the USA.

Despite the short “prison term” I made good use of my time. Almost every morning I had a goal to accomplish for that day. And so for the next couple of weeks, I intend to share some lessons from my stay over there. I hope that’s okay.

My brother Paco
That isn’t his real name but that’s what his friends called him. To me he was always Gary, my little brother who thought a lot, laughed a lot and dreamed a lot. His philosophy in life was greatly influenced by Atticus in the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.” In fact, that was one of his names. He became a lawyer and a scientist … a Director for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in Washington DC for about 30 years. A series of events (like his dissatisfaction with the previous administration who “didn’t believe in science”) made him quit his job and he found himself alone in a village called Mindo in the jungles of Ecuador which is the northernmost tip of the great Amazon Rain Forest. All throughout his career, he saw the importance of preservation. He made feasibility studies of Ecuador, and then plans which he presented to scientific bodies and received a huge grant from MIT. Two of his articles are published in Travelingboy.com. He was building his dream of a sanctuary for birds and lost souls (people with broken hearts). He invited all of us siblings to retire there. He would shoulder all expenses –“come … just come … all I want is your presence here” he said with excitement. One of my sisters and Paco’s daughters planned a trip this September. I too was seriously considering a trip early next year.

In the morning of June 9, I got a call from my sister. She was sobbing uncontrollably. “Raoul, I need you to sit down. I have some very bad news … Gary is dead. He’s dead!”

“What?!? We were just talking to him a few days ago. Dead?!? How?! Why?!?” My questions rattled out in rapid succession.

The hotel maid found Paco dead in his room just a few hours ago:  his face peaceful; his body wrapped inside his blanket; his right hand clenched. Apparently, it was his first and last heart attack. Paco had no enemies. In fact, the whole village knew him and loved him. He was last seen alive playing with the children of the village. Later, we learned from his wife that Paco had a history of unchecked high blood pressure and cholesterol. We assumed he was healthy because he would hike 45 minutes up and down the hill that he purchased almost everyday. We were wrong. And he was gone. My dear sweet genius of a brother had gone on to be with the Lord.

Night fell and I could not sleep. I crept out of the house around 2 in the morning and walked to the beach and looked at the dark horizon. The stars were hidden by the clouds. I asked God so many questions. I started to write a song with the thought that “it should have been me.” Gary had so many wonderful plans for mankind. My dreams were nothing compared to his. It should have been me. I’ve lived a long enough life. No more mountains to climb. I’m near retirement. My kids are grown and independent. My wife could survive without me … in fact, I always joke around that she could benefit from my insurance. My different circle of friends (including YOU) would miss me for a time and then life would go on. Life is short.

In the gospel of Luke chapter 20, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool who had plans to increase his storage for more profit:
v.20
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Paco had done his research. Out of all the spots in this great big planet, Ecuador was where he could make the biggest impact for society. But beautiful and noble though his plans were, they were not God’s plan.

What, may I ask, are your plans? What are you to do today? Tomorrow? What does your big picture look like? Is it centered around you?

Luke 20
³³ “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”

I’m thinking about this myself. Perhaps our plans may not be as grandiose as saving the planet but take heart —we are not all called to save the planet. God called some of us to be Kings and some to be pawns.  Both are important. Some of our plans are never meant to come to fruition but the process is meant for us to grow closer to the Lord. Let’s not miss the sign posts in our life journey. Think about it: Why have you survived Covid? Why do you still occupy space among the living?  Whatever our purpose, let’s do it well.  Let’s ponder it together.

TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA for these riddles.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Maling of Manila, Philippines

Thanks to Efren of Manila

The post 2 British Riddles appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Ecuador ranks 25th in the list of Covid-related deaths per capita per nation, according to the Johns Hopkins University. But my friends here in Mindo doubt this statistic. “The death rates are much higher,” they insist. “Look at all the coffins outside the hospitals. There are so many uncounted deaths.”

A few months ago, I nervously watched two coffins borne past the town plaza and into the local church. “Oh, no!” I thought. “The virus has finally invaded this remote pueblo!”

I asked a friend about them. “Not Covid,” he assured me. “They were driving drunk on a motorcycle.” He shrugged. “These days, what else is there to do? There are no jobs.”

My friend is a chef in Mindo. Locals know him as Signor Crab because he sautés crabs in coconut milk and spices, in the style of his coastal village. Before the pandemic, we barely had time to talk because he was too busy serving his signature dish to tourists visiting the pueblo. Nowadays, I see him sitting alone in Mindo’s formerly bustling, now silent, plaza. Without a job, Signor Crab asked me if he could cook for me in exchange for money. He told me he needed to buy medicine for his two sons.

I am in Mindo to study the cloud forests around me. Each cloud forest is a unique habitat, a home to scores of plant and animal species that are found only in Mindo. Over eons, these forests formed when the Pacific Ocean’s warm vapors wafted against the cooling Andes peaks, creating the ideal environment for orchids, bromeliads, and ferns. These mountains are home to Guadua Augustoflora, the South American bamboo that, with greater efficiency than most plants, sucks carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into material used to build local houses.

Before leaving the United States, I worked on environmental, computational models. Now, I use Artificial Intelligence and satellite images to track tree cover loss in these forests. My studies suggest that in the past two years, in a place about a third the size of Washington, DC, Mindo lost tree cover in an area equivalent to more than 3000 tennis courts (Tracking Cloud Forests With Cloud Technology and Random Forests).

These trees are victims of the perfect storm brewed by joblessness, poverty, record gold prices, Covid, and climate change. The desperate poor hunt for gold in illegal, artisanal mines. The rich raze forests to build country homes to escape Quito, Ecuador’s congested capital, where infection rates are at an all-time high. Beyond these immediate threats, climate change insidiously destroys Mindo’s ecosystem. With warmer temperatures, the clouds to which the trees have adapted over thousands of years are dissipating.

The same week I witnessed the funeral of the two victims of the motorcycle accident, the International Panel for Climate Change issued its report, referred to by the United Nations’ Secretary General as a “code red for humanity.” Destroying the Andes cloud forests amounts to a negative, feed-back loop: the forests around me can potentially buffer the world against the effects of greenhouse gases; but they are being destroyed partially because climate change is wreaking havoc on local farms that must contend with dramatic, climactic changes.

At the end of each day, I watch the clouds drift down from the heavens to rest upon Mindo. They are like feathery intimations of hope. As long as the clouds persist, so too will the forest ecosystem.

Similarly, I see hope in the stoic persistence of Signor Crab and of my other friends on Mindo’s streets: the shopkeepers; the Venezuelan refugees; the artisans and buskers. They stake their lives on ecotourism. They know that without the trees, the tourists will not return if and when the world regains some version of normalcy after the pandemic.

Stubbornly, I make the deliberate choice to cling to hope. On Tuesdays, I muster hope by teaching data science and Artificial Intelligence to a small group of students. They are graduates of Mindo’s school for at-risk families. All of them are healing-from poverty’s ills; from familial instability; from domestic abuse; from the violence of classism, racism, colonialism, and sexism.

My ambitious students are my heroes. With each backpacking, laptop-toting tourist they see in Mindo, my students are reminded that opportunities exist beyond their threatened mountains. They talk about this as they type their code and run their algorithms, using my project to monitor deforestation as an example of Artificial Intelligence’s power. They muse that perhaps in the future, they might conquer the virtual, data-intensive world of rich nations, in the way their ancestors’ lands were once conquered by white Europeans.

My students dream of the future. They want to conduct non-extractive, profitable, sustainable work. They want to produce knowledge-based goods and services for the world. My students-who have lived their entire lives among the marginalized and the discarded-long to conduct creative, intellectually challenging work…while being nestled within Creation’s embrace…while being nurtured by the Divine work unfolding among the clouds.

For more on Mindo, Ecuador, read Mr. Pasky Pascual’s scientific journal of Life in Mindo, Ecuador.

The post In the Andes Mountains: The Grand, Silent Victims of Climate Change and Covid appeared first on Traveling Archive.

Dozens of millions of years ago (mas o menos), at the bottom of the western Pacific Ocean, the Nazca plate insinuated itself under the South American continent and began to drift east at the rate of 80 millimeters a year. The continent began to buckle upwards, in the same way a yogi’s mat buckles up when the yogi pulls hands toward feet during her downward dog.

Over eons, all that buckling produced the Andes Cordilleras, the world’s longest continental mountain range. It spans much of South America, from Venezuela to Argentina.

I live on the northern end of the Andes, in a tiny pueblo called Mindo, one of the world’s hotspots for endemic biodiversity. That is, much of the animal and plant life surrounding me evolved here and cannot be found anywhere else. Mindo is completely surrounded by cloud forests. Over time, when warm water vapor from the Pacific hit up against the cool Andes mountains, clouds formed. Mindo became a perfect spot for epiphytes-plants like moss, fern, orchids, and bromeliad that have evolved the ability to pull moisture out of the atmosphere.

Orchids grow wild on the trees that line the road leading up to the cascades in the mountains. As one walks up this road, one is invariably startled by blurred flashes of orange, blue, yellow, and red feathers. Based on my study, there are more than 300 species of birds in Mindo’s forests, an area about one third the size of Washington, DC.

Despite its small size, Mindo is host to an eclectic group of individuals. People from all over the world live here, including those who migrated from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Germany, Canada, the U.S., Poland, and France.

Without a doubt, most people from North America and Europe visit Mindo because they read that it is one of the world’s top sites of biodiversity for bird species.

This includes a wide variety of hummingbirds and a species of Andean cock-in-the-rocks found only in Mindo.

The central role that ecotourism plays in Mindo can be observed in the pueblo’s central plaza. In the plaza, you can see the stone statue of a hummingbird. Sitting on one of the benches, you can look around and see the famed cloud forests of Mindo in the mountains around you.

If, after sitting a while in the plaza, you begin to crave some of the local food, there is no shortage of food choices around you.

For example, Gladys will happily serve you a delicious mix of grilled chorizo (sausage), chicken, pork, and octopus.

Or perhaps, you would prefer pizza prepared in a brick oven? Antonio can help you out.

Maybe your tastes run toward vegetarian or vegan? In that case, swing by Mechi’s place. Mechi serves these dishes using quinoa and other local vegetables, cooked in the style of her native coastal village. You’ll find her family helping her out.

After lunch, you’ll probably want some desert. Flor’s yogurt ice-cream place is just across from the plaza. Many tourists and digital nomads come here to have ice cream, drink coffee, or down some artisanal beer while they engage in people watching.

You may now feel like walking off some of those calories. Along Mindo’s streets, you’ll find artists from all of South America-from Colombia, Venezuela, Peru-showing off the art that they’ve made.

If you decide to stay a while, you’ll soon discover the charming community and landscape that have prompted people from all over the world to make Mindo a place they call “home.”

On weekends, you’ll see indigenous farmers from around the town who drive in to Mindo to sell their produce.

You’ll meet people like the two sisters who left their home in Venezuela and who have carved out a new life in Mindo selling arepas, cornmeal cakes filled with beans, avocado, spices, and optionally, meat. Their small restaurant is beside a river lined with flowers and fruit trees; as you wait for your meal, you can keep your camera ready for the birds that hover by.

Mindo’s beauty has attracted an international community, including Edyta, an artist who has lived and worked in Europe, the United States, and all over South America.

If you choose to visit Mindo, you’ll find a place that abounds with nature, art, music, and a feeling of community.

The post Life in Mindo, Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The historic city, as high as it is, is entrenched in a river basin tucked between towering Andean Mountain peaks and snow-capped volcanoes lying on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, a Strata volcano. The ageless landscape dictates a long and narrow city with an Historic Center that is one of the largest, least altered and best protected in the Americas, not unlike Bordeaux Historic Center in France and the walled city of Antiqua in Guatemala.

In 1978 Quito was honored by UNESCO as the World’s First City for their Cultural Heritage, Traditions and Architecture, and Geographical Beauty, a tribute that also recognized the opportunities Quito provides to experience an historic slice of South America.

A View City Where Nature Speaks

The historic area is crisscrossed with narrow cobble-stone streets covering an impressive 800 acres. From the 15-room Hotel Castillo Vista del Angel high on the eastern flank of Old Town, astonishing 360* views and vivid impressions emerge under the night sky. Countless twinkling stars above are mirrored below as though their twins plunged downward into the valley, landing across the mountainous landscape in a romantic display of Ecuadorian design.

The Quitenos explain, “We compare the weather to politics, unpredictable and tricky. We can have four seasons in one day so a rain coat, sun block, and sun glasses are ideal when you’re out and about. On a clear day we can see 22 volcanoes, but when the afternoon rains arrive it’s time to pop into a cafe for a cup of coffee.”

In the heart of Quito, thousands of houses, and dozens of churches and Cathedrals line Old Town streets just wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage. A maze of white, sky blue, light yellow, and pale peach buildings spread up the sides of the surrounding steep-sided mountains and ancient volcanoes like a mind-boggling jumble of puzzle pieces not yet assembled that challenges visitors to put on their walking shoes and explore.

The streets and narrow sidewalks in Old Town are alive with Quitenos, an engaging blend of students, young nicely dressed business women, families, indigenous groups from the Andes Highlands, Otavalo and Cotacahi, some ingeniously carrying their babies in the traditional backpack, and vendors selling fresh fruit. Yellow cabs weave like crazed ants in search of their Queen through the streets, expertly navigating the five pedestrian-free streets that lace Old Town and connect with legendary Plaza Grande or Independence Square in the heart of the city. The 16^th century square is neatly lined with the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral, Archiepiscopal Palace, restaurants, coffee shops, and Café Galeria. The café offers Pacari organic chocolate tastings, not unlike the wine tastings of other regions, where it’s explained that Ecuador’s climate is ideal for producing some of the world’s finest cacao which is shipped in great quantities to Switzerland.

Cathedrals and Churches: An Historic Understanding

Quito’s churches reveal the history of Ecuador and her people preserving the art of the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the architecture, extraordinary wood carvings, rare fine art, and the traditions of the Ecuadorians. Quito has 27 churches in a 33 block area, including La Compania de Jesus, 1605, adjacent to Plaza Grande. The church is considered the crown jewel of the Baroque Period in America with an interior exquisitely covered with 23-karat gold leaf. Nearby, the Cathedral with Rococo, Neo-gothic, Baroque, Moorish and Neo-classic architecture has a dome that can be accessed up a narrow passageway for views of the plaza, and, for those collecting photographs, a special memory.

A guided walking tour leads to San Francisco Market, 1893, offering vegetables, meats, herbs, seasonal fruit from the Andean highlands, roses in abundance, and a food court to experience potato cakes, chicken stew, potato soup, and slow roasted pork topped with fresh juices. Indigenous holistic herb healers encourage an herbal massage and cleansing using leaves, branches, and flowers that leave legs and feet tingling and give instructions not to shower in the evening in order to let the herb treatment settle. Ecuadorian roses are a major export and foremost city adornment leading one local Quiteno to say, “You can buy 25 roses for one dollar so if you’re not a romantic in Quito you have a big problem.”

In this city of neighborhoods, La Ronda is a bit off the tourist trail in the Southern Historic District. It is an artistic and colorful block-long stone-lined alleyway, similar to those in Southern Spain, with flowered iron balconies, restaurants, classic museum-quality wood carvers and small wall to wall boutiques.

Leave The Driving To Your Guide

Sixteen miles south of Plaza Grande is a monument marking the general location of the equator while nearby a Solar Museum with a modern GBS unit calculates the 0 latitude exactly. A location known to Quitenos as “the middle of the world,” the equator is also the origin of the country’s name, in Spanish, Ecuador.

A two-hour drive brings travelers to Otavalo’s craft market and Plaza de Ponchos, South America’s largest outdoor market, a vibrant array of Indigenous weavings from scarves, blankets, and ponchos, to embroidered blouses, hammocks, and jewelry. In contrast, Cotacachi, 45 minutes northwest of Otavalo, is known as the city of leather with some 50 shops.

Cotacachi is also a glorious stop for lunch, home to the exquisite 23 room La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa, a five-star expanse of beauty and elegance. A former hacienda, opened in 1987, La Mirage is the only Relais & Chateaux property in Ecuador with a wall of prestigious awards. Chef Hugo Flores works with the local farmers and creates delightful specialties from the Andean Region. Out on the grounds, eight peacocks take turns staring through the windows at Chef Flores’ shrimp, avocado, and pineapple salad.

The Annual Festival of Light

South America’s premier Light Festival in August draws visitor’s world-wide. Twenty-one buildings are cleverly lit along with a street of multi-hued umbrellas, and a stunning 12-minute presentation depicting the history and life of Ecuador, Quito, and their people, created with dazzling artistic skill similar to the quality of Pixar or Disney. The streets of Old Town are blocked from traffic and an evening under the lights of Quito is exceptional.

Drink only bottled water and Quito’s diverse gastronomy offerings will be a distinctive highlight with recipes to share.

When You Go

The official Ecuadorian currency is the U.S. dollar with small bills and loads of singles essential. Driving in Quito is not recommended; a personal guide is. Marcelo Guerra, born and raised in Quito, speaks fluent English and can arrange a tailor-made itinerary.

ma******@ho*****.com











;

ma*********@gm***.com











or 011-593 9 8458-7400. Various airlines serve Quito including JetBlue connecting through Fort Lauderdale. The Quitenos recommend visiting from December to April with warmer nights, sunny mornings, and easily avoidable bursts of rain in the afternoon.

For further information, visit Quito Turismo

The post South America’s Lofty Celebrity appeared first on Traveling Archive.

The city lies on the lower slopes of the Pichincha Volcano in a narrow Andean valley at an implausible 9,350-feet above sea level, where dynamic and imaginative Quiteno chefs have noticeably advanced the city’s dining prospects. The youthful and flourishing chefs, influenced by ancient preparations and produce grown by local farmers in rich volcanic soil, have also augmented their culinary skills in Europe and elsewhere. Now they are busy creating inspired offerings spawned from the interplay of Incan, Spanish, traditional Ecuadorian, and South American mores. With new restaurants on the rise, Quito’s gastronomic prospects are worthy of exploration.

Epicureans can take pleasure in a traditional Ecuadorian lunch by partaking of one of the legendary variations of Ecuadorian soups. The much-loved potato soup, a Quito specialty often accompanied by fresh avocado slices, cheese, and a sizzling hot sauce, is found on menus throughout the city. Encebollado, regarded as a national dish, is a succulent fish soup prepared, in one rendition, with slabs of fresh tuna, cassava root or yucca, sliced tomatoes, a sprinkling of cilantro, and a variety of spices, with pickled onions. Quito chefs put a spin on their individual sopa or soup adaptations choosing from an array of Andean potatoes, squash, quinoa, and various combinations of fresh seafood, spices, herbs, and exotic fruit.

Gourmands hot on the Quito food trail will encounter Cevichochos, a vegetarian ceviche; Seco de Chive, a tasty goat stew; and Empanadas, a half-moon turnover overflowing with everything from mashed green plantains, cheese, and shrimp, to green peas, raisins, and rice. Classic Ecuadorian cooking is abundant at Mercado Central and the older Mercado San Francisco dating to 1893, located in the indigenous San Roque neighborhood where small stoves are steaming with deep-fried green plantains.

Restaurants included below all stress quality and freshness, and source their produce from local organic farmers. Thankfully, smoking is taboo in Quito restaurants, but bottled water is recommended.

Zasu in the north of Quito, noted by CNN in 2015 as one of the world’s top 15 restaurants, currently remains among Quito’s elite. Quitenos admire the imaginative menu of Executive Chef, Wilson Alpala, 28, who has created a notable table with his Roasted Tomato Soup, Asparagus Risotto, and a Cazuela shaped with prawns, plantain, and peanut ‘salprieta’ assembled in a rich sauce. The elegant and modern two-level room has a 10-page wine list showcasing 1,300 vintages in a large, glassed sphere artistically spiraling upward.

Chefs at Plaza Grande Hotel, in an historic, restored Spanish colonial mansion on the edge of Independence Square in the heart of Old Town, offer cooking classes on a lower floor. Assistant Chef, Christian Pillajo, age 25, meticulously demonstrates the classic Ecuadorian ceviche topped with toasted corn, and dessert is a taste of strawberry ice cream made in a large copper pan on a thick bed of ice. Pillajo said, “Cooking is the basis of life for me. I experiment at home with different flavors, spices and herbs, and I also love chocolate because we have the best chocolate in the world.”

Restaurante Santa Rosa Historica: Three spirited brothers in an historic 1845 building, working with hops, malts, and Andean grains have fashioned, American Style craft beers and ales on tap which flourish nicely with 28-year old Chef Sebastian Moscoso’s inspired menu of salmon, marinated with honey and ginger sauce, grilled in a banana leaf, and served with yucca croquettes and vegetables, or a well-chosen deep fried Ecuadorian shrimp dish together with a spicy house sauce and French fries.

La Mirage Garden Hotel & Spa: The two-hour drive from Quito to the town of Cotacachi and the La Mirage Garden Hotel, a former hacienda, converted to an award-winning restaurant and 23-suite hotel, is an admirable culinary journey. Attracting celebrities world-wide with a lavish and stylish hacienda-style dining ambience, the overwhelming essence of the property is one of elegance and romance.

Chef Flores, clocking in at La Mirage for some 25-year, s delivers straight forward cooking with a traditional, indigenous potato soup with fresh farm cheese. Other specialties are also from the Andean Highlands such as morsels of seasoned pork, potato dumplings filled with farm cheese, and an avocado Empanada with toasted corn.

Neuma: Chef Alejandro Chamorro who worked at NOMA, a two-Michelin-Star restaurant in Copenhagen, and at the famed Astrid and Gaston Restaurant in Lima, has journeyed back to the roots of Inca and Andean cooking. Chamorro’s farm to table insights and distinct cooking style can pull diners from their comfort zone with new tastes. With soft background jazz heard on the sound system, and Chamorro toiling in the open kitchen, his small bites unfold temptingly: first, a portion of watermelon with a mint leaf; then, a cube of tender pork with Andean root and sauces; next, a soup prepared in the traditional style of the region layered with milk foam and a cheese truffle served in a capachino cup. A petite portion of lamb with fermented corn, with touches of cauliflower, light cream and kale tucked into in a small square cube, enhance the ongoing wonder of Chamorro’s cooking skills.

Quitu: Chef Sebastian Perez and his vigilant staff have designed Quitu around traditional 100 % organic Ecuadorian ingredients with three prix fixe tasting selections in a colorful room with a welcoming wood burning stove tucked between tables. Starters are a selection of freshly baked bread made in house with six flavored butters and herbs. A sea bass marinated in banana passion fruit together with roasted corn, peppered and smoked, is prepared to be shared family style, while course-after-course are served on small heavy stones and crude wood platters of various shapes. The array of new tastes derives from ancient cooking practices using Maiz Morado, a dark Kulli corn originating in the Andes Highlands, and Mashua, a South American edible plant. Quitu does not offer sodas. Filtered water and a small wine list are available.

Pizzamama in La Ronda, Quito’s striking block-long, pedestrian-only enclave of craftsmen, artists and boutiques, is a small multi-hued, café, bakery and pizza room on Morales Street. The name is a clever reference to the indigenous Quichua Pachamama Motherland. With 10 tables, and a non-pretentious, relaxing ambience, Pizzamama offers Ecuadorian beer on tap, wine, and a delightful hot bun with figs.

At Saguamby, it seems as if you are sitting on the crown of Quito. Nestled atop Hotel Castillo Vista del Angel with an unparalleled 360-degree view of the city, the restaurant is home to Chef, Mijael Proano, 25, who cooks with long-established Ecuadorian products. Proano’s fresh sea bass with garlic, herbs and spices is admired by both Quitenos and visitors alike.

WHEN YOU GO

Visit Quito

Bi-lingual Tour Guide, Marcelo Guerra, born and raised in Quito, is a great asset for those with time restraints.

The post Lift A Fork In Quito, Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I feel like I’ve made it home… but in a strange way. The welcome at the airport lobby, the nauseating drive through the hills, the exhaustion of climbing up only two flights of stairs to my new living area (I like to blame it on the 10,000 ft. elevation), walking up to the roof and seeing patches of clear stars between clouds, waking up to the constant sound of dogs barking and car horns honking through the window, the smell of freshly baked bread from the panaderia up the street, and the long awaited taste of chifles (plantain chips). Since I left this beautiful country I have been excited to return, but I had no idea I would feel so at peace being back. From the first sight of the city lights to the familiar taste of chifles my heart has become so full of joy! I feel at home… and I love it.

The past month being back has been full – full of making new memories in many places which feel like home. Although many of the places and sights are familiar from my previous time here, the beauty never ceases to amaze me. Ecuador has so much to offer in every realm of scenery: stunning snow capped mountains, lush green jungle life, vibrant old churches and buildings in colonial Quito, free flowing waterfalls, and breathtaking volcanic lakes hidden behind rugged farmland. Besides these experienced in the past few weeks, Ecuador is home to a coastline with beautiful beaches and the infamous Galapagos Islands.

After spending almost five months here in the past couple years, I have had the opportunity to venture to most of the well known “must sees” of Ecuador. As I return to many of these magnificent sites or even walk in the nearby park, many different memories come flashing back. I remember the friends I played soccer with at the park, the meals shared at the nearby almuerzo place, conversations in local coffee shops and the laughter and games played at the hostel in the jungle. In remembering, it’s easy to get stuck in comparison or more easily to dwell in the sadness of missing the people I made these memories with. Without rejecting the natural feelings of melancholy, I also have to recognize the blessing and joy of remembering these past experiences shared together. How sweet is it to be back in various places where I can remember joyous times of community and growth? I am so grateful for each one of these people who come to mind: my host mom and extended family, my cohorts and staff from last spring, and my team members and staff from Extreme Nazarene.

It is a joy to be able to create new memories with the students I am with now and to adventure to new places. As much as I love returning to the familiar, Quito and Ecuador always has more to discover. Not only do I have more waterfalls and cities to see, but I always have more to learn of the culture and people who have welcomed me in.

Although pictures never show the full magnitude of a moment, here are some of my favorite shots to hopefully give you a glance into some of these places I have found a home in.

I sense God’s presence so strongly here. I know God is here and I feel so at rest in Him. The sights and sounds bring back memories of many hours spent soaking in God’s presence on a similar rooftop last summer or long walks up the same jagged sidewalks praying over the city with friends. The surrounding beauty of the hills and architecture remind me of his presence in creation. I am overwhelmed with joy and peace. My brother’s words ring through my head, “God’s presence is found right now, not in the past or future. So live in it – soak it up!”

“Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.”

Flashback: A New Life in Ecuador (early Feb. 2017)

The past two days have felt like a week in the amount of excitement and joy held in them. The hours spent in fellowship with the staff and my cohorts makes me feel like we’ve known each other for many months. I am so grateful for how welcome and loved the staff has already made me feel.

I am humbled to be here… to feel at home. I can’t wait for the many days to live and grow with this community in God’s presence.

And the last few weeks have been full of learning moments: learning how to breathe walking up and down constant hills, how to shop in a foreign grocery store and fruit market, how to take public transportation, how to dress in layers with the back and forth sunshine and rain, and learning where the best and cheapest panadería is located.

Los gotitas – “little droplets.” Every Tuesday and Friday morning a friend and I have the privilege to volunteer at a Extreme Mission Daycare. This organization provides childcare for parents who recycle to earn a living. They noticed many young children ages 0-5 had nowhere to go but to be alongside their parents in the dumps during the day. With little to no expectations I walked through the door Tuesday morning and before I could say “Hola” I felt tiny arms embracing my legs. The next four hours were full of laughter and play with about 15 kids. I was surprised how many words or phrases the children taught me after only two days. Although we don’t have a specific project they want help with, I look forward to being able to help care for the children.

Learning to Listen (late Feb. 2017)

I have been at a loss for words recently. The honeymoon stage of the trip has ended and the rhythms of living in a new country have set in. As soon as my house full of new friends became comfortable and familiar, change swept in. I still can’t believe it has already been a week since I’ve moved in with an Ecuadorian family. I am humbled to have been so quickly and lovingly accepted by mí mamá and mí hermana. This week has been full of awkward moments, conversations in Spanish, storytelling to missed friends, and great Ecuadorian food: empanadas verdes, leche con fruta, sopa de chancho, and fresh fruit juice.

I love talking to people. I love sharing who I am, my opinion, my story. After being here only a week, there have been so many instances where I haven’t been able to say what I want to say simply because I don’t know how. It’s true. I am at a loss for words. As frustrating as this may be I am learning how to listen… and listen well. I am recognizing how often I open my mouth to spill my opinion when all that is needed or wanted is an open ear. Understanding a culture begins by listening. When I stop and listen I hear the flapping of the towels drying on the clothesline, the Spanish music of a novella playing in the house, the honking of gas trucks outside, the crackling of fried empanadas, or the shouting of street vendors selling their goods.

The slower pace of life in this new home has not been easy, but has been much needed. I am beginning to greatly appreciate the ease of how things are done: the slow paced walks with the dog or the leisure of preparing food. So often I go into activities or tasks with the mindset of completing them, never once stopping to listen in the middle. Sometimes it means listening to my own emotions, yet other times it means listening to the needs of others, the Holy Spirit, or others’ advice. Listening is not easy and has challenged me to become more humble, more patience and more disciplined.

This beautiful culture has much to say. May I learn to take the time to listen.

Slowing Down (April 2017)

We made it through this week of exams and final papers and are headed to back to the jungle… well half of our ‘equipo’ anyway. The other half left this morning to the Galapagos until we switch places. At the end we all head to the beach for a final few days as a debrief. There’s a lot to look forward to yet my mind keeps turning back reflecting on the past two and a half months, let alone the last few weeks of adventures. We traveled to Baños (no, not to the bathroom) to go white water rafting for a day and swing “off the edge of the world.” I also had the privilege of showing my parents a snapshot of Quito and my life here. The blue skies, sun, mountains, and stars, all decided to say hi for a few days and it was so beautiful. After living here for almost three months, I forgot some things weren’t normal the first week I was here. I loved reliving the excitement of crossing the streets or getting a taxi, watching my mom’s face light up buying a piece (ok. maybe three) of ‘suave’ bread for 25 cents, walking through mountains of seemingly never ending fruit stands in awe, climbing up one block and being out of breath, or ordering a huge almuerzo for only $2.50. Although the setting was so different to be with family, I loved spending time with my parents exploring.

The past month has been full of laughter being back in the apartment with friends. Clear skies led us to sleep on the roof a few times. April fools started a war of pranks in the house. Coming back to the apartment feels like home. This last weekend I came home one evening by myself and as I opened the taxi door, I immediately heard, “Schmannie!!!!” (my nickname from my house). Walking up the stairs I heard laughter and singing coming from the roof where a huge group of friends were roasting s’mores and dancing. I am going to miss this. The departure date is quickly approaching… and I wish I could stop in time. I want to treasure these next three weeks together without avoiding the fact the semester is ending. I can’t believe this semester is ending so soon.

Beauty Everywhere – May 2017

Much dreaming and many words are meaningless therefore stand in awe of God. – Ecclesiastes 5:7.

This verse kept ringing through my head this weekend as I had the privilege of wandering and exploring a tiny part of the Amazon jungle called Misahualli. I am still trying to soak in the reality that I just spend three days in the Amazon jungle. It felt like a dream; the landscape of Tarzan coming to life. I witnessed a beauty I had never seen before in so many different ways. Nature full of new sights: unique birds, trees, insects, landscapes, and colors.  The lushest, most abundant green was everywhere I looked. I understand how it is so green as every few hours we would find ourselves stuck in a warm pouring rain.

Not only did I find beauty in nature, but I saw beauty in people. The unity in people from differing backgrounds and nations working together, learning from each other, and helping each other. The peacefulness in an elderly man leisurely whistling as he biked his cart down the street or the joy of watching friends hysterically laugh in the back of a truck in the pouring rain. Our group has talked about how there is something about the jungle which allows you to be fully you. An openness and vulnerability was created as we were forced into new experiences. It’s hard to hide your true self when you are in the middle of something you are deeply passionate about. I found so much beauty in seeing people’s personalities, joys, passions, or values portrayed as they were fully present in a moment. I saw someone dance wildly in front of everyone to lead music for children, someone working hard to stir cement without complaining, someone encourage another in their fear or weakness, and yet another faithfully stand by a friend in pain. You can’t hide your sweat and stink after even a day in the jungle and I am so grateful for these moments of truth. It was so beautiful watching people be who God created them to be.

True beauty does not always appear beautiful at first sight. Sometimes you have to search for beauty amidst the struggles and pain. We had the privilege to work with missionaries and hear a part of their stories and passion for this community. Although they have started a thriving Christian school, a farm to help provide jobs, and a girls’ home, they continue to pursue more for this community. It was so amazing to see how God is present and has been working in this community. Not only did they talk about previous progress but they talked about their past and current hardships with full honesty. They were not shy in expressing how they were really doing and at first I was taken aback. I became easily discouraged and saddened when I heard how hard it has been for one family in particular. Deep within these struggles and frustration I saw a beauty in their honesty of what they were going through, their humility to ask for prayer, and their perseverance for the future.

It is easy for me to come back from the jungle completely taken by the beauty of nature and the amazing experiences. I was also reminded of the reality that many people are hurting and struggling there just like anywhere else: youth falling to worldly influences, broken families, or lonely missionaries. But amidst this pain, God’s presence was evident. Above all, I think all these experiences and emotions helped me glimpse a tiny bit more of God’s beauty. God is helping me understand better his great compassion for his children, his creativity and design in nature, his power to enable those who feel weak, and his purpose for every single person’s life. All I could do was sit in awe.

It’s also easy to see beauty in people or places when it is expected: a close friend, a sunset, or an animal. I want to go searching for beauty: for loveliness in a seemingly rough situation, an excellent quality of an annoying friend, or a pleasurable sight of nature in the middle of a storm. What if we were to treat every person as if we were meeting a king or queen: expecting beauty and ready to accept who they are. I think we would be pleasantly surprised by the amount of beauty we would find.

Chao! – Ecuador slang for goodbye/see ya later.

The post A Return to Ecuador appeared first on Traveling Archive.