We’ve settled into our new home in San Pablo del Lago, a small village just outside of Otavalo, in the Andean highlands of Ecuador. When I say settled in, I mean we’ve rented our own diesel pick-up truck and started riding in the back, we take morning walks to the local outdoor market, we pluck our own chickens (well, we remove the last few pin feathers overlooked by the corner butcher), and we make outdoor fires and lower our grill plate by pulley onto the flames. We buy that (mystery) meat you might see hanging from the front open window of the butcher (yeah, that meat), and tenderize it with papaya. And we buy our eggs in cases of 30 and our milk in bags.
We live comfortably at 10,000 feet and take daily hikes at 12,000 feet. We slow down but never stop for the cows in the road, and barely bat an eye when we see a whole pig head roasting in the window of our neighborhood restaurant. We’ve also seen the light and realized that you just can’t have too many alpaca ponchos, blankets, pillowcases, and socks. Even Mimi wears a poncho now. The Otavalo textile market ain’t quite the Annapolis Mall or Anthropologie, but it will just have to do.
Julia is making friends on the playground, but when she wouldn’t climb across the non-code monkey bars to the unstable fireman’s pole, another kid was overheard saying, “la gringita no puede”. We’ve experienced the local notary’s office (La Notaria – more on that later), the official post office of Ecuador (Correo Ecuador), and a small bit of bureaucracy. It’s beginning to feel a bit like home.
Your blogs are like reading a well written novel filled with adventure, charity and compassion. There is also humor in your exploits and letting go of the creature comforts you know and enjoy. Keep writing new chapters every few days. Love hearing from you. We miss you and love you all very much. Shana Tovah! Lovey and Coach
I need evidence of Mimi in a poncho… thank. Also happy new year xo
I’m with you in spirit at the Otavalo market. On my bucket list of places to return to in Ecuador. Encantales las montanas!! Abrazos a todos!
Love to read about your global adventures!