Settling In, Establishing a Routine…

We have been here three weeks!

In just three short weeks we have really settled in and have a bit of a routine.  We have made friends, started our Spanish lessons, managed the marketing, ordered gas for our apartment and the usual tasks of daily living.  I am comfortable approaching any small “Tienda”  (store) and asking for whatever I need at the moment.  A fresh, ripe avocado for dinner, fresh baked bread or more minutes on my cell phone.  It all happens at the corner store.

A common sight in any "mercado"

We can find most everything we want especially fresh fruits and vegetables. The selection and quantity is amazing. Even with the abundance, shopping can still be a challenge.  Even for very simple items that we take for granted and could pick up anywhere in the states.  Today, we were looking for index cards today, and after 3 stores we gave up and asked someone to cut up cardstock in the shape we wanted for Spanish language flashcards.  

About two weeks ago we took a great weekend trip to three small towns.  All by bus!  The bus fare was a total of $2.50 per person, round trip.  As you can tell, we are still amazed by cheap prices in Ecuador.  The scenery was stunning; the bus took us through mountains and tiny villages.  We saw farmers planting corn using a hoe and a bag of seeds, fields plowed by oxen, beautiful churches nestled in what appeared to us to be the middle of no where.

The highlight of our trip was visiting SigSig and having a “roadside” lunch  and visiting a Woman’s cooperative that made the famous Papa Toquila straw hats.  You may know them as Panama hats but they are made in Ecuador and Peru.  They were exported from Panama, and that’s how they got the name.  The Women’s Cooperative provides an outlet for selling the hats and one can see women making the hats, all by hand, in every little store and market.  As they wait for a customer in their “tienda” they are busy weaving the straw into hats!  The hats are beautiful and Mark now owns one with a gray band and scarlet trim.   (OSU colors; No big surprise to anyone)

We had our first party last night.  We had about 20 new friends over, some we had just met the day before.  All were so appreciative that we offered an opportunity to get together.  We find the Gringos and Ecuadorians very friendly and willing to help.  The Gringos have a very tight community and there is always an event one can attend to meet others or just have a good time.  

Mark will have more to report on his volunteering efforts...stay tuned.