Inspection Time

View to the South of the Centro Historico

Virgin of Quito

Too many hours scrubbing walls and carpets and sofas today. When I was finally satisfied, Maya celebrated with an ice cream at Corfu, and a walk around Carolina Park in the glorious sunshine. We took the Ecovia to Alameda Park, where Maya and I decided to try the paddle boats in artificial canal, and Maya did a remarkable job navigating and steering us along the route in the thirty minute allotted time. It was hard work!

Paddling in Alameda Park

Watching Children Practicing on Stilts

Maya was not thrilled to be back in the Centro Historico, complaining that she had seen all there was to see, and of course I had seen even more, but I wanted fresh air and a walk, and there is no better place to stroll than in the centre, where one always encounters something new and different. And today the church of Carmen Alto was open for the first time (I have walked by dozens of times and the grand doors are always closed. There is usually access to the convent where one can buy items produced by the nuns through a window next door to the church. When I saw the church door ajar, I could not pass without checking. It was empty but for a priest sitting quietly next to the altar. It is a small and simple church, with the usual baroque gold altars and statues, but with a measure of lightness compared to other similar churches. Later we found the doors to Carmen Bajo open; the church had been under renovation for most of the year that we have been here, and now the altars and art are gradually being replaced. I felt lucky that we were able to see these two structures that have been closed to us in the past.

Street Theatre at the Plaza de Teatro

Audience on the Plaza

Carmen Bajo

Suffering Christ

Open Doors at Carmen Alto

Carmen Bajo

I remember that we had been to the Museo de la Ciudad the first week we arrived in Quito. It was fitting that we return for a visit today. The museum outlines the story of the establishment and development of the city since the arrival of the Spaniards.

Museo de Ciudad

View of Quito Sur

We strolled through the centro and caught the Ecovia home just in time to go through the apartment with the owner and the landlady. I thought everything looked great, and was surprised and disappointed that I was asked to have the place painted by the time I leave next week. I am now scrambling to find someone reasonable for the job. I wonder if we are being taken advantage of (I asked Patti, the dueña of the gym downstairs, and she was the one who suggested that) and I feel burdened by having to arrange for the job immediately. I had hoped that now Maya and I could relax and enjoy our last few days in Quito. Perhaps everything was going too well for us, and there had to be a glitch, and this is it, but it is not too insurmountable a task.

Virgin of Quito

Playdate

Mini City Challenge

Today was a glimpse into how the other side lives. Cumbaya, the valley next to Quito, attracts many of the successful Quiteños who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are gated communities with large homes with extensive grounds and swimming pools and tennis courts. Many of the expats live there, as do the well to do Ecuadorians.

Cumbaya is quieter and safer and well heeled. There are fancier stores and gyms and malls and restaurants. A large private university attracts students and professors from other countries. There are private schools scattered all over.

A tunnel separates Quito from Cumbaya, only a ten minute trip without traffic. I take the bus from the Rio Coca bus station, which takes a more circuitous route and avoids the 40 cent Peaje cost of the Guayasamin tunnel. The buses stop frequently but travel at great speed around the curves and hills to Cumbaya. From my apartment, there are only three Ecovia stops to get to a constantly flowing line of buses heading to Cumbaya, Tumbaco, Pifo and El Quinche. It is twenty five cents for the Ecovia and another twenty five for the bus to Cumbaya, which stops right in front of the Supermaxi where I often meet friends whom I am visiting.

Gabriel and Maya had a playdate at 'Mini City', a children's pretend world, which kept them running for several hours. Parents are required to enter (and pay) but are not permitted to enter into the stations that are set up to entertain the children. Maria and I ended up in a coffee shop with carrot cake and Nescafe. Maya and Gabriel received $100 each in play money and were required to pay for certain activities but are also given an opportunity to earn money by accomplishing all sorts of tasks. They get to be firemen, messengers, circus performers, ice cream designers, journalists, TV cameramen, bakers. They earn their driver's license ( Maya was too tall to fit into the cars and could not get her practical test). Gabriel and Maya ran constantly and enjoyed earning and spending their money and were disappointed when it was closing time.

Mini City was lots of fun for Maya and Gabriel and it was good to see them happy and enjoying each other. I did feel a little out of sorts though; the experience was a reminder of the consumer oriented world I am returning to and which has not been part of our lives for the past year. It was fitting that this sort of entertainment would be located in Cumbaya, which reminds me more of the world I know. Living in Quito and taking public transportation and walking everywhere and spending time in the less well kept parts of town certainly has given me a different perspective. Spending the day in Cumbaya took me away from what I have been accustomed to this year and perhaps prepared me more for the world I am returning to.

Earning Money Feels Good

Cold in Quito

Hockey Night in Quito

I did not realize how cold it has been in Quito, so after a weekend at the beach, where it rains incessantly but the air and the water both in the ocean and from the sky is warm, it feels colder than ever. I have sent all my warm clothes away, so nothing that I have quite does the job. And I think it is warmer outside than it is in the apartment.

Somehow our day never really got moving. Maya had lots of violin practice to catch up on, I tried to repack most of our stuff and weigh each suitcase to be sure I could get everything in the four 50 pound bags. I think I will make it but just. I have three boxes of things to be left with my friend Maria. I am not sure what I will do with the boxes, whether I will ever want anything in the boxes or whether at some point I will just ask her to throw everything out. But she has been kind enough to store them for me for now. The bonus for her is that she has two whole boxes of children's books, which she and Gabriel like to read together. When we return in January, Maya will have fresh books to read (hopefully she will have forgotten them by then).

The apartment looks almost ready for inspection, which will happen Thursday. I will finally meet the dueña and hopefully she will be content with the state of the rooms. I believe we have taken good care of them. We had been advised not to pay our last month's rent, that here in Ecuador the custom is to use the security deposit as the last month's rent, so I am not sure what we do if she finds things not to her liking. I am not quite prepared for her to be dissatisfied. I am in her debt because she has agreed to let me stay in the apartment until our flight out, which is more than generous and I am not sure that there is not a price to be paid for her kindness. Perhaps I will simply feign misunderstanding or ignorance of the language if anything becomes uncomfortable.

When we arrived last night, it was evident that Emilie and Sam had been here. They did not sleep in the apartment Monday night, but arrived sometime in the afternoon from Mindo. Maya and I had been talking about going to a movie. I had seen 'Robin Hood' on a very poor quality DVD at home and wanted to see it on the big screen. Emilie and Sam wanted to join us, so we took the bus to Plaza de las Americas, where we arrived a half hour before the show, which was entirely sold out. I knew that there was another cinema a few blocks away at CCI, so we bussed it over there and did get tickets for a 9:30 show, with two hours until the show. We found the food court and ate quickly, then wandered around the very oppressive mall. There is a small ice rink in the basement, so we watched a hockey practice. The coach was clearly Canadian and spoke English with his players. Suddenly Maya recognized him as being a teacher at her school and from Toronto. He recognized her and said hello. The rink was a half size rink, so the players in their bulky uniforms looked a little ridiculous, but it was delightful to watch them on the ice.

When we finally sat down for the movie, I thought Maya would fall asleep (her bedtime is 8:30 PM), but she stayed up throughout the two hour show, and we all loved it (it is a version of 'Gladiator' with the same director and star) and arrived home long past midnight.

When we first arrived here, I would regularly go to the movies at the 'Supercines' around the corner, but it has been closed for months. My understanding is that the garage was not big enough, that the traffic around the theatre was excessive, that the noise and the disruption to the neighbourhood was a source of complaints, but the truth is that the 'right' people have not been paid off (I heard that the developers were too arrogant and thought they could get away with flaunting the unspoken rules). The theatre opened for a few hours last week, but was promptly closed within three hours, and that once again the owners refused to make the necessary accommodations (or payments) and that the cinema is unable to open for now.

My favourite cinema in town is 'Ochoymedio' in La Floresta, but I rarely get there. The movies are not the usual Hollywood fare; they are foreign and rare and interesting and compelling, but never suitable for children, so without a regular babysitter, I just look at the titles and wish I could go, and hope that one day I will have the opportunity to see anything I wish to see whenever I can.

A Long Way Home

Morning Colours

I was the only one who did not suffer last night. It was warm and the mosquitoes were busy. Maya was bitten all over, and had welts all over her face, arms and legs. Hernan, Maria and Gabriel were up all night itching. I slept nine hours -- after I spent some time cowering in fear after I heard what I thought were a series of gunhots. I thought we would be attacked at any moment and I decided there was little I could do other than covering Maya with my body. Maria heard the 'shots' as well and decided they were transformers popping. Evidently we were not attacked, except by insects.

Grey Beach


Frigate Bird

Children on the Beach

In the Mud

Fisherman

It was another miserable day, but that did not stop Maya and Gabriel from enjoying the surf. It was lightly drizzling as we watched the children swim, with Hernan, and then later with Maria. Hernan had decided that we would leave today, and no one objected. We packed up before lunch and headed north to Pedernales. I was hoping we would find a warmer sunnier place to swim, but that was not everyone's plan. We ate wonderful shrimp and langostinos in a seaside restaurant. Children came to beg for money, so we fed them rice and lentils and they told us they had no parents.

Feeding Hungry Children

Usual Mode of Transport

El Carmen

El Carmen

We drove to El Carmen and stopped at a mall in Santo Domingo for ice cream and yoghurt with mora and coffee. These towns are not attractive and are not compelling, except that I like the 'costeños', who are relaxed and friendly and more open than their serrano neighbours.

The drive home in the dark was long and once again it was better to close my eyes and try to ignore the wild corners and passing trucks. There were few signs and we got lost at least once, having to turn around and ask for directions on more than one occasion. We took the road to Mindo rather than the Santo Domingo route through the mountains, which was longer and more circuitous, but apparently safer in the night and had fewer trucks and buses. I was happy to arrive safely.

Sunset

Rain, Mist and Grey Skies

More of a Usual Day

Yesterday was unusual; today was more of the expected rain, mist and grey skies. My bathing suit was still wet from yesterday and from the humidity after the storm during the night, so I stayed in shorts and shirt and jacket while the children plunged into the surf, oblivious to the drizzle and insisting that the water was warmer than the ambient air. For Maya and Gabriel, a downpour would not have made a difference anyway. Maria and I walked along the beach to the north, where we encountered fishermen's shacks, caves, vultures and tide pools. We convinced the children to join us after they changed into warmer clothes, and they had their own adventure looking for oysters and mother of pearl. Maya wanted to know what she could expect to earn from her collection, and was not satisfied until I explained that after the shells had been incorporated into beautiful silver and gold jewelery, they would be worth much much more.

Catching up with Reading

Playing Cards

Beach to the South

Teepee on the Beach

Fishermen's Houses

The sky never stopped drizzling all day. We played pool, UNO, cribbage, read books, swung in hammocks, ate more shrimp and calamari for lunch, and could not keep Maya and Gabriel from the water in the afternoon. I was surprised that Maya was not at all hesitant to enter the water, after her 'medusa' experience yesterday. Somehow the day rushed by and it was dark early. We decided to drive to Pedernales for the evening. It was a long drive on a very dark road with lots of speed bumps. We stopped again at 'La Choza' where I had shrimp with coconut sauce and Maya and Gabriel had pizza while watching 'King Kong' on the big screen. Driving home was spooky in the dark without street lights, but I think I fell asleep along with the children and we were suddenly at the gates and in bed.

Reading Some More

Puffer Fish

Bubbles

Rain or Shine on the Beach

Vultures Everywhere

Empty Beach

Slugs Aplenty

I slept well in our tent, but Gabriel, Maria and Hernan were attacked by mosquitoes all through the night. Maya was eaten up as well. Somehow whenever I am with Maya the mosquitoes prefer her and stay away from me, so I was comfortable and well rested every night.

Hernan, Gabriel, Maria and Maya

Sunset

Beach Time!

Sand, Sun and Ocean

Another effort at a beach vacation, although it is difficult for me to imagine one without sun. Maria and I had arranged to start our journey at 5 AM, so Maya and I were packed and ready to go before then, but Maria, Hernan, and Gabriel arrived at the house some time after 5:30 and we got onto the 'Oriental' by 6. The road to Santo Domingo was treacherous, but not too full of traffic. Hernan is a good driver, although fast and not averse to risk, so I purposefully closed my eyes and tried not to pay attention. So time passed quickly and it felt as if we were on the coast in no time. We drove to Pedernales, where we stopped at 'La Choza' on the Malecon, exactly the same restaurant where Eric, Maya and I had lunch on our way home from Canoa and watched the world cup game when Germany battered Australia at 4:0. We arrived in time to watch the second half of the game between Germany and Argentina, again with Germany winning at 4:0!

Maria had chosen to stay at 'Punta Blanca', near Jama south of Pedernales. She had been there with Gabriel and Hernan when Gabriel was small and had good memories of the place. The accommodations were in tents with communal bathrooms, very rustic but reasonably comfortable. We were all happy to arrive in glorious sunshine. It took no time to be in our swimsuits and checking out the surf. The children were in heaven. The water was warm, the waves kept coming, and they never wanted to leave the ocean. The tents were at the top of a cliff, and we had to walk down 138 steps to get to the water, and again up the 138 steps to the restaurant for lunch. I had been looking forward to shrimp and calamari and ceviche and was not disappointed.

Happy Children

South to Canoa

Gabriel and Maya

The Paraguay España game kept us from the sun for a short while, but Gabriel and Maya were eager to run down the stairs to the water for an afternoon in the sun. We were so relieved to have good weather! The children were happy to have each other and I enjoyed having a companion on the beach, although I was happy to read my book and plunge into the waves as well. This was more like the beach vacation I was looking forward to!

Buried in my book, it took a while to register that the screaming that I heard was Maya's, and that it was not yelps of joy. For a moment, I thought she had lost a part of her anatomy, but when I reached her I discovered long blue green tendrils of a jelly fish clinging to her thigh. Her hands were inflamed and a figure of the number '5' was outlined on her leg. I had her wash herself off and put aloe vera cream wherever she was stung. I expected that she would be avoidant of the water after that, but other than preferring that an adult join her each time, she spent as much time as possible in the water.

Jellyfish Five

Frigate Birds Flying By

Canada Day Celebrations

A Short Visit to the Centro Historico

Canada Day was yesterday, but we decided to celebrate it today. Emilie, Sam, Maya and I did not get moving too early in the morning and were delayed at Boncaffee while we watched Brasil lose to Holland at the World Cup (can't beleive Brasil is out -- they were supposed to win!). By the time we got on the Ecovia to go downtown, it was too late to give Emily and Sam a proper tour of the old town. We got off at La Marin and walked to the Plaza Grande. I suggested they visit La Compania (the gold church) and San Fransisco church and museum, as well as Casa Alabada, and have lunch at the Archbishop's Palace at Hasta La Vuelta Señor.

Then Maya and I made a mad dash to find a taxi, which then took forever to get to Cyrano's near the apartment to buy a cake for the celebration, change clothes hastily, and meet the ambassador's car next door for a ride to Cumbaya. Maria was hosting the event at her house for a small group of Canadian women and we all indulged in bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon and good company.

I am not sure it felt like Canada Day, not only because it was a day late. If not for this event, I would have forgotten to celebrate. We had picked up Margaret, the Ambassador's wife at the American Ambassador's residence, where over a thousand people had been invited to celebrate the Fourth of July two days early. I guess the date of the celebration does not matter, it is the (thought?) feasting that counts. In the Ecuadorian media, Canada Day and Fourth of July hardly merit a word, and are certainly not mentioned or important for anyone but those celebrating.

It is always wonderful to get together with the Canadian women and Canada Day was just an excuse. This was to be my last event with this group of women who have be incredibly supportive and entertaining and interesting and reassuring. I will miss them and our meetings and celebrations and hope that I will see them all again.

Emilie and Sam are off to the north for a few days. Maya and I will join Maria and Gabriel for a weekend at the beach near Pedernales. I am not expecting sun, so I will not be disappointed if it rains and am bringing warm clothes and rainjackets just in case. I am trying to make up for our anticipated missed vacation at the beach in Florida (where we were disinvited!), but so far we have not quite made it to a proper 'fun in the sun' break.

Sam and Emilie off to Otavalo