Pucara, Ecuador

We spent the last week in Pucara, a small community in the mountains of the cloud forest.  The village was a 90 minute bus ride from where we had been in Otavalo, through the twists and turns and ups and downs of the mountain roads.  The plan for the week was to take a week of Spanish classes and stay in a home with one of the local families.  The first night we arrived was very challenging.  It was November 1st, "The Day of the Dead" (which we learned after) where everyone comes back to the village to remember those who have passed on.  They socialize, drink and party into the wee hours of the night.  Unfortunately, our rooms at the house we were staying at were right in the center of town where the party was going on.  In the morning, Eli woke up with a really bad reaction to the dust and mold in the room he was staying in.  After attending our Spanish class in the morning and having the boys try their third home cooked meal at the house, it was not looking good.  The boys were not eating what was being served and Eli's allergies were horrendous.  They also were feeling bad that the boys were not eating so Piedad asked us if we wanted to stay up at her son's house. There we could have the house to ourselves and use the kitchen to cook our own meals.  The house was three years old and was definitely not a typical house for the area.  Although we ended up not doing the typical homestay, the move allowed us to stay in the village for the week and finish our week of Spanish classes.  We were totally "unconnected" for the week which slowed life down quite a bit.  Eli and Asa read a ton, played cards and we hung out at the soccer field every afternoon for awhile. We are all getting our lessons in patience!


Pucara by Eli
A week or so ago we stayed for one week in Pucarã to take Spanish lessons. Pucarã is a very small town of about 40 families and 200 people living there. It is located in the cloud forest about a 2 hour bus ride from Otavalo. Getting there I knew we would not be living in the best place and it would not be that nice, but I was totally surprised when I got off the bus and was shown our room. Opening the door and walking in I was hit with cold damp air and a very strong smell of mold. After Asa and I put our stuff in the room, we headed over to the house of the host family. We sat in one of the two rooms in the house which was the dining room and kitchen. There were two dogs and a cat roaming around on the concrete floor. I could feel my allergies even after only being there for a couple minutes. Asa and I went back to the room and I could already feel that my bag was damp because of being in the room. That night when we were trying to sleep, there was a party going on right outside our room; people were smoking, drinking, and making a lot of noise. Because of that, we all had a terrible night sleep. That morning, I woke up barley being able to breath with my allergies. Asa and I got through the two hours of spanish lessons by saying "si" the whole time, even though we could only pick up a few words of what our teacher was saying. We decided that if this next night was just as bad as the first (which me and Asa definitely thought would be) we would get on the next bus and leave.

However, that afternoon our host mother's son came and said we could move to his house if we wanted. We went up to his house and it was much nicer, and clean. He said that he had just finished building the house two years ago, so it was almost brand new. At the house, Asa and I had our own room. So did mom and dad. We also had a kitchen that we could cook in so we wouldn't have soup every night -like what probably would have happened at the other host families house. For the rest of the week Asa and I made it through Spanish every morning, then played soccer for around an hour before going back to the house around 12. After that, Asa and I would spend the rest of the day reading and playing cards. I read two books during that one week because of all the reading I did. I read The Fifth Wave and Zoo by James Patterson. I also think Asa and I played well over 200 games of gin rummy. It was a long week but Asa and I managed to make it through.

 Along the way, the bus stopped at a house along the side of the road for people to buy food and relieve themselves in the nearby fields.

 

The first night in Pucara we stayed in the rooms just off to the right in the picture above.  The main part of the house is pictured below. They had a little store in the front of the house were they sold basic snacks and supplies. This was the center of town

 Across the street from the house above were the soccer fields.  Every afternoon we played a bit of soccer. A few times some of the local kids joined in.

A view behind the soccer fields.

 

 Our Spanish lessons were held in the green and white building in the background. Also, in the center of town.

Our Spanish teachers. Sylvia on the left worked with the boys and Anita with Brad and Gayle.

Marcelo's house where we stayed after the first night.

 

 Marcelo welcomed us into his home for the week. 

A view from his roof.

 

The second night we took a ride into Abuela, the next town over to swim in the natural hot springs. Brad and the boys had the seats in the back of the truck.

 The village of Abuela.

 Look closely and you can see a face in the mountain (eyes and nose).

 Brad took a hike into Abuela one day to get some groceries

 The grocery store in Abuela where we got some basic supplies. On the way home the bus was too full and they would not let us on so we hired a ride.  Brad in front and Eli, Asa and me in the back.

On the last day, Brad hired a guide in the morning to do a bit of hiking and show him around the area.  

Saying our good-byes to the people we had met.

 Jose and Piedad owned the house we stayed in the first night and the parents of Marcelo.

 At the last minute they brought hats, belts and two bags for us to buy.  I modeled them all.  I ended up with the belt. Above you can see Magdelan starting a new item.  They are all made from plants.

 Good-bye Puacara!