south for winter

Thursday, August 23, 2012

cultural dislocation relocation

I read somewhere that a foreigner's response to America tells us as much about them as it does about us. I hope our musings about your beautiful country piques some interest in Ecuador. We love visitors.

We were blessed with five fantastic weeks in the United States of America this summer. Well, the state of California anyway. These are the things that strike a couple of expats living in Ecuador, gone for the large majority of two years. Perspective fosters inner peace.

- customer service. it exists.
- portion sizes. how is it that skinny people haven't gone extinct?
- respect for rules
- smiles and small talk with strangers
- good roads. everywhere. good drivers too.
- holy flat landscape! The SC mountains are hills, my friends.
- the boldness of seagulls
- sandstone cliffs in waning golden light. At 8pm.
- daily anticipation of the fog burning off
- deer and squirrels are cute
- free wifi (wee-fee). everywhere. and crazy fast.
- ubiquity of public restrooms. And TP.
- cypress trees, redwoods, California poppies
- drive thru hikes. who needs exercise? grab a sandwich.
- forethought.
- crosswalks
- pedestrian right of way
- commitment to public safety. too much. what about Darwin?
- efficiency. yes you CAN accomplish 5 errands in one day (Quito = 1 per day máximo)
- bay area acceptance of the gender continuum
- gun control. what have we learned?
- LA radio
- 10 cent charge for shopping bags in SC, SJ, Monterey. No more plastic. Nice work.
- progress of the green movement in general. composting has gone mainstream.
- public ability to form lines
- my ability to screw up English words and expressions
- Spanish everywhere. on its way to being accepted as a second first language. Vamos, California.
- Mexican food. It's a reason people visit the best coast.
- options. too many. for everything.
- the fear mongering. it's for real. c'mon people, no pasa nada!
- fierce market competition. mind-blowing quality standards.
- no one uses change. or cash for that matter.
- poverty. every country has it.
- 2 weeks vacation. How is that still legal in such a civilized nation?
- my own national pride, state pride, hometown pride. SC baby!
- the ease of (re)connecting with my own people. The US of A might be quasi crazy, but you Americans are a supreme delight. Peace, amigos.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Ecuaducation

So I've lived in Ecuador for nearly two years now, and this place still boggles my mind. Its diverse landscapes, Incan empire, and colonial legacy have shaped equally diverse cultures that can be tough to pin down. National identity is elusive in Ecuador; to understand its people one has to get familiar with each region, each community. I've found that reading the accounts of authors who've had more time, and perhaps more ability to synthesize all these observations, has helped me to gain greater cultural understanding - of Ecuadorian history and customs, as well as the sources of my own frustrations with the way things are done around here. The reading list below is mandatory for foreigners living in Ecuador, and enjoyable for interested travelers, culture and history buffs, or anyone looking to expand their horizons. Enjoy!
-oriana

Living Poor (1969)

An early Peace Corps account from an unusually astute observer, Moritz Thompsen's 1960s narrative of coastal Ecuador lends progressive awareness and synthesis to the tenacity of desperate poverty. While most of the artisan partners I work with at Andean Collection have emerged from the depths of malnutrition, infectious disease, and violence that define poverty, this narrative sheds light on what their lives were probably like just a generation ago, and helps me to understand how they view their world through that lens. If you like the author's style, check out his even more nuanced sequels, Farm on the River of Emeralds and The Saddest Pleasure.

Savages (1995)

An insightful and compelling account of the Amazonian Huaorani tribe's struggle to maintain rights to their ancestral lands, Joe Kane's work captures sensitivity but avoids sentimentality as it unravels the values, flaws, and determination of an ancient civilization confronting the avarice of the modern world. A memorable read.

The Mapmaker's Wife (2004)

A historical chronicle that reads like an adventure novel, Robert Whitaker narrates the story of the French expedition to map the shape of the earth in the New World (not quite spherical, with a bulge at the equator). It is "a true tale of love, murder, and survival" sweeping from Europe to the Andes to the Amazon in the time of the Spanish conquest. Along the way the story sheds light on colonial Ecuador (then Peru) and its fascinating and abhorrent caste system of Spanish aristocrats, creoles, mestizos, African blacks, and indígenas, the vestiges of which are very much visible in modern Ecuadorian society.

Portrait of a Nation: Culture and Progress in Ecuador (2010)

A good read for those with armchair interest in economics, political science, development, or Latin American studies, this analysis by former Ecuadorian president Osvaldo Hurtado argues that Ecuadorians, like all human societies, are shaped by their environment and their history, and in the case of his country there are many cultural factors contributing to Ecuador remaining poor. In this land of unusual richness of natural resources, the facility of agriculture and and an unlimited supply of indigenous slave labor was combined with colonial politics that prevented upward mobility and prohibited personal freedom. These social conditions ultimately resulted in a society that is low on innovation, creative problem solving, and trust - factors that the author argues will continue to prevent Ecuador from participating in the global economy until a cultural paradigm shift occurs.

The Panama Hat Trail (2001)

A meandering but well researched travelogue that follows the fabrication of Ecuadorian panama hats from the cultivation and harvest of toquilla straw in the coastal regions, to humble weavers in small villages outside Cuenca, to corrupt middle men, hat finishers, savvy exporters and salesmen in the US and Europe, where panama hats were chic, popular and expensive consumer goods for high society in the early to mid 1900s. Along the way, the reader is acquainted with the innerworkings of a typical value chain for handmade goods in developing countries - and the exploitation and profiteering that are enabled by classism and a strong colonial legacy.

The Villagers (Huasipungo) (1934, published in English 1964)

What could be called The Great Ecuadorian Novel, Jorge Icaza's fictional tale in fact recounts a harsh reality that was the life of Andean Indians in colonial times - the injustices of which endure today. A work of social protest, The Villagers is a story set in the Huasipungo era, a system in which an elite minority of whites controlled entire villages of indigenous peasants through forced labor and indentured servitude on huasipungos (plantations, encomiendas or haciendas, large plots of land that were owned and controlled exclusively by Spanish landlords). A significant contribution to Latin American literature, this book is both a historical account and a call for present day social revolution.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Surf and Turf

Feliz año, y'all! I realize we're a bit late, but DandO (mostly O) are just emerging from the winter doldrums. Temp and day length don't change much here at the equator, but the seasonal gloom apparently sets in for some norteamericanas regardless. Unseasonably regular rain and irregular work hours made the last bit of 2011 less fun than we'd like, so the #1 new year's resolution for both D and O is to work less and play more. Here's us documenting the good times to help keep our priorities in order.

Coastal happiness at Punta Prieta

We are in the middle of our second year in Ecuador, charging toward our third, which may or may not be our last. Life here is going well, but that pesky travel bug is returning again, and it seems like a good time to enjoy to the fullest what may (or may not) be our last few years of kidless, mortgageless freedom. If you want to come to Ecuador while we're still around, consider this your 18-month warning!

Incredible weather! On our way to a great camp spot at the base of Cotopaxi, October 2011

We spent the holidays in Argentina this year, taking advantage of Ecuador's relative proximity to the southern hemisphere to cash in on a cheapish flight to Bariloche, a fave destination from our backpacking adventure in 2010. When it turned out there was a snag in our already less than luxurious 4-stop flight, we briefly considered heading north to the States instead. But when you have a choice between winter solstice in California or summer solstice in Argentina, which do you pick? We opted for the warm days and 10pm sunsets. (Sorry, Mom!).

DandO soak up summer sun, December 2011

Those of you who travel in coach understand that there are a few lucky moments in life when airline problems turn in your favor. And that is precisely what happened when LAN canceled our Buenos Aires-Bariloche connection due to volcano activity but failed to put us on their substitute flight/bus combo from Buenos Aires to Neuquen to Bariloche. Grrrr.

But the result...

~~First Class~~ Premier Economy, bitches! (We are easy to please).

O takes a siesta in the VIP lounge somewhere along our 4-stop itinerary

New Year's Day, 2012

On our way south we had a 24-hour layover in Buenos Aires, which allowed for a reunion with our porteño friend Leandro, a graphic artist/writer/anti-establishment activist that we met on our last jaunt through Argentina. He took us out for some great wine, mediocre steak (he's a vegetarian!) and fantastic company. Our much needed break from Ecuador was well underway.

Christmas Eve parillada with the folks at Alaska Hostal

Once in Bariloche we posted up at Alaska Hostel, the perfect mellow travel scene for the either-side-of-30 crowd. We were welcomed by our gracious hosts, Naty and Javier and their new little guy, Luca. It was a great feeling to return to the beauty of Bariloche and the familiarity of friends.

Javi introduces Luca, the new assistant manager

Our main adventure this round (with more money and less time than last) was to see how many calories we could consume in 10 days. We also ventured out on a 3-day hike, but with raging Malbec hangovers, beef filled bellies and 90 degree heat, it was not our most spectacular performance. But we made it through and shook off the swollen feet with a paragliding flight from Cerro Otto. A great way to launch ourselves into 2012!

In flight above Bariloche

The photos below tell the rest of the story of our past several months in Ecuador and our escape to Argentina. A couple of Devin's video projects are included as well.

ARGENTINA - Dec/Jan

Rack of lamb feeds the rack of O-face

Andes from above Santiago de Chile

By the lake, finally on vacation

100 degree hike with a hangover, Christmas day, Nahuel Huapi National Park

Seeking solitude, Refugio Frey, day 1

Morning view, camp 1

Heading up to the pass, day 2

Pondering an icy plunge

High point, day 2

Doble lago vista

Volcán Puyehue erupts in the distance

Melting!

Follow the red dots over the second ridge

Looking down at Lago Jakob (still day 2!)

Lakeside toga party, Refugio San Martín, day 2

Work less, play more! day 3 morning hike

Camp 2

Cool off in the river, day 3

Smoked trout recovery sandwich, day 4

D skips rocks. Look at that form!

Ash in the air on the 7 lakes drive

Ash scene, Lago Espejo, Seven Lakes Drive toward Chile

Wanna jump? (Devin did)

A bit windy at the Forehead Mirador

Warning, songbirds in the area

Coasting in on fumes

Beautiful Bariloche

Ready for takeoff

Devin takes flight

Perfect day

Parapente

Fede takes O for a ride

On steady ground

FEBRUARY 2012

D finally got a chance to put together a time-lapse video that was taken back in August. It starts out silent but sound comes in after a few seconds. Full screen is recommended.

JANUARY 2012