Northwestern Hospitality

As soon as I arrived in Otavalo, I went straight to a cabina (phone booth) and called a guy named Paul. I had been put in touch with Paul through one of my contacts from before I came to Ecuador. He and I had written back and forth and I learned that he had moved here with his wife and two daughters to do some community development work in and around Otavalo for about the same amount of time as me. His wife answered and invited me over for dinner. I graciously accepted and walked over to their apartment. They were a lovely family from Oregon and after dinner, asked if I needed a place to stay until I figured out my homestay situation. Once again, I accepted without hesitation.




Later that night, we walked up the street to a local soccer field to watch a few games. As expected, the players were incredibly skilled and impressive.

The next day, I went with Paul to the school that his girl's were attending (Rosie and Althea). It was a gorgeous Ecuadorian private school situated about 10 minutes North of town. I walked around giving myself a self-guided tour. Afterward, Paul and the music teacher were swapping songs on the banjo and guitar so I sat by and listened in.

The next morning Paul and I rented bikes and planned to visit Azama (check the blog post "Into the Rabbit Hole..." for an explanation).

It was a great day and a fantastic experience. I spent the afternoon discovering more of Otavalo, and getting acquainted with some of the locals. That night, a friend of Paul's named Segundo and his wife Maria Ester dropped by to say hello. Not even five minutes into our conversation, they offered for me to live with them for the remainder of my time in Ecuador. I was honored, and seeing as the original family that had agreed to host me had disappeared, I accepted. The plan was to move in over the weekend.

Now onto Thursday, my birthday. First of all, thank you everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes. I woke up at 6 (like everyday there because the girl's had school at 7 and I was sleeping on a mattress in the kitchen/dining room/sitting area).

There I am sitting at the table sipping my coffee when the lights suddenly go off. Then I see Kristen, Allie, Rosie, and Paul with a little plate with bread and a candle singing happy birthday. I had nearly forgotten. It was really sweet. Later that morning, Paul and I went to a small town nearby to teach a music/English class. The kids were incredible and thrilled to have us there. I sat in the back to observe as Paul taught them "This Land is Your Land." I ended up causing a distraction when the kids around me started to play with my watch. They spent 20 minutes pressing every button and squealing with delight with every flash of light or beep. After the lesson, I was speaking with the teacher about the Kichwa language (spoken by a majority of the people in Otavalo). In response, as a gift, he gave me a learning Kichwa (or Quechua) text book. I had already purchased a dictionary the previous day so was extremely excited to now own a book to work through. The interesting thing is that it actually helps my Spanish because all of the translation is from Spanish to Quechua. Anyways, I was honored to have been a part of the class and to have received the gift.

Afterward, Paul and I were invited to a local man's house to chat. His name was Vincente and he is considered the leader of Panecillo. He goes by "Don" Vincente to most.

I took the afternoon to visit Cotacachi, a beautiful city nearby. I came back in time to to change and get ready for dinner. Paul, Kristen, and the girls had invited me out to dinner at the nicest restaurant in town in honor of my birthday. The place is called Ali Shungu (http://www.alishungu.com/). We had a great dinner and it was a wonderful way to spend my birthday away from family, friends, and home.

Friday has thus far been spent at the Ali Shungu using the wifi. In a few hours, I´m going to a soccer game with Paul and Segundo. Tomorrow I'm heading back Hacienda Cusin to show Paul, Kristen, and the girl's what it's like. I think I am moving in with Segundo and his family on Sunday. I'm excited to get into an Ecuadorian home where I can immerse myself in the languages.

Love from a more settled Kent