BEST POST YET!! The Market and Futbol!!

So my trip has been made. We saw Ecuador play Chile in a World Cup qualifying match. But first Cecilia says I have to blog about the market we went to on Saturday.

Otavalo is a little town 2 hrs north of Quito, reached by bus. Rather than go all the way to the south end of town to the bus terminal, Pancho said we could flag the bus down on the highway. Perfect. We do that all the time in Seattle. Just wait on the 520/I-5 onramp and flag the first bus to Bellevue that comes along. So we were all prepared for that. Pancho drove us to the highway and helped us flag the bus. He waited by the curb as we pulled off and we waved out the window like we were on our way to the first day of school.

(On the bus to Otavalo)

Then there was the question of where to get off. The bus we chose just dropped us off in much the same manor in which it picked us up: on the highway, barely stopping. We managed to catch another bus into town and made our way to South America´s largest craft market.

(Fish fry Ecuadorian Style)

(Spices in bags)

(Cecilia trolling for treasures we desperately need and definately have room for in our bags)

We left telling our host that we were most interested in seeing the market and would probably not buy much at all....

(Cecilia holding up all the stuff we weren´t going to buy)

That´s just what didn´t fit in our backpack. Now comes the task of figuring out how to get alpaca blankets out of South America with our limited baggage space. Cecilia is convinced it can be done.

The Otavaleños are an interesting group. For the most part, folks seemed to be doing well in terms of health, etc. Of course there were a few beggars wandering around, but thats not out of the ordinary, as a blind man was navigating the small aisles in the fútbol match the next day. Aparently, the have maintained thier indiginous culture while establishing an economy based on these crafts that has allowed them to gain political power and elect the mayor and other provincial posts. So that´s good.

On to the important stuff. The next day, we went to the Stadio Olympico to watch Ecuador take on Chile. In World Cup Qualifying, Ecuador was 7th, with Chile in 5th, 4 teams from the region qualify. Sharing a group with the likes of Brazil and Argentina makes the remaining 2 spots very competitive. As there are no assigned seats beyond sections, we were told we should arrive early to stake out seats. Apparently early in this case means 3 hours before the match. So there we were, sitting on our concrete seats 3 hours before kickoff, ominous clouds looming on the horizon. It didn´t take long for those clouds to arrive and bring the rain that came down on and off the the entire 5 hours we were there. It didn´t seem to dampen anyone´s spirits though. With 2 hours to go, the "general" section unfurled a giant flag that covered the entire section.

("Ecuador...My Country")

There was no shortage of sights and sounds while we waited for kickoff...

(Airport is RIGHT in the center of town)

(In a show of hospitality, the home team allowed the opposing team´s tunnel to deflate...while they were in it)

(The cops were running low on TP, so the fans kindly gave them some of thier extra)

($2 beers beat the crap out of $8 beers at Qwest of Safeco fields)

Finally came the national anthems....

The game itself was great. I´m sure there were more than a few puzzled Ecuadorians wondering who the hell this gringo was shouting at the top of his lungs in English at the ref´s, the opposing team, and directing the Ecuadorian team to push the ball to the wings and stop working everything through the middle of the pitch. There was no shortage of action in a game that saw 3, count them 3 red cards. 2 for Chile and 1 for Ecuador. Even playing almost the entire game with a man advantage, the Ecuadorians only manged a 1-0 victory (primarily b/c they refused to take my advice and spread the field). In the end, they got the 3 points they needed to take them to 5th in the tables. Big game coming up on Wed against Venezuala in Caracas. Hopefully C and I will find a raucus bar somewhere to take that one in.

If you made it to the end of this marathon post, thank you for indulging. Upcoming highlightsthis week will be doing nothing, saving the money we spent in Otavalo, and preparing for our trip to the Jungle this weekend.

Espanol

We have developed a routine which includes desayuno at 8 am, Spanish lessons with private teacher Jaime between 8.30 11.30 am at our house, almuerzo with Pancho around 1 pm, siesta, homework, trip to town for beer/coffee etc and checking out a museum or new neighborhood and then I beat Brad playing cards while having some vino tinto.

Apparently Spanish is easier than Swedish. Brad managed to talk through a whole transaction at the store after two classes. Took him a year to do that in Sweden. We are way passed una cerveza but just got to adjectivo posesivo y pronombres objetivos and I am a bit confused for the moment though. Staying with a family is the really the best lesson. We have to speak Spanish during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Watch TV and (attempt) to read the newspaper, play with Pancho´s sister´s grand kids who are happy to correct our Spanish while practicing their English with us. Also love the fact that we have traditional Ecuadorian food everyday which is delicious! Ceviche made with trout (forell en Suecia), different soups everyday and amazing juices including my new favourite Tomate de Arbol (Tree tomato).

There are huge class divisions in Quito and it's bizarre to one minute pass men dressed in expensive suits and the next watching a seven-year old carrying a baby while trying to sell you some candy or shine your shoes. We are getting a good insight to a middle class Ecuadorian home. Big house in the new part of the city with armed guards at the corners, car, live-in maid and kids taking all their classes in English.

They are talking about the debate and election on the news but in Spanish, ahhh wish we could watch it tonight. So curios. Wei and Jason, do you realize we will be starting the Inca Trail the day of the election? Brad put his ballot in the mail yesterday...

A few days in Quito

So we´ve had a chance to dip our toes in Quito a bit over the last few days. Managed to get a little insiders tour from a gal from NY who was finishing up her orientation in Quito before she headed out to the coast to teach English. She had been staying with our host family for a month. She provided us with lots of good info and some scary stories. Needless to say, we won´t be taking any night buses in Ecuador. Something about the words,"high-jacking", "robbery" and "stabbing" that don´t sit well with us.

Saturday, we ventured into the old town and checked out all the old churches. Around every corner is another church from the 1600´s (and a nice lady telling you to wear your backpack on your front). Some pictures here. The most impressive sight was from the belltower of the Basillica del Voto Nacional. After climbing the belltower, you can cross the main church area (I know there´s a word for this mom, sorry) on a rickety wooden footbridge (See pic of Cecilia) and climb the tower. I was the only one to make this climb while C talked with some gals from the UK. Views of the city were amazing. In the background is Quito´s answer to the virgin on the hill in Rio, the Virgin de la Panecillo.





Sunday, we spent with our host family and studied up on our Español. Pancho (see pic of me and him below) took us on a Sunday drive around the city. With all the hills, there is no shortage of buena vistas over the city.


Coming highlights will (hopefully) include World Cup Qualifying match between Chile and Ecuador this Sunday, and a trip to the Amazon rainforest next weekend, followed by a trip to the coast the weekend after.


Adios! B

Quito - we made it

Scroll down for English;)

Efter 15 timmars resande och snabbplugg av halsningfraser pa spanska anlande vi i Quito sent igarkvall. Pancho var som utlovat varldens trevligaste man och han hamtade oss pa flygplatsen vilket vi var valdigt glada over. Spanskakunskaperna ar smatt bristfalliga men det ar otroligt vad en termin pa medborgarskolan kan gora! Tyska och franska fraser dyker upp titt som tatt men basic spanish hanger fortfarande med. Efter att hjartklappningen, flamtandet och huvudvarken (pa grund av den hoga hojden som Quito ligger pa) lagt sig var v i redo for frukost med Pancho lagat av hushallerskan Soilita. Smatt forvanade nar det bjods pa Nescafe med varm mjolk (inget vatten) i kaffelandet nummer ett!

Vi hade varldens tur och traffade Cara fran New York som bott i vardfamiljen i en manad. Detta var hennes sista dag och hon agnade den till att visa oss runt i stan, hur man tar vagnen och massa saker man inte ska gora etc. Allt vi last och blivit varnade for verkar vara sant sa vi haller hart i vaskorna och lar inte ta nagra nattbussar i det har landet. Deras blev hi jacked forra veckan pa en langresa till kusten. Ej kul. Men alla e supervanliga och det kanns bra att bo i en familj. Speciellt nar dom har tva hundar, varav en ar den storsta Schafer jag sett; Dragu. Han ska tydligen ha raddat manga studenter fran bade det ena och det andra.

Imorgon ar det forsta spanskalektionen. Ska traffa Jaime pa Coffee Tree (ni som varit i Quito vet antagligen exakt var det ar). Pancho har erbjudit sig att komma med for att hjalpa till med upplagget av hur manga dagar i veckan etc vi vill ta lektioner da Jaime inte kan nagon engelska eller svenska heller for den delen.

Varmt och skont har. Ikvall blir det middag hemma med Pancho som tydligen har en systerdotter i Stockholm och varit i Goteborg for att kopa en Volvo till sin bror som bor i Italien. Varlden e liten. Vi planerar en 5 dagars djungeltripp om nagon vecka och aven en tur till kusten. Det blir nog till Esmeralda (med en dagbuss). Camilla eller Karin, vad hette den guiden ni akte med igen? Inte for att det ar brist pa organisatorer har men....

K, Brad is completely beat after 15 hours of traveling, head ache due to the high altitude, breakfast at 7.30 and a full day of walking. Oh and did I mention the large beer at lunch? So he is too tired to take care of the English version.

We made it and were extremely happy to see a smiling Pancho meeting us at the gate. Truly one of the nicest people I´ve met. We have our own room and bathroom. After all the horror stories we seriously thought we would get robbed as soon as we got off the plane so it feels nice to be in a house, guarded by the biggest German shepherd we have seen in addition to the locked gates and broken glass bottles spread out along the high walls in case somebody tries to climb in. Oh, and we are next to a day care!

We got really lucky and met Cara, a girl from New York, who has stayed with the host family for a month and she spent her last day showing us around town and told us all the do´s and don´ts. Everyone is really friendly here and we are excited about exploring the city. First spanish lesson is tomorrow at 10 am. My one semester of Spanish has actually paid off but we have a lot to learn before we head to the Saturday market to bargain for prices.

Planning a 5 day trip to the djungle probably next week and then another to the coast. We will be taking a day bus after learning that everything the guidebook said about the night buses is true. Cara's group of World Teach friends{s bus got hijacked on a trip last week...

Seattlites- thought we were in coffee coutry of the world so imagine our surprise when we were served Nescafe with warm milk (no water) for breakfast:)

So I guess we will miss the debate tonight, maybe we will hit up a bar and watch a soccer game instead.

Hasta Luego!

Cecilia

Later skaters...

Here we are. All packed and ready to go. We both have a couple extra kgs/lbs in our bags, but when we get robbed a couple times, things should be a bit more managable. Yes that's a ukulele in my hands. I'm planning on learning it while we travel to have something to fall back on when the financial markets completely crash, the western world is brought to its knees and I can't get a job when we get back. I'll uke for my meals on the Stockholm subway.

Flight leaves at 6am PST tomorrow (10/1/08), and after a long layover in Atlanta, we'll find ourselves at the mercy of our host in Ecuador, Pancho. After a little worry spell, we finally got word yesterday that he'd pick us up at the airport, with signs. I've always wanted to have a sign waiting for me when I get off the airplane. So that should get our trip off to a nice start.

We'll follow up with another post as soon as we hit an internet cafe...in QUITO! For real...we're going. crazy.

B-out.

Moving Sale

I helgen hade vi vår garage/moving sale. Hade sett fram emot detta då det är något typiskt amerikanskt men något jag aldrig varit med om. Vi satte upp skyltar i området och la ut en listning på Craig’s List (typ Blå börsen). Grannen några hus längre ner har garage sale varje månad och hade även denna dag så det var bra för fottrafiken. Halv sju på morgonen dök den första kunden upp!! Då hade vi inte ens fått upp allt. Vi spenderade hela fredagskvällen med att organisera och sätta priser på allt som vi ville bli av med och det var massor med folk hela dan. Jag hade blivit informerad om att det finns en del som spenderar helgerna att bara köra runt och fynda på garage sales och att det finns massa etikettregler om hur mycket man får pruta osv. Sju timmar senare var vi $900 rikare! Det är värt många hostelnätter i Sydamerika det. Kelly har hämtat soffan och nu börjar det bli tomt i huset. På torsdag kommer pack och flyttgubbarna och då är det bara en bäddsoffa, våra resväskor och ryggsäckar kvar.

Bokade oförskämt billiga biljetter till Sverige i januari - $250 enkel väg! Den 21 januari landar vi i Göteborg. Brad kanske får stiga av när vi mellanlandar i Stockholm om hans jobb går igenom. Arbetstillståndet är i alla fall klirrat.

Three weeks to go

I quit my job today. It's a very liberating process and I recommend it highly. There were no slamming of doors or raising of voices, so I guess I should work on my technique for next time.

Now all that's left is to sell off (almost) all of our worldly possessions to help finance this excursion. A little word of advice when using Craigslist to sell things: Don't list something unless you really can afford to part with it that day. Posted our bedroom set yesterday afternoon, and we have someone picking it up today. As you'll note from the title of this post, we have 3 weeks to go. It's either air matress or pull-out couch from here on out. That's if someone doesn't buy either out from under us, and at this point, there is very little in the house that I won't part with for the right price. Sleeping on the floor will be good for Cecilia's back anyway...