I am so excited to go back to Ecuador at the end of May. I know it's 6 months away, but I am just so excited. I chatted online with Quimis yesterday, and it made me so homesick for Ecuador.
And why do I love it so much? Well here are the top 10 reasons I love Ecuador and am looking forward to going back:
1. The food. Seriously, were you expecting something else to be number 1? UGGH!!! THE FOOD!!! The fruits and juices: Maracuya, naranjilla, chirimoya, guanabana. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. And then there are my favorite restaurants: The Fruteria and this one place in San Pedro (AKA San Rafael). When I talked to Quimis yesterday he told me that it is still there. AND it's even bigger then before! They make this grilled chicken that melts off the bone and they have this potato/mani sauce that is so delicious. That is one of the only good memories I have with Muriel: we would go there all the time and the owner loved us. Sometimes they would be out of chicken for the night, but he would put 2 more pieces on the grill just for us. We took our whole zone there one P-day. I'm not kidding, it's amazing. I can't wait to go.
2. The beach. I think I've talked extensively about my hatred for the beach in Eureka. but just to sum up: It's cold and dirty and I come home with sand in my chones every time I go. I don't like being cold and the beach has always equaled unhappiness for me. I have always dreamed of going somewhere where the beach is HOT. Marcelo told me this is the case in Ecuador. So he promised me we will get to go to the beach there.
3. My family. I love my in-laws. I don't know if I love them BECAUSE they are so far away, or if I would love them so much if they were closer. But I do love them. And they love me. I'm the beautiful American who married their favorite son and took him away to the land of milk and honey. And I spawned a beautiful Loor-child that they are going to fawn over non-stop when I get there. I just really love and respect my in-laws and I think that they are great people. I'm excited to see them.
4. The people. I love the people of Ecuador. It took me a while to figure them out, but now that I have I have total unconditional love for them. Even when they tell you RIGHT TO YOUR FACE that you are fat, I don't really care anymore. Becuase I know what they are really saying. They are just good people and I am so happy that I'm eternally connected to them.
5. The places. Banos, Quito, Mitad del Mundo, Quevedo, Santo Domingo, Guayaquil, Ambato. I love all the places of Ecuador. (except maybe that trash dump right next to our house in Carapungo. AKA the toilet bowl of North Quito. Am I right, Judd?) Anyway, I love traveling all over and seeing different parts of the country. I think Ecuador is like the 2nd or 3rd smallest country in the whole continent, so it's really easy to know so many different parts of it. I am looking forward to getting to know Otavalo, Manabi and Esmereldes. I'm SO excited.
6. The language. I've really started to notice over the last 2 months that my language skills have dropped off DRAMATICALLY. I blame Marcelo because he never speaks to me in Spanish.:) But I'm so excited to go back and remember all that I've forgotten. And to learn much more then I ever knew before. I'm very excited to brush up on my Spanish skillz.
7. The mountains and volcanoes. I love how Ecuador is so green. The hills are all covered in trees and bushes and everything is just so moist and green. And the volcanoes are going off all the time. They are smoking and pumping out ash and soot and it's GREAT. I can't wait to go back and see them looking all fresh and clean after a rain. Ahh, mountains.
8. The buses. I don't know why, but I LOVE the bus system in Ecuador. You can get a bus to anywhere at almost any time. There might be a bloody chicken on the floor, or children might throw-up at sometime during your 4 hour drive to Quito. You just never know what will happen. Or you have a lady with giant bags of fried pork skins that make the whole back of the bus smell like burnt bacon. Oh man, I've had some GOOD TIMES on buses.
9. The places I've never been. As I've already stated, I'm excited to go back to Ecuador to visit some of the places that I've never been before. And I'm even more excited to take my family with me. I don't have 100% confirmations yet, but I've been told that my mom, Jaris, Julie and MaxKyle are all possibilities to go. I would REALLY love Jeff and Tina and their family to go. Maybe just Kyrie? I'm not sure, but I'm excited to see these places with my family.
10: Finally, I'm so excited to go because Marcelo is a different person in Ecuador. He lights up and is the life of the party. He dances and sings and plays and he's the person I fell in love with. He's so happy and I'm happy to see him like that. I think that no one in the U.S. has ever seen him like that, and I think it's about time that he gets his groove back.
So that's my list. What are your favorite parts of Ecuador?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Countdown to Ecuador
Posted by Ali at 11:11 AM
Labels: Ecuador, My Favorite Things
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3 comments:
So many things about Ecuador sound a lot like Brazil--reading this made me "home"sick for it. And OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH the juices. I miss those MUCHO! How fun to be able to take your family there. I'm totally excited for you!!!!
Bing, you've forgotten the most important parts!
My Top Ten Favorite Things About Ecuador:
1. those sexy bus drivers hanging out the window, luring us in with sweet nothings like, "i luv you baby! one, two, three, fibe, nime, teyn!"
2. little kids shouting, "gooood morrrning, teeeecher!"
3. two words: galapa---guitos.
4. deisel fumes
5. pina. oh, the pina! and at 30 cents a pop!
6. living between two landfills and deciding if i wanted to take the dead dog route, or the toilet trail. oh, and finding landfill dirt in my bed. delicious.
7. i love that in Ecuador, bread with baked in goat cheese and sugar actually tastes good.
8. all the boogars and foul messages on the back of the bus seat in front of you.
9. yelling, "gracias!" to make a bus stop (with squealing brakes) and muscling your way through the unsafe amounts of people standing in the aisle and then accidentally grabbing the bus-monkey's toosh as you try to break out the door (the bus is still actually moving at this point). nothing beats an Ecua bus. Popular.
10. hiss-hiss! my skin still crawls.
11. "cho-chos, pinchos, papas con cuero!" "camaron, camaron, pescado!" "comercio, comercio!"
12. all the virgin marys in half-bathtubs. awesome blasphemy.
i guess that was more than 10. i could go on for days! i make jokes, but i love that country and the people. there are no better people than Ecuadorians. my heart aches for Ecuador sometimes. the other day, the weather and smells and everything was just so that it took me right back to Riobamba. i just closed my eyes and soaked in it for as long as i could. there are so many people there who i love and miss. i can't wait until we can all live near eachother. of course, i'll be in a lesser kingdom, so don't forget to write! i wish i could go with you.
UGGH!!! The Galapaguitos!! How I crave them !! Don't forget Panes de Chocolate (i would always get 2: you none)
That was the NASTIEST day when you found all the Equa-dirt in your bed. I thing you even gagged a little.
How did I forget the hissing? A-holes trying to get our attention.
Oh and when the money takers on the bus would get their 14 cents and then stand RIGHT NEXT to you as if you would be magnetically drawn to them what with their pot bellies, open shirts and faux gold chains. So tempting I almost forgot for a moment that I was a missionary and tried to kiss him!!! And the smell? Intoxicating!
I MISS IT!!
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