Ya mismo

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

Elizabeth Browning

I have fallen in love with Ecuador.  It is not just the place I adore, but also the people.  And along with the people, I appreciate the way life is lived down here.  Ecuador has shown me a slower pace of life and an existence where I can reflect on what is meaningful. The best way to describe it is "Ya mismo" which means it will happen, but perhaps not right away.  It's a South American attitude which has taught me to take off my watch, let go of structure, slow down, kick back and simply enjoy time.  

Living in the tropics, with the Pacific Ocean as my horizon, I have been blessed with quality time with my family and gathering together with friends. I have had an existence in touch with nature and contemplative moments alone. The last three months have been time filled with the abundant flavors of Ecuador.

Balsa Fishermen

El Morro Church

Fishing port of Posorja

Cerro el Muerto (Mountain of the dead man)

Old style fishing balsa sail craft

Stylish Ecuadorian hospitality

Small boat fishing fleet 

 Tricimoto

Engaboa

Salamandar

Catch of the day

Prize Rooster

This land that straddles the equator is so diverse.  Nestled between Peru to the south, Colombia to the north and the Pacific to the west, this tiny land mass offers so much: from the tropical amazon jungles and high sierras to the coastal plains and off shore islands.  For me Ecuador will be forever embodied into the sounds of the soft breeze whispering amongst the palm fronds, the midnight timbal of a cicada serenade and the rhythmic surge of Pacific Ocean surf.  

Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on" 

Robert Frost

The culture is a rich blend of Indian origins and European influences, pervaded by the Spanish language and loaded with colloquial Ecuadorianisms.  Everyone has a welcoming smile and a genuine interest in who you are.  It could just be the good folks here have not developed gringo tourist fatigue yet.  Whatever the reason, I am grateful for the inclusion into their world.  The realization that my existence here is only temporary turns the corners of my mouth down.   

"don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

Dr Seuss

To think of our encroaching departure day turns me into grumpy cat. Recollecting all that happened does make me smile widely, especially as I reflect on all the changes in the kids over the last three months. They are sun kissed and bleached blonde from the endless summer of Ecuador's weather.  They have developed, not only physically but in their knowledge from all their amazing experiences and the incredible mentors they have met here.

Courtney, friend, inspiration, Spanish Teacher

Business hammock

"The Great Balsa Experimento"

After homeschooling you realize that most of the things you need to learn in life cannot be found in a book.  Sometimes a story of offshore voyages can inspire a mind to enquire and push the boundaries of possibilities   That process of creation blossoms in a world with fewer limitations.    

Although you want to cling on so tight sometimes, parenting is a journey of letting go not holding on.

Grateful passengers

Wannabe Skipper

Growing up on this voyage of life is about knowing when to be an acquiescent passenger and figuring out when to be your own captain. 

The most extensive teacher is the ocean.  But the gifts of learning, so freely given, are not just seashore ecology.  The disciplines taught are those of pushing the physical limits and sharing the stoke.

Sometimes the ocean just teaches you to just throw your hair back and simply enjoy the life you have been given.

Top Gun Magnum

Being a kid carries the heavy duty responsibility of consuming vast quantities of ice-cream.  Eating gelato with friends is a positively prime function.

A little sibling torture is, of course, always obligatory, it doesn't  quite teach the art of diplomacy but is certainly a good lesson in how to slither away uninjured.

Kids are the present in so many ways. Not only are they the most precious gift, but they live in the present. The past and the future pale into insignificance as they exuberantly seize each moment and live every opportunity to the fullest feeling. Unbound by protocols, it is they that teach us all the things we have forgotten that are important in life.

Birthday Bliss

Ecuador has taught me so much too.  The art of receiving love and appreciation is as important as the act of giving.  Each appreciative word and thoughtful gesture between us all is the connection which creates family.

Xavier, Monica, Andreas, Pili, Fernando, 

Fenya, Isabel, me and Jocelyn

When swinging in a hammock, caressed by the warm silk breeze, the decisions on what is important and the energy I want to include in my life seem obvious.

Of course those hammock daydreams involve fantasy mind surfing all the waves I caught and all the ones I wished I had. 

"Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love"

George Eliot

Our time here in paradise ebbs away on the full moon tide, words of thanks seem so inadequate.  Arriving here we were overwhelmed with the kindness of strangers.  We quickly became part of the community and now our departure is full of loving hugs from our Ecuadorian family.  This land, this place, this village owes its continued existence to a legendary family and two very special sisters who have spent a lifetime caring for the land and protecting the legacy of their ancestry.

Andrea and Dorothy

Greg and Silvia

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart"

Jean Baptiste Massieu

Echoes of Spanish expressions are etched onto my heart and my return to this land falls into the realm of ya mismo…it will happen I just don't know exactly when.

"With each sunrise we start anew"

Author unknown

It's a sign....

Blogless and silent, I have been wandering around my wordless desert for over 40 days and 40 nights…until I saw a sign….

The sign made me wonder where on earth was I and how had I got here?

       

   

Sylvia and Andrea on the road to El Faro.  

The long dirt road stretched endlessly through the middle of the dusty landscape as we bounced along the well beaten track in Sylvia's yellow Chevrolet truck.  Our gracious host referred to her vehicle fondly as "Amarilla" and its immaculate preservation over the decades was testament to her careful driving. Slowly negotiating the potholes, the ladies rode up front while the boys bounced Alfresco in the back on a wooden pew. 

The black feathers of the frigates spiraled in the waves of heat rising up from the desolate rock promontory ahead. The black and yellow stripes of El Faro lighthouse grew larger on the horizon.  We crunched to a halt alongside the sandy strip of beach, an ocean breeze flooded a welcoming coolness through the window.  We had parked directly in front of a billboard which to my amazement displayed a picture of me.  Frowning in confusion, I had no recognition of the wetsuit or board I was stood upon.  Stupefied, it took a moment to understand this was in fact not me.  We stumbled from the car captivated by the sign, flabbergasted by the remote coincidence.

"Dreams that come true are essentially, nothing but a mere coincidence of wishes with destiny" 

Amos Kafata

This was spooky weird, indeed this was a sign, and it was definitely a sign intended for me, but what did it mean?  Had I finally "found" myself here in Ecuador?  Was I was riding a wave of change and becoming an Engladorian, a cultural adoption of English into Ecuadorian? 

Could this Rubia possibly hope to blend into a place of balsa and brilliant sunshine?

Perhaps it was time to swop out the carbon fibre SUP and embrace a more traditional local style.

"you better get out of the sun before you melt" Gidget

There are so many wonderful things in this culture that are symbiotic to my way of thinking.  Undoubtably my favorite thing here is the people.  

Sunday afternoon at the beach

They still enjoy an interconnectedness of life here, an elementary enjoyment of each other that seems to have been lost in most other places. 

Legendary surfer Dorothy and granddaughter Julietta

It begins with an expression of welcome when each person is kindly recognized with an acknowledging kiss on the cheek. I have been pulled into an Ecuadorian embrace by the wonderful people here and now I understand the warm heart of South America.

"Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life."

Pizza Place Sign

"Unexpected adventure makes for a better story."

Lynn O’Rourke

"Friends are kisses blown to us by angels."

Author Unknown

"Family isn’t always blood. 

It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs." 

Unknown

In conversation, the gentle touch of an Ecuadorian hand upon your arm is a reminder of your inclusion into their family and the open invitation into spontaneous contentment.

I am eternally grateful that my family dropped in on this amazing way of life.  I particularly relish their celebration of food which brings everyone together at mealtimes.

 Xavier (Maestro Gourmet) and his food fans 

Whether it be lamb, beef, pork, or fish, our Master Chefs always procured the best produce directly from the source and possessed the gourmet skills to create  the most delightful tastes.  

"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy

Andrea, Roberto and Monica bringing home the catch of the day

“Fishing is much more than fish. It is the great occasion when we may return to the fine simplicity of our forefathers.” 

Herbert Hoover

As my expedition into Engladorianism continues, I will have to stop butchering the Spanish language.  If I wish to cross the abyss of another language and the deficit of understanding I know I will have to pay more attention to the verb conjugations and rules of grammar.  But that's such hard work, why can't I keep hacking on with my Spanglish?  Just continue with my lazy, perizoso approach where the Espanol creeps in by osmosis, "poco a poco"?  The kids can claim linguistic progress as they have been taking some lessons.

At least I give fair warning of my untutored approach when I start each sentence with "Mi" and then string a few key words together and gesticulate wildly.  Perhaps I should simply focus on body language.  It is supposed to account for 70% of communication.  To give an air of expert understanding I could concentrate on the art of Spanish hand gestures and throw in the word "bastante" which seems applicable to every situation.  But who am I kidding? No one will hear me because of my blonde hair.  

The rubia remains a novelty here in Ecuador where there are so few gringos and even less gringettas.  I am surely going to feel lost when I leave here for the flaxen anonymity of northern Europe.

Ecuador is a land of mountains and coasts, islands and jungle, its grand diversity reminds me so much of Africa.  It feels so familiar here by the coast, the ocean and the palm trees. 
   

Early in the morning, lying in the dark, the tropical air closely blankets me and a warm silk breeze caresses my cheek.  The soothing sound of waves covers the symphony of frogs.  I am awake but the dream continues.  

My thoughts span outward towards the fading stars and considers this place on the equator, an unexpected tranquilo.  We have  connected with so many friends of the road while traveling here in Ecuador it has created a sense of belonging. Perhaps the sign I found at the end of a road signifies journey's end and that I too should become part of the landscape?