ECUADOR - My June/July 2003 Trip Journal -- by Donna R. Carter
Page Four
~^~ Dinner with the Moncayos ~^~ Saturday ~^~ June 28, 2003
Unbelievable! Can it get any better than this? What a fantastic day today has been, too. I think if everything else went wrong, I would still consider this trip a complete success!
This morning, my cold was much worse - sore throat, drippy nose, hoarse, cold sore (yuck! disgusting!).. and I was thinking, "Great way to meet the Moncayos..." but I was going to go anyway.
I hung around the guest house, went for a short walk, came back, changed into dressier clothes, and bought a dozen roses for Sonya (unfortunately, it's a rather cheap gift here - only $3.00 including the greens and babies' breath and bow! but I meant it well anyway). I caught a taxi (who got lost in the La Luz neighborhood) and we finally showed up at the Moncayo's house. Only, they had told me to leave at 12:30 and I ended up getting there way early. Lunch was supposed to be at 1:00. I was about 20 minutes early.
They were all happy to meet me, and I was happy to meet them and we sat and talked for a bit and then someone else showed up, and then someone else showed up, and then someone else showed up... So Gustavo's family was there (including Aracely and Eduardo), and Fanny Raquel and her husband Alfredo, and Sonya's brother and his wife and sons were there and everybody was just talking in the livingroom until dinner was served.
And what a dinner! Started with a toast and everybody saying how great to be there. Chicha of pineapple and maracuya, coconut, and cinnamon was served for the rest of the meal. The first course was empanadas de verde - absolutely delicious, followed by a second course of sopa con albondiga verde (superb!), followed by the main course of beef and llapingachos, and then dessert of fruit cocktail.
Everybody could hardly move when dinner was done. Eventually we moved to the livingroom again and were all talking about everything (education, Ecuador vs. the U.S., paintings, etc.) and they showed me more of their paintings and some of their father's. The whole time I was sniffling and stifling sneezes.
I was told to go with Sonya and Aracely to the house next door where three of Gustavo's paintings were and take my camera to get pictures, so I did (beautiful paintings) and when I got back Alfredo and Gustavo were both gone. I didn't know where. I figured I'd been there quite a long time and they probably had other things to do.
Alfredo came back and came up to me with some cold medicine (and instructions on when/how to take it). How sweet! About 10 minutes later, Gustavo returned -- and came up to me with some cold medicine (and instructions on when/how to take it). We were all laughing because neither had known the other was going to do the same thing. I just told them that with all this medication, surely I would be completely well in no time.
I gave them the ornaments I had made and between Fanny Raquel and Sonya they split them ... it was funny. Sonya was grabbing ornaments saying, "You can have this one.. but that one is MINE. I want that one!" I'm glad they liked them!
We chatted into the evening and had coffee and cheese, and then Fanny Raquel and Alfredo drove me back home.
So, my plans have changed a bit. After my weekend in Pululahua (returning the 14th), I will be checking out of the bed and breakfast and going to spend the rest of the week at the Moncayo's house, until I go to the jungle on the 18th.
They very badly wanted me to stay with them, and we got along so well, it wasn't a difficult decision to make.
So I'm back at the Guest House and I'm very tired - but it was a wonderful day. I even managed to chat with my parents for about an hour. :)
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