Quito Welcomes The Giant Crab

We had one last set of visitors before it was time to pack up and move. Grandpa, Nona, and Aunt Katy came down for a visit at the beginning of May. This was a special visit for us. The kids had so much that they wanted to show them and share with them. They knew my dad (aka The Giant Crab) would really enjoy trying things like Jugo de Mora, Maracuya, Naranjilla etc. It was a quick visit but we were able to fit in a few different activities to give them a taste of Ecuador...

The pictures are a little out of order...Shay had been working on a special project at school for a couple of months. They learned the entire process of what it takes to publish a book and they had a beautiful finished product to show for all their hard work. Our visitors were able to be present at the Book Celebration.

One of our favorite spots here in Ecuador was Hacienda El Por Venir. We decided to take our family to see Cotopaxi National Park and then on to the hacienda for lunch and a horseback ride. As is typical for Cotopaxi, we were able to get a clear view of the mountain early in the morning on the drive there. By the time we arrived in the park, it was completely hidden in a veil of clouds. 

Ready to saddle-up!

We just love the setting of this hacienda. It is such a tranquil countryside and the views of the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. 

The following day, we went into Centro Historico with a local guide to tour the various churches, cathedrals, and the Presidential Palace. We had never done this before and Gina was a wealth of information on the history of this old city.

We have more photos of their visit but unfortunately I have them saved on another computer. I will update this post when I have the opportunity!

The Tagua Lady

In the jungles of Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, they harvest a nut called Tagua. The nuts grow within a large pod and can grow to be as large as your fist. The nuts have a few different uses, but mostly, the locals dry them, dye them, cut them into various shapes and then make jewelry or figurines with them. A couple of ladies that we knew from the embassy had told me about a lady they knew who ran a small tagua business from her home. I had been wanting to go, but unfortunately they left the embassy before I ever got the chance to go. I asked around for a while but nobody seemed to have any contact information or remember the way to her house. Finally, with the help of a local pewter artist and the wife of an Argentinian Attache, I was able to piece together enough information to find her. 

Gladys, is a very patient and kind woman who invited us into her home many times over the past year. With the help of her family, she does the whole process right in her own yard and distributes the finished product to many other small businesses around Quito. One this day, Gladys was kind enough to take us around her property and demonstrate the process from the crude tagua that she receives from a supplier in the jungle, to the beautifully polished beads. A few friends and I were able to bring our kids for the demonstration and they really enjoyed it! 

Here she is showing us the drying racks on which lay some of the finished pieces. The tagua pieces are boiled in the dyes for 12 hours or more depending on the shade they are trying to acquire.

You can see the box of crude tagua waiting to be carefully shaped with her saw.

As with most things here in Ecuador, nothing goes to waste! The locals find a use for just about everything. She told us that the shavings and fine powder left from the cutting process is given to the cows for food- it has more protein than the for they feed to the animals.

These are a couple of drills that they use for shaping and carving holes.

The kids had a great time picking out gifts for family and friends. Gladys loved the kids and really enjoyed seeing their excitement and interest.

We had a great time! Thank you, Gladys!