Made for the cold

Last week our temperatures were in the 50's and we consider that warm. Today it was so cold that I even considered wearing a warm cap. I say that because my hair is naturally thick so it usually prevents me from wearing anything on my head.

It's at times like this that I see how evolution has helped me for cold weather. Truth be said, I prefer the cold weather over hot weather any time of the year. Having been born in Quito Ecuador my body adjusted for that kind of climate.

Quito's altitude, at 2820 M (9252 feet), Quito is almost twice as high as Denver, Colorado. This is why Ecuadoreans usually tend to have the following traits:

1. We're small in stature

2. We have thick black hair

3. Men and women usually have bigger chest cavity's than most people

4. Most men and women have big noses

We all know that the smaller you are, the more you have a tendency to keep body warmth. The thick black hair helps keep the cold weather from reaching your head. Our chest cavity's are bigger because of the elevation in Quito. The air is extremely thin and thus as part of evolution we were given bigger noses to take in more air.

While it is frigid outside, at least I can bundle up with my thermals, scarf, gloves, and anything to help me with this weather. In the hot weather there's not much I can do to alleviate the heat. I guess that's why I'm a cold weather person.

So which one are you? A cold or hot weather person?

What is eaten in one week

The following is from an email I received. I don't necessarily know if any of the information is correct, but it sure does put things in perspective.

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Italy : The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11


Germany : The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07


United States : The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week $341.98


Mexico : The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09


Poland : The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27


Egypt : The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53


Ecuador : The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55


Bhutan : The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03


Chad : The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

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Being a product of Ecuador I know all too well how lucky I am to have a full compliment of food at the dinner table. Back as a kid it was a privilege to have meat in our soups, or even as the main dish. Most of the time we couldn't afford such luxuries and lived on the grains and potato's that we could afford. I wouldn't say that most of us are lucky because perhaps the food we ingest isn't necessarily all that good. Instead I would say that we should make it our mission to see outside the box we know as home (USA).

Ecuador Pride in the U.S.

It's almost as if this month has been National Ecuadorean month. From my visit to the motherland, to an amazing exhibition in New Jersey, I have learned so much about my country of origin lately.

This past Saturday we were surprised to find out that a public library in New Jersey was going to have an exhibition on Andean countries and specifically Ecuador. The host was a gentleman by the name of Pepe Santana who happens to be an amazing musician. Apart from the fact that he can play over 12 instruments, he is well informed on the history of Ecuador.

There was free food and free drinks during the entire exhibition. Can you imagine seeing all this culture for free? I managed to take some pictures of all the instruments that were on display, as well as some video footage of the events.


There was quite a variety of wind instruments. Here you see an Ecuadorean one.


This guitar is known as a "Requinto" guitar. Very common in Ecuadorean music.














As you can see, there were tons of instruments to drool over.


These little guitars are known as "Charango's". They are either made of wood or Armadillo shell.


Here you can see a Charango made of an Armadillo's shell.


Pepe Santana with Inkhay.




Women still use these kind of clothes back in Ecuador.






This figure is actually bread. I remember as a kid we used to eat this during a specific day during the year. I believe it's made during a day of remembering the dead. "Colada Morada"






You already know Alex Aguinaga. You can see my pic with him several posts below.

Ecuador - Ingapirca 2007

Ingapirca is a town in the Cañar Province, Ecuador and the name of an Incan ruin site just outside the town itself.

The ruins are the largest Incan ruins in Ecuador. The most significant building is the temple of the sun, an elliptical shaped building constructed around a large rock. The building is constructed in the Incan way without mortar. The stones were simply chiseled and fashioned to fit together perfectly. The temple of the sun was positioned so that on the solstices, at exactly the right time of day, sunlight would fall through the center of the doorway of the small chamber at the top of the temple. Most of this chamber has fallen down.

To get to Ingapirca you can either take a car ride from Quito (the capital) which lasts about 8 to 10 hours, or you can take a plane which last about 45 minutes. We decided to take the plane ride because although the scenery is absolutely beautiful, we just didn't have the time to do the entire car ride.

Cuenca is the main destination when trying to get to Inpapirca, and Cuenca is absolutely amazing. The streets are much more colonial, and everything is much more cleaner. I fell in love with Cuenca because the city didn't seem quite as hectic as Quito and there was much more of a tourism feel to it.

On your way towards Ingapirca you pass through the small towns of the Cañares people and you get to see all their tradition. Not much has changed in this part of Ecuador. People still live off their farms, they still dress like in the old days, and they still talk in Quechua (an indigenous form of talking).

The ruins themselves are quite amazing. You get to see the Inca influence in these ruins and you get a sense of amazement while standing on top of the temple of the sun. The little tour of the ruins allows you to not only see the ruins, but you get to go along a small trail that leads to "La Nariz Del Inca", and a small museum built to show the history of the Cañares tribe.

While we walked around the area, indigenous people who have lived there for years had items they were selling. These items are not your ordinary items that can be purchased anywhere. As a matter of fact these items should probably never have been on sale but these people need to make money. What items am I talking about?

The Cañares people would bury their deceased with different kinds of pottery, carvings, or tools. As we're heading back towards the main entrance to the ruins an old lady stops me. She lifts up a piece of cloth and shows me that she has items that are over 500 years old. I see items that I'm even afraid to hold in my hand, but I doubt their authenticity. As she's showing me all these items I begin to see that she's right, and they're not fakes. These things are real. I want to take everything home with me, but I can't. I'm afraid I'll get stopped for taking ancient ruins with me. I bargain with the old lady and decide to take a bunch of carved stones which represent the Inca Sun.

As I'm holing the stones I'm thinking that perhaps I got my chain yanked. We decide to stop by the local museum and everything the lady had was on display on the museum. This of course meant that what she was selling was real. It's a shame in a way because these items should be preserved to show the history of the area and it's people but foreigners like me treasure such old items and decide to purchase them.

I've yet to visit Machu Picchu, but this trip to Ingapirca was definitely not a let down. Mom and dad who have been to Machu Picchu tell me it's almost identical with the exception of the scale of things.

Cuenca Ingapirca pictures:

As you can see, Cuenca looks absolutely clean and it's filled with vibrant colors.


Religious or not, churches are wonderful architecture in this part of the world.


Most of the buildings here are not fixed. They are kept this way to show their history.


As you can see, not much has changed since the Spaniards came to Ecuador.


These indigenous women are the normality in Cuenca.


This yummy treat is known as "Rompope". It's basically egg whites beaten to a point where they become fluffy. They add fresh fruit and some sweetener.


Yours truly trying on an authentic hat for the cold and some ponchos.


At the entrance of the ruins you can see wild llamas relaxing and letting people take their picture.


The ruins at Ingapirca.


If you think this looks familiar to Machu Picchu, you're right.


That's known as the temple of the sun.


This colorful fellow is known as "El Caballo Del Diablo" (The Devil's Horse)


What do you see there? Yeah, that's known as "La Nariz Del Inca" (The Inca's Nose)


Got Milk?


These are the stones that I was talking to you about. These are hand carved Cañare's stones, which are easily over 500 years old.

Ecuador - Quito - 2007

Believe it or not, the last trip I took was to Ecuador. That's not the unbelievable part. The part that most people seem to drop their jaw in is when I tell them that I went to Ecuador with the specific idea of hanging out with my parents. The purpose of this trip (because I went alone) was to revisit some of the old places my parents lived in, relive the stories of how they began as a couple and see things through their eyes.

Normally, when I go on trips I have an itinerary that I've made myself and basically have all my days filled with events that I will be doing. This time around the trip was very different because I let mom and dad take the drivers seat while I was just a passenger in their trip down memory lane. The trip allowed me to see that I like to be in control all the time. Not knowing what I was going to do each day was really difficult for me as I felt out of control and with no clear vision of what was ahead.

I didn't mind that feeling so much because I knew mom and dad would be supplying the days activities, but it sure reminded me that I've come a long way from traveling with them, and traveling on my own now.

A typical day in Ecuador starts early in the morning. The air is very cold and it is almost mandatory that you have black coffee, with fresh bread, and fresh juice. Ecuadoreans are not like U.S. people. There are no Jamba Juice places, there are no Starbucks, and there aren't all that many breakfast places. Instead most if not all people wake up early in the morning to go and get fresh bread, fresh fruits and then make their breakfast.

Life in Ecuador goes at a much slower pace as nobody is in a hurry to get somewhere. This is why things like Jamba Juice or Starbucks wouldn't really make it over there. Drinking coffee and juices are things that are done at home. Almost every night that I spent there I was offered some hot water to either drink coffee, or chamomile teas, or other herbal teas. This seems to be a routine for all families there as this time is used to catch up on the days events.

By the afternoon the sun is out and although the air is frigid it gets warm. As soon as the sun hides for a second it gets cold all over again. This is due to the fact that Quito is in a very high altitude and the Andean winds make their presence felt.

Night time you need a mandatory light jacket because it definitely gets cold all over again. This routine is repeated all year long even though they go through different seasons as well. Remember that Ecuador lies smack in the middle of the world.

The following are some pictures of Quito

Here you see a really old car that happened to have my name on it.


This Tonka Turbo Diesel truck is over 26 years old. Is it made of metal and not the flimsy plastic they make the trucks of now a days.


My dad found this old toy that I used to play with in mint condition. Can you believe that after 26 years this toy still works?


This area is known as Recoleta. This is where I grew up living with my Grandmother on my dad's side.


Behind me you see the place where I lived as a child. It is no longer a place for people to live in.


This is a reverse view of Recoleta.


This place was a pool and bathing place I was taken to as a kid. It's known as Cena.


You can clearly see that this place is old and hasn't been used in quite a long time.


The rustic look of this place makes for great photography.


Back at Grandma's place I help her make some soup by peeling potatoes. There are no fancy potato peelers in Ecuador so you have to use a real knife.


As Grandma and I are working on the soup, I notice that our hands look similar. I love the fact that both Grandma and I have the same hands. I'm proud to have this feature because my Grandmother still lives, works, cooks and has always been a fighter. I'm proud.

Inga Pirca and Al Cajas are next. Stay Tuned.