MAY 9TH:
Quito day two, here we go! Spoiler alert: I found my Ecuadorian grandma!!!
Our day began at 5:45 AM again for the sunrise. All of our group of twelve was up and ready on the roof to watch Quito turn pink with Cayambe watching quietly from a distance in the quiet morning air. We had our regular San Francisco hotel breakfast of eggs, fruit, and black coffee which is quickly becoming my favorite way to begin my day. From there, our twelve-hour day of exploring Quito began.
We started by driving to a flower farm high up in the mountains. We got a tour through the greenhouses with rows upon rows of many different colors of roses. The air inside the greenhouses was still, warm, and humid, and we got a firsthand account of the process of growing and selling roses. We heard that they have to sell 100,000 roses each month to be profitable which is an astronomical number considering that it takes a very long time to grow roses. We met the family members that work there and the women who work in the wrapping facility. They sort the stems by bud width and color and then wrap them into a bouquet. It was amazing seeing the family environment and the way they work incredibly hard to be profitable and keep the business sustainable.
From there, we drove to El Cinche for lunch which was chicken soup with carrots and noodles, watermelon juice, and turkey with mole sauce. The town isn’t very touristy, but people go there specifically for the church. Why? To get their cars blessed. Yes, their cars. Ironically, once we were done with lunch, we discovered that the driver for our bus lost the keys! I found it hilarious that we’d lose our keys in a town where you’re supposed to go to get transportation blessed. Maybe we should’ve blessed the bus on the way in…
In El Cinche, we bought lots of snacks at food stands, and we bought chocolate bananas from a lovely woman named Rosita. Actually, lovely doesn’t begin to describe it. This woman is my long lost third grandma. The speaks no English, and I speak close to no Spanish, so our interaction was mostly through hand gestures. The second we walked into the shop, she pulled us all in for a hug, and she hugged us goodbye. She had an amazing sense of humor and was very pushy in the way only a very loving grandma can be. She shoved our group of twelve down the street to take us to a private entrance of the cathedral/church, and she was describing the entire area and her life to us. To say I love this woman with all of my heart is an understatement. I feel like I connected so deeply with the culture of the town in an unexpected way. If you’re reading this, Grandma Rosita, I hope you’re selling lots of chocolate bananas!
(above): me n’ Rosita, my Ecuadorian grandma
We toured a chocolate facility later in the day once we got the keys to the bus back. We learned very similar things to our tasting the day before, but we had more personal anecdotes from the owner. We saw all of the machines, learned the secrets of the bars, and tasted cacao beans as they are grown. Don’t tell the manufacturer from the day before, but I liked this chocolate better. My favorite was dark chocolate with freeze dried mango. It completely changed my world.
Our day ended with dinner at San Ignacio which began to feel like home, being our third group meal there. It was our last, and the food came with the same vibrant, fruity tea as the other meals and vitamin-rich food. Another very successful, detail-rich day in Quito filled with site visits, impromptu trips, and much more. Today, our second full day, everyone in our group began to feel like family. We were all joking around with each other like close friends the whole day, taking candid photos with each other, and mixing groups. I can’t get enough of Ecuador.
Buenas noches. See you at our next stop, the Amazon!
Katie Gallo