Snapshots of Ecuador

I often struggle to find the words to express what I see and experience everyday that I’m in Ecuador. Sometimes these experiences are best left unexplained and instead felt just as they actually happened. Here are a few examples:

An motorcyclist without a helmet is cut off by a turning car and sent flying over the hood. Bystanders rush to his aid, and despite his injuries, immediately help him into a car that whisks him away. Meanwhile cars and buses flow by and life continues as if nothing had even happened

At a soccer game an overzealous cheer leaves a man lying on the ground in intense pain. My friend examines him and thinks he has a broken leg. Somehow he is helped to walk off

A mother, father, and two kids on the handle bars, all balanced on one bike

Campaigning in the Amazonian town of Lago Agria, presidential candidate Rafael Correa is set to return to Quito by plane. His rival, in order to thwart his plans, buys the airline and cancels all the flights

Alvaro Noboa has a campaign office in Tena. After his victory Correa makes the exact same place his regional headquarters

I’m telling a woman about my experience being served frog at a meal. “Those Indians,” she exclaims, “they’re just like the Chinese, they’ll eat anything that moves.”

Being constantly asked by people I live with when I’m going to take them back to the United States. I remind them once that again that I’m not American, I’m Canadian.

Being asked where all the fat/gay/rich/poor people live in Canada, as if each group had their own place to live, and this information was readily available

Surviving an attempted robbery on a Quito trolley, only to find my group of attackers was all made up of what seems to be women over 40

The offers, even when it’s known I’m in a long term relationship, to have another, even two, girlfriends on the side. If that’s not to my liking, there are several women who, “I could give a child to.” Sometimes I think they’re joking, other times I’m not so sure

A young indigenous kid runs by, dressed up in clothes made of leaves and a headdress. “Look! I’m an Indian,” he shouts. Does he only become indigenous when he changes what he’s wearing?

Taking an overnight bus home, we have a breakdown and are stranded on the highway in the middle of nowhere. Six hours later a new bus comes to pick us up. That bus almost breaks down twice from overheating

A Chilean woman is invited to lunch with several Ecuadorian women. They start to talk about their problems. Turning to her they ask, “So how’s your life.” She replies, “fine, everything’s going good.” She’s never invited again

Defence minister Guadalupe Larriba dies in a mysterious helicopter crash nine days after taking office. She’s a civilian, a socialist, and a woman. Tragic accident or did the military have other intentions?

Province of Napo’s tourism slogan. Napo: virgin, and a temptress; conquer her!

Running down a dark path at night, my only light is the periodic flashes of lightning that rip through the sky. No rain follows, just lightning. We haven’t had rain in two weeks after having it everyday for two weeks before

Walking into the main Cathedral in Cuenca, I’m surprised not only to see a statue of the Holy Spirit, but Jesus, and even, God himself! After pausing to reflect, I have to ask myself, how do they know what any of those three look like? Later I tell others, “If you go to Cuenca, you will see God.”

A helpful sign in a bus station reminds me of what I cannot bring in, topping the, of course, are any of my goats

Waking up to find a tarantula crawling around my room. The post mortem reveals two strong metal like fangs that were ready to bite me

Buying something for $5 dollars and feeling guilty that if I pay with a $20, I might rob the store of all its change

It’s carnival time! which means open season on flour, eggs, foam, water, or anything being dumped on my head. Watch your step and don’t be afraid to fight back

I'm trying to find a small hostal I know of, so I get into a cab. Despite my assurances that I know where it is, the cab driver assumes I'm a tourist and I'm lost. After 45 minutes of driving around town asking other cab drivers, hotels, and police officers, he finally lets me direct him. We find the hostal in 5 minutes. We then argue about how much I should pay, which ends with him driving off in anger, cursing my name

This is just a sample of what has impacted me in the last six months of my life. My experiences are effected by the fact I’m white, male, well off, can speak fluent Spanish, can’t speak an indigenous language, am open to anything, and don’t mind joking around at all. Someone else who had gone through the same experiences as me, might, and probably would, have seen it completely differently.