New Year’s eve dinner was the first time I’ve been able to eat and keep it down! tonight was the his is the first time I’ve eaten and been able to keep it down. Pretty exciting! I do like to try new foods, but I do miss cooking for myself!!!

So New Years?!?

We were lucky enough to spend it with a family in Quito. Shelly, Jo’s former student, is dating a guy here and his parents invited us to join them. Jo and I had noticed, as we wandered around Quito, stuffed effigies filled with paper like scarecrows. We also saw young boys dressed as girls, grapes and yellow underwear.

We got to Santigo’s parents home about 8:30 p.m. To be honest, my Spanish is not good to fill 3.5 hours!!! So, I did what I could, then discovered that one of the cousins speaks English. For the next hour or so we pumped him for information on the traditions and other information on Ecuador.

My favorite custom was celebrated just before midnight when a small group of us took empty suitcases and walked around the house. This means that we’ll travel a lot in the coming year. Of course I jumped at the chance!!!!

Just before midnight, a bowl of grapes was thrust into my hands. I was thinking, cool, snacks! But, nooooo! There was a plan, and I was about to become a quick thinker and and ever quicker eater!

Oddities Explained

• Effigies represent all the bad of the year before. These are burned at midnight so the new year can begin fresh.
• The young boys, dressed as girls, represent the widows of the past year that have just “died”. You give them money to support themselves. Most of them accosted cars looking for handouts, some even strung up ropes across the roads and blocked cars until they got money.
• Grapes – you are to eat 12 grapes while making 12 wished in the first 12 seconds after midnight so they will come true!
• Yellow underwear represent hope. This is taken in all seriousness. Many people wear yellow in general so as not go have bad luck!

Have I mentioned that Ecuador uses US currency? No, seriously!!! It is so strange!!! They went onto it last March. Why I never heard a thing about it I don’t know! Kind bothers me a little. Apparently their president made the deal, then absconded with a bunch of money and is not in exile. As he had already made the deal with the US, the country had to stick to it. It seems to have been accepted as a good thing. At least it has stabilized the currency, though times here are still a bit tough.

The trip to Baños began promisingly enough, with a tall, dark and handsome Ecuadorian stranger named Carlos. He was on the trolley with us and got off at the bus stop. He was going to Ambato too, but we didn’t figure out that we needed to go there until he was gone! Oh well. We ended up on a crowded bus for three and a half our drive (well, longer due to two consecutive flats). So, there we were…a bus load of us waiting by the side of the road for another bus to come along!

We are now in Baños. It is a quaint little town. We stayed in a nice hostel for $7/night per person. Not too bad! We even had hot water. (Again, something to get excited about!!!) The hostel also offers water treatments in the form of steam baths and massage, $3 a session!! It was amazing. The close you in strange little boxes with just your head sticking out. Steam you up and then take you out and hose you down with cold water.

Packing my bag today was a nightmare!!! I don’t have room for anything more and I’m a little afraid that when I open it tonight I may never get it to close again! Shopping is a traveler’s curse.