Chile ~ Feliz Navidad

We've arrived in Santiago Chile and are loving this big cosmopolitan European-like city. There is the hustle bustle of Christmas and the only thing we need to shop for is warmer socks, fantastic!

Great Chilean wine, beautiful architecture, incredible street murals and graffiti and fantastic food with the Chileans speaking rapid fire lyrical Spanish that is so charming to listen to even if we don't understand a word of it. The solution to total incomprehension is always a big smile and nod saying 'si, si entiendo, por supuesto!' (yes, yes of course I understand!)

 

 

            

We wish all our friends, family and fans a very Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year....Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo!!!

                                      

Ecuador~ Extreme Sports

We've been away from experiencing extreme water for too long. 

Mother Maui

Time to get wet again! 

Feeling quite confident with our comfort in wild water we thought river kayaking would be a perfect fit for when we are away from our beloved ocean in Maui. Only in white water kayaking 'swimming' is a bad thing!! It means you had to abandon your kayak and manage to avoid the rocks and rapids ‘a natural’ as you swim to the safety of shore. 

Easy Transition...NOT!

                               

Ecuadorian Sunscreen

Ready for another challenge

Our lessons started in the calm of a pool, nice and simple.

             

Ha! There’s nothing more humbling than a little too much confidence, once we actually got in the river we all struggled to keep our kayaks upright and pointed downriver. 

                                

The only part that came naturally was swirling in circles wildly down the river. Unlike sea kayaks, river kayaks are designed to turn and twist easily, in theory to avoid rocks and boulders in the water.  In reality – at least in our reality – the kayaks turned and twisted at their own whim and it was a real challenge to get them to cooperate and go where we wanted them to go. 

Learning to do rolls was also a challenge that still humbles and eludes us; good thing we know how to hold our breath a long time.

  

                                        

I can’t even imagine doing a roll while actually running the river and coming out alive and not broken and bruised. 

                                                              

Unfortunately, Conti wasn’t so lucky, broken nose and 2 stitches, ouch! There’s nothing like a visit to the emergency room to create a tighter bond among fellow classmates.

                                             

But wait, much to our surprise we also discovered that Conti’s step mom Ines is one of our Ecuadorian ‘primas’, so we are all related!    Being a true athlete, Conti was back in the water the next day braving the white water again. 

Primanita Conti

                                          

  

Patti

Janet

 It was great to learn kayaking and to meet yet another cousin in Ecuador, our ‘primanita’ Conti.

                                   

      We are all smiles and laughter as we land safely back to the river’s edge. 

Ecuador ~ One more Delicacy

  

We thought eating Cuy was a stretch! Our edge just keeps being s t r e t c h e d,  this time we were invited to sample plump writhing palm larvae, impaled and then roasted to perfection in minutes!

         

Oh Mi Gato! Yes, we ate them and survived.

                                    

Again, after we got over the visual and emotional revulsion and actually had the morsels fully submerged in our mouths, mid chew....

                         

they tasted good, much better than any escargot we have eaten. 

                                            

Bon Appétit! or Buen Provecho!           

Ecuador ~ A Very Special Occasion

Ecuadorians, especially those living in the Andean mountain region take their cuy - aka guinea pig - very seriously.  It is a delicacy which is reserved for only the most special of occasions and guests.

You can order cuy in select restaurants in Ecuador but to have a 'real' cuy dinner you have to either find some indigenous women cooking cuy at a street festival or make it at home. If you decide to try this at home.. be sure to only buy young cuy raised in the kitchen of an indigenous home.  We've been told this is the only way to insure the best flavor.

   

Before we left Cuenca Glorita (our Spanish teacher) wanted to celebrate our friendship and share this Andean tradition with us.  She enlisted the help of her sister Nancy and together they set about preparing the feast. The day before they prepared a garlic brine in which to soak the cuy for 24 hours. Next they made mote (one of the 5,000 ways to eat corn here), potatoes, salad, aji (an ubiquitous and great tasting pepper sauce) and of course, popcorn (yet another of the 5,000 ways they eat corn).  

Perfectly marinated and looking oh-so yummy...Not!

When we arrived Glorita and Nancy were already grilling the cuy and Patti (reluctantly) jumped right in to help.  I, on the other hand bravely ate the cuy pata (paw) a delicacy that was handed to me to sample. How could I pass up an opportunity like that!  I may never have another chance to try a home-cooked garlic-soaked guinea pig paw...

                      

                         Glorita

Nancy

                       

Patas anyone?

Soon enough the cuyes were cooked to perfection.  Truth be told, neither of us were running to the table to be the first served but we could put it off no longer.  It was time to block out  the visuals and eat cuy.  Much to our surprise and immense relief it was good, as in really good. Patti managed to eat the skin (I happily gave mine to Nancy...) but I ate the jaw.  Hey, if I can eat fish eyes (thanks to Christine) I figured I could eat guinea pig jaw too. 

 

Okay, here goes...

In true Cuencanan fashion there was more yet to come.  After dinner Glorita's husband Adrian brought out his guitar (all five of them) and everyone but us... played the guitar and sang.  We will truly miss our Ecuadorian family.  
   

Las Primas ~ Andrea y Estefanía

Fabian

                                   

¡Gracias por todo!