Traveling is different when you are able to step directly into a culture by visiting friends or family. It is a privilege to be part of everyday life and see things from the inside. Right now, I am visiting my son Lorenz and his family in Puembo, a small town between Quito and the International Airport.
The family of my son lives in a gated area in a park like setting with six charming houses. This photo is taken from his terrace showing the houses of two neighbors.Â
The guest room, where I am staying, has a direct view to the center of Quito (about 3500 meter). However, the city is spread over a wide, irregular terrain of valleys and mountains with deep gorges in between. A former railroad track called Chaquiñán runs through Puembo, now transformed into a bike and hiking trail. When I hiked just a little part of this trail, I saw an incredible social and material inequity.
Whoever can afford it builds the houses in a gated area behind high walls. The wall in the photo above is unusual because it is overgrown by lush vegetation. The high end gated areas even have two gates, fortified like a medieval castle in Europe. The high walls are often topped by a barbed wire or pieces of glass.
A high wall of a less wealthy area with a barbed wire on the top and one of the many water canals beside it. These small water canals are everywhere, even in the garden of my son’s neighborhood. Right now, it is rainy season in Ecuador, however, I did not see or feel a single rain drop since I am here.
These three boys were part of a big group playing beside a water channel. They had a lot of fun by throwing friends into the fast flowing water. All three are soaking wet.
Along the Chaquiñán, there are also long stretches of nature. I was impressed by this blue agave plant growing out of a vertical clay wall beside a powerful waterfall of roots.
Housing shows the different income levels directly. Sometimes, there are only wooden, deteriorating huts standing beside new, unfinished cinderblock houses and everything looks chaotic. However, the beauty and abundance of nature is everywhere.
A blooming shrub beside a wall
Blooming hibiscus
The income level and social status shows huge differences. However, nobody is hungry in Ecuador. The country is located at the equator and everything grows all year round. To my surprise, I saw lots of elderberry shrubs, some blossoming and some already bearing fruit. Elderberry grows also in Austria.
Blooming Elderberry
Bananas, granadillas and pine apples are delicious here.
Beside abundant vegetation, the area is a paradise for animals. Beautiful, colorful birds live in trees and shrubs and sometimes, I see a gorgeous butterfly. This moth got lost in the house. I tried to rescue it, but it did not want to leave my hand. I had to shake it to make it fly away into the night. The villages are full of cats and dogs. At least five dogs were running towards me when I passed several houses on the trail, barking and obviously disturbed by a stranger. The dogs are not aggressive and did not attack me.
Today, Lorenz, Rio Amadeo and I went on a bike ride on the trail.
A little cow grazing beside the path. The rope was not attached to anything
Six beautiful cocks in this little caged area. They are obviously raised for cock fights. Neither bullfights nor cockfights are illegal in Ecuador.
We biked to the center of Puembo, built in the colonial style. This plaza is very typical for South America. In the center is always a water fountain with walkways radiating to the street.
The water fountain without water
One of the radiating walkways leading to a church
A charming balcony at the plaza. There is no zoning in Ecuador. Drinks, vegetables, fruit other things for everyday life can be bought in many little shops. Many little restaurants are located at the plaza.
Facade of the restaurant “Floralp”. It is owned by a Swiss family and offers also European cookies and sweets, delicious bread and more. It is a treasure house for my family.
