Nuestra Segunda Navidad y Dia de --- Nuevo

 

Our 'Segunda' Navidad in Loja, Ecuador

Our first Christmas with Nicolas and Nora. No low hanging balls on the Christmas tree this year. But the tree did remain upright for 3 weeks! 

We had two parties. (This was at the time when very few covid cases existed in Loja. Like under 50. No kissing or hugging, and everyone was double or tripled vaccinated.) One very international party with teachers from France, Columbia, Ecuador and Canada. Another 'drop-in' get-together ('At Home' with the Taylors) with our local friends to celebrate the new year (año nuevo .... careful with the pronunciation 😆) It is not expensive to hold a party in Ecuador: 7 bottles of Chilean wine ($27) and 8 bottles of various local craft beer ($13) totaling $40 ... What?! Sort of invites more drinking, si?                                                                        

On December 31st the street markets were bustling with lots of new years eve paraphernalia. One must eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight within one minute, I think, and make 12 wishes for the upcoming year. If you want more love in your life, wear red underwear. If you desire more money, wear yellow underwear.  These paper-mache heads are known as 'monigotes' when a body is added, like a scarecrow. These are burned at midnight to rid oneself of bad omens, negative feelings or whatever one wishes to forget from the previous year (I think).

I say "I think" because everyone has their own interpretation and, you must remember dear readers, the explanations are all in Spanish. So, it's my interpretation too! New Years is also a time for men to dress up like women. (I don't know how this tradition came about) and if you wish for future far away adventures in the next year one is to pull a suitcase around the block at midnight to ensure future travels. Whole families do this. I was asked what Canadians do at the stroke of midnight and all I could come up with is 'kissing' (through a mask at 2 meters away?), making lots of noise with noise bangers and singing the dullest song of the year 'Auld Lang Syne'.

We went to the circus. 'Magia Sobre Hielo' literally means 'Magic about Ice' so I interpreted this as a grand magic show using ice. Nope. This circus was on ice. Yes, like the Ice Capades. What?! In Ecuador? This was Ken's first ice skating show (again, What?!) and all I heard from him throughout the show was, "I can't believe I am in Loja". It was a grand show. Very entertaining with lots of acrobatics. The circus company is quite famous in Mexico and Latin America. The skaters were from Russia and Mexico. Yes, the ice surface was very small but it truly was on ice and something not normally seen in this country.

I have found my 'Loja Grind' and enjoy hiking the numerous trails at least once a week in this protected park (Sendero Universitario / Parque Francisco Vivar) with spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains and valleys. This butterfly is one of many translucent butterflies and moths that exist in this area, as you have seen in our previous blogs.

What?! No, your eyes are not deceiving you! That is Ken hiking upward at the front of the pack. What?! Is Ken's new year's goal to hike up mountains? Stay tuned. Perhaps you will learn more in the upcoming blogs.

Hasta luego mis amigos. Y Feliz AÑO Nuevo!