PB to fill the void, Por Favor!
We are 6 weeks into our America del Sur adventure and are having a blast! We zipped up to Ecuador after 6 days in Peru have are still here! The trip has developed a mind of its own as they have tended to do over hte last 13 months! At times traveling without a care in the world and other times fighting with what our future will bring and what are we doing with our lives?
We started on the coast in Puerto Lopez (Poor Man´s Galapagos), went northeast to Puerto Quito (luckily avoiding the 80M wide gap in the highway which had recently been washed away by intense rains, volunteered in the jungle with the biting bugs and sloths, planting trees and more. We headed east into the Andes to the capital of Quito, then southeast to Tena for an amazing Jungle Lodge adventure.
Then to Banos, then we took the brilliant train ride from Alausi down the Devils´s Nose,
and found ourselves after a 6 hour swerving and stopping bus ride, in Cuenca, the home of the Panama Hat (Yes, Panama didn´t make squat!).
We are now in Vilcabamba in the south, nearly to Peru. Stacy will for sure broaden your knowledge of the Valley of Longevity and its tremendous attributes, but lets just say our 3 night visit has turned into 7!!
Throughout this itinerary-less journey, we have been dealing with the mindfuck that has been our last 13 months. It has been incredible no question. But it also has brought up loads of questions and concerns. Amazingly liberating and fulfilling days have been followed by days filled with self-analysis and questions of why? (Por que?) and when? (Cuando.? Do we have money? Where are we going next? Where can we buy wine? Why are being the way you are? Geez! It has been an education on so many levels.
Luckily for us here, unlike in SE Asia, we do have bread (pan) and cheese (queso), wine (vino) ain´t great, but it you find a SuperMaxi (grocery store) you can embrace a good selection at good value! The comfort food (comida) has been a blessing, no doubt, but still, for for the first month something was lacking. I really didn´t know what it was, but when we were eating queso fresco (an Ecuadorian staple that looks like mozzerella, but tastes bad) again, or those wonderfully delicious Coco cookies (galletas) I found myself yearnign for something. It wasn´t until we were in Banos (not the toilet!) that I realized what it was that I missed. We take it for granted back home. It sits in the cupboard, sometimes for months on end. But here, you must search and search! I know, I´ve done it!
PEANUT BUTTER!! (Mantequilla de Mani) It has a special place in my heart that comforts me when those analytical questions arise or I wonder what we are doing?? We have spoken to people who had friends bring it with them from the states when they visited, one group had 2 CostCo-sized half gallons in their carry-on when they left the USA and had it confiscated under the liquid rule. Then, finally in Banos, a female traveler was spooning it out onto her plate in mounds and I had to keep myself from charging over there! It is in Ecuador afterall!!! The next day, Stacy, the wonderful wife that she is realized that it was in our town even and secretively disappeared with a smile on her face and returned bearing gifts (well, one gift). A small glass container of local mantequilla de mani!!! I was in shock!! Finally!! After searching long and hard for weeks, we had it!! I had it!
We are now on container number 3. In Cuanca at the SuperMaxi we found Peter Pan Crunchy which we are now enjoying (lots of sugar though!). Who needs dessert or chips or a carrot when you can finger-spoon a clump of PB into your salivating mouth.
Muchas Gracias Ecuador!!!
We started on the coast in Puerto Lopez (Poor Man´s Galapagos), went northeast to Puerto Quito (luckily avoiding the 80M wide gap in the highway which had recently been washed away by intense rains, volunteered in the jungle with the biting bugs and sloths, planting trees and more. We headed east into the Andes to the capital of Quito, then southeast to Tena for an amazing Jungle Lodge adventure.
Then to Banos, then we took the brilliant train ride from Alausi down the Devils´s Nose,
and found ourselves after a 6 hour swerving and stopping bus ride, in Cuenca, the home of the Panama Hat (Yes, Panama didn´t make squat!).
We are now in Vilcabamba in the south, nearly to Peru. Stacy will for sure broaden your knowledge of the Valley of Longevity and its tremendous attributes, but lets just say our 3 night visit has turned into 7!!
Throughout this itinerary-less journey, we have been dealing with the mindfuck that has been our last 13 months. It has been incredible no question. But it also has brought up loads of questions and concerns. Amazingly liberating and fulfilling days have been followed by days filled with self-analysis and questions of why? (Por que?) and when? (Cuando.? Do we have money? Where are we going next? Where can we buy wine? Why are being the way you are? Geez! It has been an education on so many levels.
Luckily for us here, unlike in SE Asia, we do have bread (pan) and cheese (queso), wine (vino) ain´t great, but it you find a SuperMaxi (grocery store) you can embrace a good selection at good value! The comfort food (comida) has been a blessing, no doubt, but still, for for the first month something was lacking. I really didn´t know what it was, but when we were eating queso fresco (an Ecuadorian staple that looks like mozzerella, but tastes bad) again, or those wonderfully delicious Coco cookies (galletas) I found myself yearnign for something. It wasn´t until we were in Banos (not the toilet!) that I realized what it was that I missed. We take it for granted back home. It sits in the cupboard, sometimes for months on end. But here, you must search and search! I know, I´ve done it!
PEANUT BUTTER!! (Mantequilla de Mani) It has a special place in my heart that comforts me when those analytical questions arise or I wonder what we are doing?? We have spoken to people who had friends bring it with them from the states when they visited, one group had 2 CostCo-sized half gallons in their carry-on when they left the USA and had it confiscated under the liquid rule. Then, finally in Banos, a female traveler was spooning it out onto her plate in mounds and I had to keep myself from charging over there! It is in Ecuador afterall!!! The next day, Stacy, the wonderful wife that she is realized that it was in our town even and secretively disappeared with a smile on her face and returned bearing gifts (well, one gift). A small glass container of local mantequilla de mani!!! I was in shock!! Finally!! After searching long and hard for weeks, we had it!! I had it!
We are now on container number 3. In Cuanca at the SuperMaxi we found Peter Pan Crunchy which we are now enjoying (lots of sugar though!). Who needs dessert or chips or a carrot when you can finger-spoon a clump of PB into your salivating mouth.
Muchas Gracias Ecuador!!!
posted by Stacy @TheZenGirl at
9:40 AM
2 Comments:
Hysterical! While in Costa Rica, the Ticos (CR locals) would crumple their face in disgust at all of the homesick and hungry gringos shoveling peanut butter into their mouths.
America the beautiful (and in crunchy flavor too)!
Have you heard about all the contaminated peanut butter in the U.S.??? (I'm not kidding, Google it).
Be safe out there!!!
Scott B.
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