Driving from Quito to Riobamba was today’s agenda. We got on the road at about 8 am after eating a delicious breakfast filled with fresh fruit, cereal, meats, and breads! After two hours of driving we stopped at Hostería La Ciénega which was an old fancy mansion built in the 1700’s that is now a hotel. The establishment was absolutely gorgeous with a garden full of luscious flowers, succulents, and many other plants. The interior was elegant with sparkly chandeliers and large elaborate paintings. We had time to explore the property until we were served hot chocolate, tea, and coffee. While enjoying our refreshments, El Grupo de Música Andina Cotopaxi performed for us. The group consisted of six men singing and playing the following instruments: guitarra, charango, bajo electrónico, percusión, vientos, and violin. The group played about six different songs, and I enjoyed every one of them. I love this type of music, so this was my favorite part of the day! It was relaxing and refreshing to take a moment to slow down from our past few days of traveling from city to city to actually listen to the ethnic music and appreciate the skill and artistry. Each group member was extremely talented, and they all looked like they were enjoying themselves. I could sense their passion for the music! I purchased their CD, so my mom and I can dance to it together back home and continue to enjoy the beautiful talent!
We were then headed to Salasaca which is located in the Tungurahua Province in the center of Ecuador, and we stopped specifically at Hostería Indiwasi Patuloma. We did a little shopping from their selection of handcrafts and then watched one of the men use the loom of very ancient technology to work on weaving a rug. He had been working on this rug for over one year, and when it is all done it will cost about $600.00. He said that a typical one takes three months to make when there is dedication involved. I was extremely impressed that he had the pattern memorized because it looked very complicated to me! He learned this weaving on the loom at age 8, so he has been doing for quite some time because he was over 60 or 70 years old. I watched his talent in total disbelief. He also shared with us that they only use natural colors, no chemical colors, to create the various colors of the wool used in order to protect Mother Nature. They get the natural colors from things such as cacti and various bugs. Our visit with the Salasacas continued with a delicious fresh vegetarian meal. It consisted of corn on the cob; potatoes; cheese; beans; chopped carrots, broccoli, and peas; and tea. This was my favorite meal in Ecuador so far because it was so fresh with the food grown right on site! Finally, our visit ended with a demonstration of their dance and song they do to celebrate the New Year. This was especially fun for me because I am so interested in the music and dance of different cultures. It was also fun because I got to join in on the dancing! It is always much more impactful when learning about a foreign culture to not only observe the culture, but to actually participate in it with the people. It was then time for us to head off to our home for the night—Hotsería Bambú in Riobamba. I am so grateful we were able to visit both the Hostería La Ciénega and Hostería Indiwasi Patuloma today!
