Seafood in the Sierras

As my eyes open, the sun shines down as a cool breeze picks up. The smell of red snapper rises through the air and finds company with the smell of fried plantains. Only when I pan around to the lush valleys and volcanos in the distance, do i remember that I am sitting at 9000 feet above sea level.
In Ecuador, there is nothing like the Encebollado. Thick chunks of tuna on yucca root slices swim in a broth of cumin and chili powder, and topped with onions and Cilantro. Engulfed by the aroma of the hearty broth, I alternate spoonfuls of fish with handfuls of “tostado”(corn nuts with popcorn). One can spend hours here as the anxiety of life evaporates away. Every dish is relished in an almost Zen state and are best served with an ice cold Pilsener beer.
To understand more, I search out Arturo, the owner. He is a shorter gentleman with dark skin and a calm demeanor. He explains how his family came here and how he misses his native coastal region. His frown shows his homeland still calls him even today. He and the family came to Quito, and straight to this hidden gem in Guapulo.
Guapulo has its own force of attraction. For locals, it is an oft forgotten place hidden in the eastern cliffs of Quito and serves as an escape to a bohemian lifestyle. For foreigners, it is an escape from Quito’s chaos. The cobble stone street of Camino de Orellana, named for the Spanish conqueror, wind down through Guapulo and it was here the Spaniards left to conquer the tribes of indigenous populations.
As Arturo talked, I felt a convergence occurring. Just like the Spaniards, Arturo had come to stake his claim. The family from a another land attends to the foreigners and locals who come to escape the common life and where conquerors came years before. All these entities brought together by a foreign dish. However, it all disappears as I return my focus to the delicacy in front of me. With each bite, I too can escape the contrasts. And all it took was some seafood in the Sierras.