|
|
TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
|
|
So, on Friday we had cuy... it´s guinea pig, which is the national dish of Ecuador. I know this seems totally horrendous to most of you, but it is a big deal here – and considered a privledge to eat it… so, yes, Ally, when in Cuenca, do as the Cuencans do.
I went with some kids and professors from my school to a restaurant known for preparing cuy. We first went to the back and saw both the raw cuy and then saw it impaled and being BBQd. I have to say that I generally have a pretty strong stomache, but seeing these little guys twirling around over the fire made me queasy. But we ate it and it actually wasn´t bad. I thought it tasted like turkey, which I could almost get on board with, except for the fact that they serve cuy *whole, meaning the entire head, legs and paws – the following pic of Steve (another kid at my school) kissing the head! Anyway, it was an experience, but one that I will be ok not having again anytime soon. J
The other night, I went to another salsa class and afterwards, Francisco (the teacher) took a few of us to a jazz concert at the Banco Central, a really nice museum and performance space here. Cuenca, by the way, is like the cultural mecca of Ecuador. Tons of museums, foreign and national cinema, music, art, craftsmanship, etc. We all went to dinner afterwards with another one of Francisco´s friends (Xavier) who I had met at the salsoteca. Xavier and I had a lot to talk about, so we also met for coffee on Friday afternoon. He is an interesting guy – he´s my age and an architect and still lives with his mother…. because you know he’s not married and this is the custom. We ended up going out for a couple of drinks last night too with a few of his friends and it was fun… definitely better to hang out with locals than to be with a horde of turistos.
By the way, if you can believe it all of these conversations and dinners and whatever are taking place entirely in Spanish. It’s like I’ve passed over a language threshhold now because I’m finally able to carry on real conversations with people from here… I am continually amazed by this. Obviously, I still can’t say everything I want to say and I know that often my tenses get confused, but I can understand pretty much everything and they can understand what I’m saying, so this is at least progress.
It’s been really interesting hanging out with Xavier and his friends. We are the same age, so it´s a good barometer, I think, and also puts to bed some misconceptions and stereotypes I had about people living in such a Catholic, conservative place – but it confirms some others. Xavier doesn´t believe in marriage, is agnostic, and even though he lives at home now he has gotten a scholarship to study in Europe next year to get his masters so he’s going to leave the country possibly forever. He says he’s sure there are gay people here, but they are most definitely not out in the community and he doesn’t know anyone who’s gay. As an architect, it’s been interesting and difficult to live and work in Cuenca. UNESCO declared Cuenca as a heritage site in 1999, which means that the old section of town can’t be remodeled and everything has to retain the same look. Almost everyone here works on Saturday morning. I think it’s because they end up taking so much time off during the week, but not totally sure about this.
Anyway, life here continues to be interesting. This morning I went to a museum and tonight I’m going to a movie with Xavi. Tomorrow, I think I’m going to Cajas, the national park that’s nearby.
I’ve attached some pics of the cuy fiesta, a photo of my host dad Victor, and some other random shots – Incan ruins here in Cuenca, etc. Enjoy!
previous travel blog entry
Would you like to comment or ask a question?
Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you're already a member).