Monday, July 07, 2008

My 1st First Communion Tabacundo

A month or so ago, I took advantage of a Peace Corps conference in Quito to visit my host family in Tabacundo. It also happened to be the date of the First Communion of one of my 'cousins or nieces or something like that', so I got to go to that and celebrate afterwards with the family.

Jhanice on the left with the First Communion-er, Nadia

Cute picture of a girl helping her grandpa down the stairs of the church

The cathedral in Tabacundo


Me, shanking hands with El Che. He's a lot taller than I expected...
Nadia, praying during the First Communion

The family, with the Godfather and Godmother on the left
A somewhat-more complete family. The matron of the family who is 80 years old had 17 kids, so this is actually only about 10 percent of the extended family.

Don't forget to check out the other blog I posted today...

Wrapping up in Licto

Well, as some of you may already know, I've extended my time with Peace Corps for another year, but this time around it's going to be a little different...No Kichwa, no guinea pigs with peanut sauce, and a much lower proportion of smelly busses per day: I'm moving at the end of July to the city of Cuenca. Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador and (in my opinion) by far the nicest city to live in. But for now, I've got to get caught up on what's been going on in the last couple months that I haven't let you all in on. I'll start today with some pictures from the last months (and some older pics) in Licto.

The photos are a little out of order and some of them aren't mine (big thanks to my friend Eider from Florencia/Cali for a lot of the pictures of people in Licto...pictures I'd be too embarrassed to take)...


Inside Licto's colonial cathedral on Good Friday

A sweet old lady who wanders the street of Licto every day

Palm Sunday procession at the cathedral

An old guy from Licto...one of many

Cute little kid selling coconuts

Another old guy...

Palm Sunday

The quintessential hornado pig

Fruit seller in the market on Sundays...she always asks for help packing stuff up and gives me free fruit when I help her...but never takes the scowl off her face.

Yet another old guy...

And another...

Good Friday in Licto

Good Friday set-up inside the cathedral


Carnaval procession outside the cathedral

A friend of mine, on top of 'Mount' Tulabug...notice that he wanted his truck to show up in the background...He loves his truck.

Palm Sunday continued

Me, on top of one of the other big hills that surround Licto: El Sas.

Good Friday

I found it pretty hilarious that this guy had a keyboard and microphone inside the truck so he could provide live music for the Good Friday procession

Cristo

NOT the KKK, thank you very much.

Carnaval in Licto is a big savage at times...this year i got covered in purple paint in addition to the typical flour and egg.

I look happy, but only because of the moonshine they'd given me after covering me in paint

View from the top of El Sas. That's Licto down there. See my house?

Me, with visitors. This woman (American) and her husband came out to Licto while in the process of looking for a ranch to retire to in Licto (the guy on the right is the taxi driver, not the husband)

My good friend from Licto, Mickey on top of El Sas.


A little bit of everything in this post, but a pretty good variety of what goes on in Licto.
All play and no work makes Jack a lazy boy.