Paseo del Chagra, Machachi

Machachi is a town about 35 km south of Quito. It is situated on the west side of Panamericana, at an altitude of 2950
metres (so it can be quite chilly). It is a medium sized town with 12 500 inhabitants.
Just south of Machachi is Volcan Rumiahui. Other volcanoes nearby are Corazon, Pasochoa and Sincholagua. A
few tourists make Machachi their base when they climb those tops or visit Cotopaxi National Park, but I only visited
for a few hours to see the traditional festival Paseo del Chagra.
Every year in July there is a big festival in Machachi, the Paseo del Chagra. The chagras are known for their good
horseman skills and the Quechua word chagra has now begun to mean Andean Cowboy. At the annual festival in
Machachi there is a parade where hundreds of chagras participate riding on their best horse. They are usually dressed
in chaps (often made by llama fur), wool ponchos, a scarf a hat and boots. In the parade there are also traditional
dance groups, dancing and singing.
At the festival there is also a kind of bullfight, well more like running with the bulls, where lots of young men run
around in the same arena as a loose bull.
During the festival there is a lot of different street food available and also lots and lots of alcohol.
I did not here about the festival in Machachi until the same day it was happening, so I only visited a few hours from
Quito. It was already afternoon when I arrived, but I saw part of the parade and had a glimpse of the running with the
bull. I went inside the arena but at the first entrance they wanted to Charge me $5 for watching. I was not that
interested and went to another entrance where I stood watching for while. Well, Im glad I changed my plans for the
day and went to Machachi when I heard about the festival because it was interesting to see this traditional Paseo del
Charga.

Chocolate
Ecuador is a large producer of cacao, but much of the cacao is sold to big companies in other countries. However,
there is also production of high quality chocolate within the country from cooperatives and small producers, some are
both organic and fair trade certified. The most common cacao bean is the Arriba bean.
When I was in Ecuador I tried some very good dark chocolate from Kallari, Pacari and Hoja Verde. They were all
very good.
Here are links to those chocolate producers:
http://www.kallari.com/
http://www.pacarichocolate.com/index.php/en/
http://www.hojaverdegourmet.com/eng/index.php
When I was in Mindo I went on a chocolate tour at El Quetzal where they explained the different steps in chocolate
making and where we also did some chocolate tasting. If you get the chance to do something similar while in
Ecuador I can recommend it.
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Inti Raymi celebrations

by MalenaN Written May 15, 2013

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The Inti Raymi festival is a festival celebrating the summer solstice and harvest. It is especially celebrated in the
northern highlands and I had hoped to see some celebrations while I visited Quito in June 2012.
I had read in one of the newspapers that there was going to be Inti Raymi celebrations on Plaza San Francisco on
Sunday 24th of June. At the tourist office they didnt know anything about this, but I went there anyway. When I
came to the square there were no signs of any activities. I asked at Tianguez if they knew anything about it but they
didnt, so I ordered a coffee at Tianguez and sat down, overlooking the square to see if any dancers would arrive, and
yes, after a while they did.
Lots of dancers in colourful clothes arrived and they gathered below a stage in one end of the square. There they
were dancing to traditional music while some ceremonies were taking place in the middle. Lots of people also came
to watch.
If you are in Quito (or somewhere else in the north highlands) from June 21 and some days after, and you get the
chance to see the Inti Raymi celebrations it is absolutely worth spending time watching.
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Typical foods
by toonsarah Updated Jan 27, 2013

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I had read quite a lot about Ecuadorean cuisine and was keen to try some of the local delicacies. Luckily we found
that most restaurants served the traditional cuisine, even if they had a few international dishes as well, and we were
able to eat local most days, at least while on the mainland. Some of the dishes I most enjoyed included:
Locro de Papa a popular and delicious potato soup which (usually) has a chunk of avocado and slice of white
cheese floating in it. The cheese reminded me a little of haloumi in texture, and because it did not seem to melt into
the soup as most cheeses would. I had this several times during the trip, e.g. for lunch in Raymipampa restaurant on
the Parque Calderon in Cuenca. Soups generally are good here, and I also enjoyed a quinoa soup at the restaurant in
the Termas de Papallacta, a great pumpkin soup at Tambopaxi Lodge in the Cotopaxi National Park, and a lentil soup
in a community-run restaurant right by the crater of Quilotoa.
Empanadas little stuffed pastries which are found all over South and Central America. Here in Ecuador there are
several variations, depending partly on where you are in the country. We were mainly in the highlands, where
empanadas de morocho are popular the flour is made from ground corn and the filling is usually meat-based. We
also had empanadas de viento a couple of times, which are made from regular flour and stuffed with cheese. In
Guayquil, on the coast, we had empanadas made with plantain dough and stuffed with cheese.
Ceviche the South American classic but here done slightly differently. There is much more sauce than I have had
elsewhere and it reminded me somewhat of gazpacho. I had several all slightly different and all delicious. There
was a great shrimp ceviche in a restaurant in Cotachi near Otavalo, a super mixed seafood one for lunch one day on
the Angelito which cruising the Galpagos, and even a vegetarian version made with palm hearts in the restaurant at
the Termas de Papallacta. It is usually served with a dish of popcorn which you drop into the bowl (a bit like
croutons with soup) and which soaks up the lovely juices wonderful!
Llapingachos potato patties with a melted cheese centre, fired or grilled until brown and crispy. They are usually
served with sausages or grilled meat, avocado, fried egg and maybe corn. Chris had these early on in our trip and we
were both very impressed, so looked for them everywhere and both had them several times!
I was less impressed by the humita I tried in a Quito restaurant, though its possible I got a poor example. Humitas
consist of fresh ground corn mixed with egg, sometimes cheese and other flavourings, wrapped in corn husks and
steamed. They can be savoury or sweet. The one I had (at a small caf in the Archbishops Palace complex in Quito)
was savoury but was so bland in flavour that I could only enjoy eating it once I had covered the corn with generous
spoonfuls of aji, the chilli sauce that is provided just about everywhere in Ecuador.
I was also not a particular fan of mote, white boiled corn kernels served as a side dish with meat, which again I found
rather too bland for my taste. Other typical dishes which we did not get to try include hornando, a whole roast pig
(though we had plenty of pork dishes) and cuy, roast guinea-pig not through any unwillingness to experiment but
we never actually saw it on the menu in any restaurant we visited (I think that mostly it is served in specialist places).

My next tip is about one particular typical food, a type of ice cream called Helado de Paila
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Club or Pilsner?
by toonsarah Updated Jan 27, 2013

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Ecuadoreans are far more likely to drink beer with a meal than wine, and although they do produce a little of the
latter we never saw any in any of the restaurants we visited only Argentinean and Chilean wines, and occasionally
an expensive import from Europe. We were told that only the most up-market restaurants might have local wines,
and although we ate in some nice places clearly none were good enough! In any case, we were happy to drink beer
most of the time, and luckily there are two good local beers, Club and Pilsner. Both are similarly priced and widely
available, though a few of the cheaper bars we went in only had one, usually Pilsner. Our friend Marcelo had a strong
preference for Club and we were inclined to agree with him, while not seeing such a marked difference as to make
either unacceptable!
There are in fact two varieties of Club, known as green or brown according to the colour of the bottle. The latter is a
more recent introduction which the brewery claim is a superior drink, but which Jose Luiz, our guide in Otavalo and
Cotopaxi, claimed was just a marketing ploy!

Next tip: Ecuadorean celebrations for the Day of the Dead

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Helado de Paila
by toonsarah Written Jan 1, 2013

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Helado de Paila is a particular sort of ice cream made in the north of Ecuador. It is made not through churning, as is
usual, but instead prepared in a wide metal pan (a bit like a wok) which the ice cream maker spins on a bed of ice.
The fruit juice, with I think just a little cream added, freezes in the pan through the contact with this ice. The result
should be a thick creation somewhere between a sorbet and ice cream.
We had Helado de Paila twice while staying in Quito. The first time was in the long-established Heladaria San
Augustin in the old town, where the waiter helpfully brought us a plate of small taster spoonfuls so we could make
our choice. These were mostly flavoured with various local fruits, many of them unknown to us on this, the first day
of our trip. I was tempted by taxo, a type of passion-fruit, but in the end chose guanabana, which reminded me a little
of lychees, and naranjilla, a green bitter orange that I found refreshing. Chris tried mora, the local blackberry-like
fruit, and chocolate. He was disappointed with the latter, and indeed all of the flavours seemed a little watery, which
made me wonder why Helado de Paila is so celebrated (and indeed why this establishment is so highly rated). But the
next day while out and about with our friends Betty and Marcelo we stopped at a roadside heladeria in Nayon, where

I had a much stronger flavoured and very refreshing cone of taxo flavoured Helado de Paila.
My next tip is about some of the delicious fruit juices that we had all over Ecuador!
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Da de los Muertos
by toonsarah Written Jan 1, 2013

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The Da de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is commemorated in Ecuador as in many South and Central American
countries, although not to the same extent as in Mexico perhaps. Its observance is strongest among the native people,
the Kichwa. The festival falls on 2nd November, which was during our visit to Cuenca, and we saw lots of stalls,
mainly near the Iglesia del Carmen, selling these typical decorations in white and purple which people were buying
to decorate the graves of their relatives when they visited them for the celebrations. It is the custom to pay these
relatives a visit on this day, much as you would if they were still alive take them a gift, enjoy a meal (usually a
family picnic on or next to the grave) and maybe play some favourite music while reminiscing about days gone by.
One element of the festival that is peculiar to Ecuador is the consumption on and around the festival time of colada
morada and guagua de pan. The former is a thick drink (or some would say a thin porridge) made from purple maize
and Andean blackberries, flavoured with cinnamon and other spices and served hot. The guagua de pan that typically
accompanies it is a (usually sweet) loaf shaped to look like a swaddled baby. Guagua means baby or small child in
the native language, Quechua, and pan means bread in Spanish, demonstrating the dual nature of the origins of the
custom, mixing native and Roman Catholic beliefs. We saw lots of these breads for sale in the markets we visited in
Otavalo and Pujili, and many restaurants sell both guagua de pan and colada morada in the days running up to the
festival. I tried the latter in a coffee shop in Cuenca and rather liked it.

My next few tips describe some of the landscapes of Ecuador that I especially liked, starting with the volcanoes of
the Andean range.
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Traditional dances on Plaza Grande, Quito

by MalenaN Written Jun 2, 2012

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One Saturday night in Quito, after dinner, I saw there was a lot of people on Plaza Grande. Someone told me there
was going to be a performance below the cathedral so I also went there to have a look. There were several dance
groups performing folkloric dances from the highlands. It was really nice to see, and I stayed for an hour. You can
see a short video of the traditional dances here.
It was a Saturday night and I dont know if they have these performances on Plaza Grande often at weekends or if it
was because it was the 25th of June, and it had something to do with the festivals celebrated between the 21st and
29th of June, the Inti Raymi and San Juan and San Pedro festivals.
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Tigua paintings
by MalenaN Written Nov 29, 2011

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People around Tigua have painted drums and masks used at festivals for many generations, but it was not until the
1970s that they started to make paintings to sell. It all started when a foreigner was interested in buying an old drum
from Julio Toaquiza, a young man from the area. He later got the idea to paint on flat canvases made by sheepskin.
And as it turned out well he taught his relatives and neighbours how to paint as well.
The Tigua paintings are very colourful and often painted on sheepskin. The motifs are scenes from different Quichua
legends, festivals and religious ceremonies. It is also common with scenes depicting the daily life, like farming and
weaving, of the people in the high Andes around Tigua. The condor, sheep or llamas are common animals in the
paintings and in the surrounding landscape the Vulcan Cotopaxi can often be seen.
When I hiked to Tigua, from Quilotoa, I had hoped to visit the community gallery in Tigua, Galera Tigua Chimbacucho. Unfortunately Tigua is a very spread out community and I was many kilometres away from the
gallery when I reached Posada de Tigua where I was going to stay. The gallery is situated at Km 53 along the
Latacunga - Zumbahua road.

But Tigua paintings, of different quality, can be found in galleries, souvenir stores or at markets all over Ecuador.
And when I saw the painting in the picture, in a shop in Quito, I knew I wanted to have that one. It reminded me very
much of the week when I hiked in the Quilotoa area and one morning in Quilotoa the sun was shining in the same
position over Laguna Quilotoa as in the painting and the two tops of Iliniza Norte and Iliniza Sur could also be seen
behind the rim of the crater. Now it hangs on the wall just above my computer!
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Cuy - a local specialty

by MichaelFalk1969 Updated Aug 17, 2011
Forget the concept that guinea pigs are PETS, here in Ecuador they are FOOD. A specialty, as you will see on the
price tag as "cuy" (as they are called here) are a rather more expensive treat for "ferias" and grand occasions, costing
ca. 12 - 20 $. The taste is very similar to chicken.
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Kiss on the Cheek

by mah224 Written Jul 28, 2009

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When you meet someone new or see someone you haven't seen in a while, a quick kiss on the left cheek is common.
You don't even really have to kiss the person, just put your cheeks close together and pretend.
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Definitely Try the Fruit

by HasTowelWillTravel Updated May 26, 2008

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There is a wondrous diversity of fruits in Ecuador, much like everything there. These are fruits that you have most
likely never seen or tried before, and they don't taste like anything you've had. From the tree tomato (tomate de arbe)

to the babaco, they are a delicious addition to a trip through the country. So stop in, try some pies or jams or just eat
them raw... you won't be disappointed.
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Haggle, haggle
by HasTowelWillTravel Updated May 26, 2008

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In the market places, it is customary to haggle over prices. Some visitors have an issue with that, especially as the
prices are pretty low to begin with. But it is part of the life here, part of the experience. I've had some people actually
look a little shocked that I didn't make any kind of counter-offer, just accepted what they said. So, dive in and try to
score some deals. Enjoy the experience
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The Old Year's "widows"...

by elsadran Written Apr 22, 2008

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On New Year's Eve besides burning the famous dolls, Ecuadorians, mostly men, are dressed as widows in black
clothes, tights and a black shawl and stop cars and people in the street asking for money. They are supposed to ask
for money for their husband's funeral but they have to perform a dance before they get the money. Obviously they
are not so sorrowful about their husband'sdeath. This goes on on New Years Day , too . Cars are stopped by a rope
raised across the street and can not go unless money or candies are given. The widows perform short dances which
really funny as most of them are ...men.
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Burning the dolls

by elsadran Written Apr 22, 2008

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On New Year's Eve all people in Ecuador are celebrating the beginning of the new year with a lot of firecrackers and
an amusing custom of burning dolls. They have been prepared many days ahead and they can be seen at every corner
being sold, or in front of the shops dressed as real people. They are waiting for their moment of sacrifice which will
give people a great enjoyment. They are life-sized dolls filled with sawdust or newspapers or any other flammable
material, and wearing real clothes according to the person they represent. The head is covered by paper masks. Most
of the times they represent unpopular politicians or celebrities, athletes or even cartoon figures. Sometimes even
members of the family , but in this case they are burned for luck and not as a punishment...Before they are burned
they are beaten by the displeased Ecuadorian giving a lot of fun!
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