A week has passed; sunny Sun. morning, rainy afternoon

I got home just before the rain started this afternoon.  I am sitting here now listening to the thunder and rain--so relaxing.  I walked to the flower market this sunny Sunday morning and bought my flower bouquet for the week and also bought some "trees" for the manger scene that I am creating.  I bought the manager structure and the figurines for the manger scene at the Rotary Market, which has mostly Ecuadorian crafts.  I just couldn't buy the "made in China" stuff that is so prevalent in most of the stores. 

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun and I learned a lot also.  The sunny morning started with a Turkey Trot organized by expats as a fundraiser for a school program, Fundacion "El Arenal", a non-profit organization which provides "an alternative education for working children and adolescents".  El Arenal is the largest indigenous market in Cuenca (I have never walked through it, but have seen it from the bus). The program began in 1994 with the help of volunteers from Ecuador and Germany.  Germany continues to send young people to serve in the organization and there were two young people from Germany helping on Thanksgiving (one was the translator, translating Spanish to English).  Ecuador has a challenge with keeping children in school because they are shining shoes, selling newspapers or working in the markets selling produce, etc., working 5 to 15 hours a day.  The peasant families have left their land with the objective of finding a better income for their family and that means everybody works.  In attendance were some of the Ecuadorian women who work at the organization:

When all the expats gathered, I would guess there were about 35 of us.  We each donated $3 to the Fund, most of us walked along the Tomebama River (a few ran) and then met at the Kookaburra Cafe (owned by Australians) where we had a Turkey Trot Treat of a sweet roll (or I had banana bread) and coffee for $2. 

And each participate was given a turkey!

The afternoon brought rain and I had a ticket to the Thanksgiving Dinner at Villa San Carlos.  It is always somewhat difficult to get a taxi when it is raining so I looked at the bus schedule, found out how to get close to the address and was ready for another adventure--and it worked out well.  The announcement said entertainment would start at 3:30 (I guessed it would be Ecuadorian music, but it was a pianist who played from memory for hours) and when I arrived at 4, there was already a long line of people to be checked in.  I had been told it was a very large banquet room and that a huge buffet would be served.  Both were true!  I really stuffed myself.

Now Thanksgiving (for N. Americans) is over, the Ecuadorian December holiday season is already in full swing.  The stores are packed with artificial trees, decorations, candy, cookies, and toys for the children -- to the extreme.  I asked my friends who have lived in Ecuador about the traditional thing to do; they said create a manger scene.  So that's what I've done:

It was difficult to find Ecuadorian people in a manger scene, but I succeeded.  I love these figurines. 

I've learned how long it takes to upload these pictures, so while I was creating this blog, I baked some bass for dinner.  Another great recipe!  Would you believe I haven't had one frozen prepared meal in eleven weeks . . . good (fresh) food and good times.