Thanksgiving, Grand-Adventure Style

When last I blogged about the Grand Adventure, our gang of nine - plus tour bus driver, Byron - were in the town of Mindo, Ecuador. After being tested by the coffee plantation, we piled onto our tour bus and gratefully put our feet up for the drive back to Quito.  

Wednesday evening: following an afternoon rest, Byron returned to our hostel to drive us to the airport. This time, as the bus pulled up, we noticed someone new in the front passenger seat: Byron's wife. We're pretty sure he brought her along to prove he wasn't making us up.   

Why the airport? My youngest son had been unable to travel earlier and was arriving just in time for Thanksgiving with the family. Given the absurdity of nine people flocking to Mariscal Sucre Airport to pick up one lone traveler, we decided to go a step further. When Adrian finally emerged from customs, there we were, all lined up in front of the door, holding a sign with his name on it.

He appreciated the moment and I finally got my airport sign - even if I did have to hold it myself.

Thursday morning dawned sunny and clear, unusual for Quito in November. It was perfect for Thanksgiving with a twist.

Our first destination was Quito's historical center. We started with the Basilica, my favorite among Quito's wealth of old, majestic churches. That was followed by the Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square). 

Forgive me if, for a moment, I wax laudatory. There is nothing quite like standing in the middle of this plaza, surrounded on each side by the Four Powers: on the west, the Presidential Palace; on the north, the Archbishop's Palace; on the east, the Municipal Palace, and on the south, the Cathedral. History hums beneath your feet, channeled by cobblestones laid hundreds of years before. It is one of my favorite parts of town.

I'm not exactly sure where His Eminence currently resides, but it's safe to say not in the palace. Much of the historical Archbishop's Palace has been converted into little restaurants and shops. We had a quick bite to eat there, then walked across the square to the Cathedral. After a brief visit, we continued down the street to La Compañía de Jesús (The Society of Jesus), a rather amazing old church where the central nave is covered in gold leaf. 

Following this mini-tour of churches, we walked up to the Plaza de San Francisco to find Byron and get back on the bus. Our next stop was Panecillo, the hill that rises midway down the valley of Quito. At the top, there is a massive statue: a winged Madonna, a snake crushed beneath her feet. You can walk up a spiral staircase inside the Madonna's pedestal, and stand on a narrow walkway at the top. The statue rises above you. The city sprawls before, beside, behind you. And if you look almost straight down and to the right, you see the Olla (pot): a cistern made of brick and clay, a relic from times past.  

Not a typical Thanksgiving? Perhaps not. 

But Thanksgiving is a day we are reminded of God's bounty. We stuff ourselves silly on foods resembling those provided by the native peoples of our land. We come together as a family. We look back to when we were strangers and were fed.

It was more than appropriate, then, that on the fourth Thursday of November this year, after appreciating the beauty and history of Quito, Captain Byron navigated our ship-on-wheels to the town of Sangolquí. Sangolquí is known for its cuy (guinea pig) a delicacy among the native peoples of the Ecuadorian highlands. 

We were given a warm welcome at the restaurant Byron took us to. A table was quickly set up for our group. Soon, dishes filled with cuy and potatoes and other goodies began to appear. We laughed, we talked, we ate, and while there was no wishbone for anyone to find, there was the occasional tiny paw. 

Finally, as my family finished up the feast, I asked the question that had to be asked. "So... how do you like the cuy?"

I don't remember who answered, "It's good. Tastes like turkey." The rest concurred.

As we climbed back onto the bus after dinner, I thought about our celebration:

-Family, check.
-Foods traditional to the people of the land, check.
-Strangers... based on the bemused looks of the restaurant staff, I'm pretty sure they'd rarely seen stranger. That got a check as well. 

And I gave thanks.

[coming soon... the final chapter, a.k.a., Shop Till You Drop]