Traditions

     Today (2/10) we took at tour of the little towns up in the hills near Cuenca where some of the traditional crafts come from. Traditional people are there too. The tribal customs are prevalent and you see, especially the old ladies, dressed in straw hats, colorful velvet skirts with sequined and metallic embroidery. These women can be seen all over town selling produce, making crafts (crocheting or hand weaving Ecuadorian sombreros), or walking with kids,
     Our tour started with Emilio picking us up in his taxi. He speaks great English having lived in Minneapolis for years. He took us east and then south and commented on local history and landscape along the way. We passed Incan ruins that were atop a distant hill. We went to the towns of Gualaceo, Chordeleg and Sisig. Our first stop was at a weaver called Casa de la Makana. The owner, at least fourth generation, showed how the traditional cloth was made from spinning, dying and weaving. He demonstrated that the dies are made from single natural ingredients such as crushed bugs for red, then add some lime for orange and baking soda for purple, to clay for grey. Then he got on the floor and showed us the looms and how they put the patterns in such as humming birds. The finished work was wonderful.
     Then in an unexpected stop we toured a orchid botanical operation. Ecuagenera grows, breeds, studies and shows thousands of types of orchids. Their garden was beautiful. The orchids come from Ecuador but also from all over South America. They take themselves very seriously. Go check out their website and see our pictures.
     We then made our way to the town known for silver jewelry. Most notably for silver filigree. The silver originally came from the area and was mined back to Incan times but I don't know if it still is. The town Chordeleg is cute and kind of Bavarian looking up the mountains. However the street is lined with jewelry stores with all sorts of garish things but the traditional work is still beautiful. They are proud of their one very well know design (see below) work by the natives and it is represented in their street decorations, carved doors and other public art. They take the finest silver wire and wrap it into simple to very complex shape from spiral circles to life size orchids.

   We had a filling meal in Chordeleg and made our way further to see a Ecuador hat making Co-op. The weavers were not there but we go to see their fine work. Every other woman we passed on this day was weaving one of these hats by hand even as they were walking along. We also got out and walked along a local river park where preparations are underway for Carnaval. We also got squirted through window by a local rapscallion.

     We wound further up the hills until we came to our driver's favorite destination. The Route of the Guitars. There are at least 7 guitar making shops way up here where the guys build guitars from scratch and make the most beautiful inlaid wooden decorations. Rene showed us how they make the inlay by planing paper thin strips of wood, dying them, gluing them together in a pattern.  They the cut them in tiny pieces and put them together in beautiful patterns. He does not have a website so you will have to go look at my pictures. Then his son played El Condor Pasa which was made famous by Simon and Garfunkel.

     The pride shown in the faces and the fingers of the people we met. I hope they are able to continue these traditions. We passed up over the hills and back down in Cuenca. Our driver will also take us to Ambato this coming Sunday for the next leg of our adventure.