“Be careful in Ecuador, you could get thrown in jail”. Those were the words of my dad when we told him we were going to Ecuador for a visit. I have to say, I feel much safer here than in the US, especially since yet another school massacre has taken place up there since we have been here. There have been zero school shootings in Ecuador this year, and any year for that matter. Children here are precious, and you can see it every day with families holding hands walking down the sidewalks of Cotacachi.
In the week plus that we have been in this small town of Cotacachi, Ecuador, we have wandered all over town by foot. We’ve walked main streets and side streets, and not once, have we felt threatened in this beautiful foreign country.
This is a walking town, so when you walk, you pass many people on the street. Most of these are Mestizo, Spanish, or Quechua (indigenous). Most greet you, or you greet them with Buenos Dias, Buenas Tardes, or Buenas Noches, depending on the time of day. The smiles that come with these greetings are infectious. These are beautiful, friendly people.
The native people really light up when you attempt to speak to them in their language, no matter how bad your Spanish. They are always happy to help you. Gringos are the same way. We have met many in our short period of time here and they are always open to new friendships and sharing their experiences here.
Permaculture
We’ve been to dinner with one couple at their permaculture property on the slopes of Cotacachi volcano, and we have an invitation to visit and spend time on another permaculture farm (Finca), one and a half hours outside of Cotacachi. This, in two weeks time.
We have felt very welcomed and safe our whole time here. It’s very relaxing to be out of the negative vibrations we were feeling in the US. As our time here lengthens, we are starting to feel more and more comfortable. We have two more weeks to go before we head back home to the US.