La comida in Vilcabamba, and the farmers' market

   Our diet has changed somewhat while living here. Even though the ocean is very close in a straight line, the road to the ocean is a circuitous route. Fresh fish is not readily available. A guy drives around town with a loudspeaker strapped to the top of his car harking fish, but it is not on ice or being cooled in any way and we are wary. We have bought frozen fish during a few of our monthly shopping trips to Loja and it was very tasty with Christelle’s spice magic. Gone are the weekly bbq’s of Arctic char from "Sunnyside Meats". We bought some turkey lunchmeat (called "pavo") for sandwiches at the deli and Peter’s head was spinning a little and Louis had a belly ache after lunch. There is more than turkey in it and who knows what. The rest of the “turkey” went in the trash. Chicken can be rubbery and give the jaws a workout-it is hit or miss. One yardbird is about $4.00. Peter still mixes up the genders of words and asked for a sock(media) of chicken instead of a half ("medio") the other day which got a little smile out of the normally seriously faced meat tender. Another time he asked for a half-liberated of beef ("medio libre de carne") instead of a half-pound ("media libra").Hopefully next time it will not be a sock book of beef ("media libro de carne") or half book ("medio libro"). We have had the best luck with beef. Flank steak is $2.50/lb. The cows graze on hilly terrain and the meat can be tough, also. Once it was unchewable. The deli worker would reach into the “cooler” with his bare grubby hands, grab and slap a big chunk of beef showing it off, and proceed to slice and package up the stuff. It helps to look the other way. We soak everything with grapefruit seed extract to avoid food poisoning. This includes fruits, vegetables, eggs and even packaged milk which come in sealed plastic bags that one must cut the corner off of to open and pour. It is all squishy and hard to hold and a little milk almost always ends up not in the pitcher. A couple of times we made Philly cheese steak sandwiches with baguette from the French baker of Vilcabamba. Yum. Eggs are for sale everywhere and are never refrigerated or packaged. Fifteen cents each for standard and 25 cents for del campo (free range). If the purchaser does not provide a container or buy a whole flat they will receive eggs in a small plastic bag. Naturally, it is not uncommon to discover at least one damaged egg after arriving home so early on we started reusing containers that originated in Loja. When preparing to cook the eggs, they have to be broken one by one in a bowl and inspected. A wise person must always be on the lookout for a rotten egg. One was so bad it pretty much exploded when cracked and we had to open the windows. Sometimes they just look iffy and it is better safe than sorry.
   Fruits and veggies are the way to go for the majority of meals. A cauliflower is 75 cents and feels as heavy as a bowling ball. Christelle commented that the veggies are very dense. Peter had never seen red in his urine after eating beets until now. Louis and Christelle are blood type B and their urine looks like blood. Peter and Angelina are type O and their urine looks like zinfandel. At first it could take up to a week for the urine to clear, but now it takes less time which is interesting. White carrots are steamed then mashed with garlic, parsley and salt, then served with quinoa and salad, or they can be turned into cakes and fried in a non-stick pan. The taste is not like mashed potatoes and not quite like carrots and is excellent. It is a little sweet. Zucchinis do not get mushy after being steamed and the skin is very tough as with bell peppers and many locally grown vegetables-all the better to protect from the bugs. Apples and pears are imported from Chile and cost 25 cents each. Bananas were everywhere for 5 cents each but the price has increased to 15 cents for 2 very recently. Plantains are currently 30 cents, up from 25 cents. Butter went from $2.45 to $2.90. We have seen many prices rise in the last seven months. Four years ago mangos were 4 for 25 cents. Now they are 4 for $1 in season and up to 80 cents each out of season. Apparently the same thing has been happening to the real estate values for several years. We have heard that $25,000 CD at a bank in Loja pays over 10% and it can be drawn upon every month.
   There are no fast food joints in Vilcabamba. Our personal opinion of the restaurants in Vilcabamba is one of disappointment. We have experienced good meals at "Roots", "Pura Vida", "The Juice Factory" and the best meal at "Cafe Cultura", which is by far the best restaurant in town. But the rest has just not been that great. Obviously, a lot of people enjoy dining out from what we see and hear. We enjoy the meals cooked at home by Christelle with Peter chipping in with his few specialties. Our budget does not allow us to eat out much anyway, but we do take the kids out once a month to have a little fun. And Saturday is ice cream day and we go to town that night for French fries which tend to be a little undercooked. The quality of the potato is good to excellent-never frozen always fresh. Christelle is the French fry expert-she has been in love with them since she was a child and later had her own fryer back in France.
   Farmers’ market is Sunday mornings. We usually purchase three baskets of fruits and veggies for $18-$20 that cover the kitchen table. Most vendors have all the same items. Prices can vary a little and quality between items can vary more. Locals have no problem selling food that is no longer good. We have discovered spider webs and worms in a container of walnuts and packaged cereal bars the kids receive at school that is supplied by the government. Rotten eggs, sour milk and moldy bread are just a few pleasantries that cross our path occasionally. The small stores in town sell all the same items that are available at the market for somewhat higher prices. They restock items wherever a space opens up and it is a scavenger hunt looking because many times the item is in a different place than the previous time. Store workers are very helpful. There is almost no diversity of food between the market and the stores. But, there is diversity between the local price and what is commonly referred to as the “gringo price”.
   Extranjeros pay more and this is one reason why there is no pricing on the shelves. There is no way around it, a person just has to get used to it. We have experienced the “that is the old price” line more than once. Our first purchase in Vilcabamba was for drinks in a restaurant after our taxi ride from Loja. We ordered from a menu and it took a long time to get the check after we finished. We were told it was $4 and change when it had added up to $2.80 from the menu prices. “Those were the old menus” we were told. We left $2.80 with no tip, but were accosted before we made it down the steps. A heated discussion took place. Peter asked for the new menus. The manager told us that this is the price we would pay in the country we came from. Christelle let them know in decent Spanish that we are here because it is cheaper, if we want to pay US prices we will go there and she has travelled all over Latin America and never experienced this and they are "ladrones" (thieves). Christelle asked her if she wanted to call the police and the manager laughed. Months later, out of curiosity only, we were perusing the real estate flyers on the open door of a local company when the owner told us that “those are the old prices”. Many store owners do possess integrity and a few shops have prices on their products. These are the places we frequent the most.
   Some people travel the one hour north to Loja for the markets (which are 3 times a week) for things they cannot get here and also for lower prices. We pass on this option but do travel there once a month or two for things at the “Supermaxi” that we like and cannot purchase here. It is a very nice grocery store that does not offer much lower prices than what is available locally. But "Supermaxi" has price tags, which is a rarity in Ecuador as is a receipt. After our first meal in Guayaquil after flying into Ecuador, the manager came over to tell us how much we owed-not the waiter. He could have been mistaken for Mafioso, and there was nothing in writing. His math did not add up to what was on the menu and Peter felt he was being muscled a little, but a correction was silently made with the tip. And most people do not tip or tip very little. What we learned about restaurants is if the menu is grimy or the bathroom is disgusting or does not have soap, we would be much better off not eating there.
   Here is our limited understanding of the organic farming movement in Vilcabamba. It is just beginning to take hold but the rub is that the bugs are so tough that getting past pesticide use is difficult. We do buy a little produce from a local store that claims to be organic, but then some locals think that if they grow veggies in their backyard using very little chemicals that they are growing “organically”. Most people are not educated on the subject. On the plus side the locals are-to state it politely-frugal and will use the absolute minimal amount of pesticides possible. We have heard that pesticide use can be very heavy at sea level where the insects are a greater force to be reckoned with. We saw banana trees on the bus ride here that had banana bunches on the trees covered with blue or green plastic bags and have been informed that the contents are toxic. We occasionally find bugs in the produce we purchase-which we take as a good sign. Even potatoes and green beans can have worms.
   Here is our theory on the nutritional value of the local foods. Until recently, the people here were generally very poor. Pesticide use was limited if used at all because it is almost futile and costs money which is in short supply. We believe the soils are very rich and contain a lot of the organisms that help assimilate nutrients and also create the good bacteria that is needed in the gut to ward off disease and maintain good health. It is our belief that the excessive use of chemicals in the farmlands of developed countries has led to soils that are more and more depleted of these vital organisms and the produce grown there is lacking the essentials. Our bodies feel as though we are going through a long, slow cleansing and rebuilding process. It is not necessary to get into detail about what has been coming out of our bodies, but we assure you it is very noticeable that the foods here are having a beneficial effect. And we cannot say enough about the tap water. It is sourced way up in the mountains of the Podocarpus National Park. It tastes great, is naturally soft and is said to contain colloidal gold and silver. A naturopath back in France told Christelle that colloidal copper, silver and gold is the trifecta for recovery, so we add copper to the water in our own rudimentary way. Store owners kept giving us lots of pennies and Peter had a dream that Louis was licking copper pipes while they were shopping for a water heater, so we figure it would benefit us to add copper.
   We have heard that Incan warriors used to come here to Sacred Valley to recover and regenerate their bodies and souls. We feel that we are doing a little of the same in a very low stress environment with mild weather and wonderfully nutritious foods. We are taking an open ended break from the battle of modern society.

This is the local farmers' market.

Louis and Angelina come out to help carry purchases in their backpacks. Thank you guys.

 This person sells spices and herbs like cinnamon, pepper, "ahi peruviano" (a sort of mild colorful pepper), oregano, thyme, cumin etc. 

We first thought this was soap! In fact these are blocks of brown sugar they cut up with a knife and add to drinks. They are cheap: 50 ct a block. 

These are corn "humitas". They are like tamales but without a filling. They taste sweet.

This lady comes out every Sunday to sell tons of tamales and humitas.

 These are "humitas". They are like a corn tamal but with no filling. They are good. 

These are chicken tamales wrapped up in banana leaves. Yummy.

The local "Saraguros" sell nice looking vegetables. 

 Chicken is weighed and sold.

 This man is selling pans.

Zapotes here are different from the ones in Guatemala. They have large pits.

 Out in the street near the market, people sell their own fruit, here mangoes. 4 mangoes for a dollar.

 This is the small indoor market where they sell meat and fish.

This is how much food we get for $20.





This is a "guaba". This funny pod sells for 25 ct-locals get it for 10 ct by the way. It contains large white seeds. We have a guaba tree in our front yard and we are getting our own pods every day when in season.



You only eat the outside velvety part of the seeds. It is delicious.

 This is a "granadilla". You swallow all the seeds inside without chewing them.

This is a passion fruit. Same thing, you eat the seeds inside,

This is what white carrots look like.

This is raw cacao. We love eating small chunks of it.

Locals drink tons of sodas

and beer.

 Check out this bunch of basil. So hardy.

This funny vegetable is said to cure cancer.

To conclude this post, we add a lovely worm dance video.

Los Insectos

   Near the Amazon, at lower elevations, the mosquitos carry the virus that causes dengue fever. Higher up like here in Vilcabamba, dengue fever is not as much of a concern-but officials do occasionally spray pesticide for “pockets” of dengue fever. Mosquitos tend to annoy us at night while we are trying to sleep. There are a handful of mosquito personality types. The most common is the dancer that does a ballet over the ear, hesitant about committing, swooping in and out of earshot until finally it lands to end the suspense. Top Gun will buzz the ear at very low altitude and maximum velocity before mounting an attack and may be the same guy that pulls a kamikaze move by diving straight into the ear canal, at high speed, bouncing around the opening like a basketball that just won’t drop into the hoop. The stealth unit is never heard, but is just magically “there” sucking away. Is it smart and drops from high above floating down soundlessly?

   When it is apparent at bedtime that the mosquitos will be a problem, we just give up and put on repellent. We have tried repeatedly to purchase mosquito nets, but Christelle had one in Paris and they do not breathe well and she would wake up in the middle of the night needing fresh air. Either the style we want is not in stock at the stores, or they try to sell us one for a single bed and tell us it is for a double. Usually the repellant works, but sometimes we have to reapply in the middle of the night. There is one mosquito personality type that could be called Agro. It does not care about repellant or how much you put on. It is a very aggressive, determined, persistent mosquito and torments us once or twice a month. In this case, Peter goes to the bathroom and heads over to the kitchen for a glass of water and to see what the cockroaches are up to.

A see-through butterfly.

   Marching along in single file formation parallel to the edges of the counters and walls, turning at 90 degrees, creating geometric patterns in a militaristic manner and sweeping the surface for crumbs with their antennae, the cockroaches are very methodical until the human presence is detected and then it is every roach for him/herself. Poof-they are gone. They scatter and disappear into tiny cracks so quickly a person is unsure of how many were there a fraction of a second ago. It is 3am and the mind is splotchy from lack of sleep. This is our first exposure to cockroaches and we are learning about their behavior. There is one cupboard the cockroaches frequent that we are unable to seal and once in a while we bust one doing its business. Christelle nails it with a spray of water and essential oils she uses for cleaning which dazes the heck out of it, facilitating scooping it up in the bug container that we used to catch the rat. Once she found a supposed dead cockroach on its back and whisked it into the dust pan only to realize it was alive and it escaped before she could catch it. They are very vulnerable when flipped on their back. Maybe they play dead or are exhausted from trying to upright themselves and are resting or sleeping. We chuck them in the irrigation ditch and as long as the water is moving fast, off they go. Otherwise they cling to the ditch and hang on for a long time, or crawl out against the current. Very resilient. 

   Spiders are about as big as the palm of the adult hand and are pretty docile. Some move fast but not like the cockroach. We heard that spiders in Nicaragua are much bigger, like the size of the whole hand including the fingers, and will not fit past the gap underneath an interior door. One day we discovered a large flying ant-the body was at least 2” long. Peter crept up and caught it in the plastic container and it tried to fly away. It was like holding a small chainsaw with the throttle wide open. When released outside, it hooked a 270 degree turn at high speed and flew into a birdhouse like it knew exactly where it was going. Gnats fly up in the face at times and we tried various solutions and eventually eliminated the fruit fly infestation we had in the kitchen. There are ants about a ¼” long with crab-like pincers that really hurt when they bite. More prevalent are tiny ants 1/16” in length that are just a general nuisance. Around 5 o’clock in the afternoon tiny flying mosquito-like bugs come out and we take refuge indoors, shutting windows and the door.

   All in all, none of the bugs are a constant hassle. We could go the chemical route but did not come to Ecuador to exist in a chemical-laden environment. The home we live in has more modern accommodations than the places Christelle visited in Peru 15 years ago. Back then the electric showerhead was an older design that would randomly shock a person, which sounds disconcerting. Once she was taking a shower and felt something else odd and looked down to see a frog on her foot. It came out of the drain to warm up.

A tarantula had made its nest in our bedroom, in a dark corner behind Peter's suitcase. Peter caught it in this plastic container which already contained a cockroach caught the night before. See what happens when a tarantula and a cockroach share the same house...

The cockroach ended up losing a leg in the battle, but no other encounters occurred afterwards. Peter released both bugs in the bamboo patch in the afternoon.

Early morning surprise busted behind the coffee maker. This is a medium size tarantula. Tarantulas are friendly spiders, they can be walking past our feet without being scared or agressive.

Check out the design on this moth! The two eyes at the bottom are meant to scare off  predators. This moth is 6.5 inches long.

There are plenty of nice butterflies around our yard.

Angelina said that some butterflies have big dots like this so that spiders would be scared of them when they get caught in a web.

This butterfly looks like a leaf

This monarch butterfly stayed with us a couple hours while we went to the market and walked back home.

Check out this ant carriage. It went around in circles on our kitchen counter for half an hour then disappeared.

Spiders will take over an area in groups and stay in the same spot for months. Once their webs are too old and have become impossible to maintain, they leave, almost all at the same time. Butterflies look like they are able to weave their way through the maze of webs. Hummingbirds go pick at spiders, teasing them on the back and fly away. 

 Check out this movie of a spider weaving its web, you can see all the details of the weaving:

We found this dead scorpion inside our house. Their bite is very painful but not poisonous.

 This tiny insect has two claws at the end of its limbs and walks sideways like a crab. We think that Peter once got stung by one of these in bed and it hurt! They are just a couple millimeters long.

This beetle got caught on only one strand of a spider web.

 This insect was on the wall in our bedroom. It has 26 legs.

 This one is a "machaca".

It was not in good shape since the cats had gotten a hold of it. But it was able to defend itself, check out this horror movie: