* As an aside on cutlery, many of the words begin with "cuch..." and could easily be confused by the inattentive. The exception to this rule is the fork, which translates as el tenedor (literally, 'the holder', from tener). For the rest, let the following be your guide:
- El cuchillo (knife)
- La cuchara (spoon)
- La cucharilla (teaspoon)
- La cucharada (tablespoon)
- La cucaracha (cockroach, also a dance)
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| Guatita |
The waiter seemed a little unsure of the house brew, introducing the unlabelled bottle as a "Belgian triple", while it tasted like an excellently hopped-up IPA. This seemed to be the only beer "de la casa", but was a perfect foil to the rich burger with fries and vegan "soyannaise". Some post-meal theatre came in the form of a Japanese-manufactured siphon, which evaporated and delivered our coffee using something akin to a clear glass version of the Spanish moka pot.
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| Japanese coffee pot |
It's summer in Ecuador. At least, according to the VAQ (Verano Artes Quito), the summer season (verano) has begun and is being welcomed in with a programme of cultural events. Despite the fact that the evening temperature at this time of year, once the sun has set, is, while not cold, far from balmy, the VAQ are holding a series of outdoor concerts in Itchimbía park.
Itchimbía park is, as most things in Quito, up on a hill. It also has its own Crystal Palace (Palacio de Cristal). A steep set of steps eventually led us to the glass structure, its entranceway flanked by rows of colourful statues of humming birds (known locally as quinde, from the Quechua word).
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| Itchimbía's Crystal Palace and hummingbirds |
The festival had been going on all day, with games and musicians on various stages, as well as the "zona de gastronomía", where a row of vendors plied us with delicious peanut fudge and the popular, naturally vegetarian cevice de chochos. Chocho is the local word for lupin seeds, a small white, crunchy legume with the texture of a soya bean - however, it many Spanish-speaking countries, it also seems to be a rather vulgar term, so take care when ordering. The chochos are mixed with toasted corn (maíz tostado or cancha), chifles (fried thin plantain), a tomato-lime sauce, and topped with popped corn. The result is a very snackable combination of tastes and textures.
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| Ecuadorian sweets |
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| Ceviche de chochos |
There were few other tourists at this out-of-the-way festival, but it was well populated by Ecuadorian families, many of whom were flying kites in the hilltop breeze. We had arrived in time for the main event - a series of three concerts as part of the fiesta andina.
The first band were a group of Ecuadorian men, dressed in white, playing lively music on traditional Andean instruments. There were plenty of grins on the faces of the musicians, who were clearly enjoying themselves and got the crowd moving with familiar tunes and rhythms.
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| La Orquesta Macolla |
The dancing, however, came to an abrupt halt with the second group - a rather staid and militaristic-sounding orchestra. Given the cool evening air, we repaired to the nearby Café Mosaico for hot drinks overlooking the twinkling lights of Quito. I opted for ponche - a kind of eggnog without the booze - while K decided whether to have "una porción de queso" in her chocolate caliente. As described on the menu, cheese in hot chocolate sounded bizarre and experimental, but we doubted our translation was intended literally, and perhaps signified whipped cream or something similar. Nevertheless, the mug of cocoa arrived with, yes, cubes of white queso fresco in the bottom. The slightly salty cheese did contrast on the palate with the sweetness of the chocolate - not to mention adding a chewy element to the drink - but is probably not an experience that will be repeated.
Returning to the main stage for the third and final act, Los Jaivas, I was intrigued the group's description as "Andean progressive folk rock". Five guys from Chile (Valparaíso area) who could be Carlos Santana's long-lost brothers, appeared on stage bearing guitars and traditional Andean instruments, backed by a youthful and energetic lady on drums. The oldest of the band, which has been active since 1963, is now 72. The drummer, Juanita Parra, is the daughter of the original drummer, who died in a car accident in 1988. Their name is a hispanicised version of "high bass", apparently as the bass player turned everything up to 11.
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| Los Jaivas |
The performance, which was unashamedly huge and bombastic in the way that only progressive rock bands can manage, captured the crowd and lit up Itchimbía hill. When they launched into a number they had performed live at Machu Picchu - illuminating the stage and the crystal palace behind it in an eery red glow - I wouldn't have been at all surprised if a miniature scale model of the Inca ruins had descended onto the stage.
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