Tamera's Take: Auld Lang Syne, Cats, and Año Nuevo (Part 2)

Tamera's Take is about being here.

Are you ready?  I am.

Does anyone really know the words to Auld Lang Syne?  Or the tune for that matter?  I have to admit, I do not.  Of course I know the condensed version sung in the U.S. at midnight on New Year's Eve (Año Nuevo). The version everyone remembers at the end of the movie, It's A Wonderful Life. George and Mary Bailey.  Zuzu's petals.  The "every time a bell rings, an angels gets his wings" version.

One of my favorite Monigotes.

There is a little more to Auld Lang Syne.  Inspired by fragments of traditional songs from earlier times, the Scottish poem was written in 1788 by Robert Burns, with all of the melancholy and nostalgia that it still evokes today.

However it was not intended as a New Year's Eve song, any more than It's A Wonderful Life was intended as a Christmas movie.  Such as life, things have a way of finding their place and settling in. 

Three days ago, our friend Tamy took us on a tour of Portoviejo.  We were joined by two others, Bonnie and Luc, who we met at the Navidad Fiesta last week.

Bonnie and Luc arrived in Crucita a few weeks before we did. 

This was no ordinary excursion.  Nothing Tamy does is ordinary.  She puts a lot of thought and care into everything.  Our goal for the day was to view themed displays for the Año Viejo contest.  That was just the beginning.

The theme? Save It or Lose It.   I say Right on!

A map of the displays was in the local newspaper,
El Diario. With map in hand, the five of us were off for another adventure.

First stop was the home of Tamy's mother & father in law. Not to view a display, but for the first of many treats. Mangos!  Ripe, sweet and delicious mangos from their farm.

With map AND mangos in hand, the five of us were off (again).

Tamy drives us through the city of Portoviejo and some of the surrounding parishes.  She does not simply point out areas of interest.  She gives us details about the buildings, people, and economics.  But more importantly, she gives us the respective cultures of each area.  I am amazed at the diversity.


As with any city, there is wealth, there is extreme poverty, and there is prejudice between those "classes".  A product of all that diversity.  It is human nature I suppose.

Mamey Mata Serrano

If you really want to get to know a culture, you have to look past some of those things.  You have to look past your own comfort zone.  You have to set aside the things you know, to make room for the things you do not know.  If you can do this, you will almost always have an experience to remember.

Representing the Rural Life of Ecuador

Continuing on our tour, we stop at several displays to take photos.  I should mention that the judging of the displays took place on December 31st.  First prize is $3,000 USD, second prize is $1,500.

Photos of all 24 entries were printed in the Año Nuevo edition of  El Diario.  I think we saw about half of them during our tour.

Time for another treat!

Mamey Mata Serrano!  In Ecuador, this fruit does not occur on a large scale, but it is found in small farms on the coast, mainly in the provinces of Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and Manabi.

It has the size and appearance of a small cantaloupe. We live in the province of Manabi.


Tamy sees Mamey being sold at one of the street vendors and tells us that we "must try this".   We will hear that phrase a lot.  We are told that this fruit is in season for a very short time, and it is not available everywhere in Ecuador.  We happen to live on the coast.  Lucky us!

Portoviejo El Centro

Since we have already passed the vendor, we have to make a few turns to get back to him.  This is another opportunity to absorb more culture.  We drive through the fabric district.  I had been wondering where to buy material.  I am not sure why since I left my sewing machine back in the U.S.  We are told that the fabric district is safe during the day, but not at night.

Not our cat.  Our cat's local friend.

And...the electricity is out again.  This does not happen too often, but it does happen.

I am usually totally unaware of it unless I happen to be using WiFi at that time.

I was using Wifi to write this segment of our blog.
Now I am using Notepad so that I can continue.
As soon as the electricity is back on I will copy and paste.

A few extra steps, but it is all part of the way of life here in Crucita.

I also take the time to say hello to a white cat who frequently stops by to visit.

He poses for a photo.


We make our way back around to the busy street.  There are a lot of tall buildings - tall for Ecuador; many vendors set up all along this street; but NO street parking.

Tamy pulls up to the vendor and through the window asks the man something in Spanish.  I catch a few words.  Not enough to know exactly what she asks him.  But in her normal style, she turns to us and translates. She then goes on to explain that Mamey can be difficult to peel and cut away from the large seed. The man is doing it very skillfully and quickly.  Apparently if you do it wrong, the fruit will have a bitter taste.

A few cars honk their horns at us.  The man says something to Tamy and she tells us that he said "do not worry about them, it is fine to stay where we are".  We do.  It is not.

We are greeted by a police siren and flashing lights.  Apparently the No Standing law applies here as well as New York City.

Recognize Anyone?

Another circle through the fabric district and back to the vendor, where our Mamey has been peeled, sliced and put into bags for us to eat.  It appears to be about 3 or 4 pounds of fruit.  Total cost = $2.50 (50 cents per person).  It was rico (delicious).

I cannot begin to describe the taste.  I will not even try.  If you find yourself in Ecuador, along the coastal area, in December - you must try this!

After we take photos (fotos) of more displays, my husband asks Tamy about something he read in a blog about "the largest flea market in Ecuador located in Portoviejo", and does she know where it is.

Puzzled look.  What is a flea market?

We explain.

No. There is no flea market.

We are told that Ecuadorians do not sell used clothes, household items or furniture.  They give these things away to people who need them.  Silence from the gringos.  I cannot speak for the others, but for my part, this is another lesson on how things should be.  I will not forget it.

The mood is suddenly lifted as Tamy asks us if we like coconut milk  Now I have the puzzled look.  I thought it was called agua de coco.  It is.  But this is not.

Now you have the puzzled look.

Ecuadorians are concerned too.

Agua de coco is the clear liquid inside the coconut.  As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, the top of the coconut (husk on) is cut off so you can use a straw to drink the agua.  Coconut milk is white because it is made from the pulverized coconut meat.

A street vendor is selling ice cold coconut milk.

Yes.  Of course we want some.

Apparently this woman makes the best coconut milk in the city.  It is important to only buy from vendors who make sure everything is clean.  We are told this many times.   Our Ecuadorian friend will not be with us all the time.  We have to learn these things.  It is not offensive to walk away if you think a restaurant or food cart is not clean.  But do not mistake worn for dirty.  I cannot stress this point enough.  If you do, you will probably miss out on a lot.

That will definitely be your loss.

As we drink coconut milk, we turn a corner and find ourselves in Portoviejo El Centro.  This can only be described as THE shopping district.  Located at "9 de Octubre e/ Chile y Ricaurte" is the store Super Exito.  I promise, there is an address in that sentence.  I will explain how addresses work in another segment of Tamera's Take.

Superheroes everywhere.  Emelec!

Super Exito seems to be the landmark of this outdoor shopping and food extravaganza.  Take a cab or a bus to get there.  To experience and take full advantage of El Centro, you will have to walk it.

Lalo's in Portoviejo El Centro

In front of Super Exito are two restaurants that look like outdoor lunch counters.

They are identical except that one sells sandwiches, hot dogs and hamburgers (Lalo's); the other sells more traditional Ecuadorian food.

Flea Market - No, but yes.

Remember that "flea market" we asked Tamy about?  I think El Centro is what that blogger was trying to describe.  Yes, we found it, but no - it is NOT a flea market.

This is not a shopping day though.  Jason and I have already made plans to go back to Portoviejo El Centro on our own for a day of shopping and eating.  After we go, we will tell you all about it.

Electric Mosquito Racquet

At this point we have spent hours taking photos of displays for Ano Viejo; we have had mangos, mamey and coconut milk.  We have to find a restroom!

SuperMaxi is just around the corner.

SuperMaxi break done.  We could not leave there without buying a rechargeable Electric Mosquito Racquet.  I love this thing.

A lot of fun for $5.83 and no mosquitos. 

As we give out a few more coins to the Widows of Ano Viejo, we come to the final part of our tour of Portoviejo.  The World of Monigotes and Fireworks!  It is not called that.  But it should be.

Some coins for this Widow of Ano Viejo!

Thousands of paper mache Monigotes.  Thousands of Fireworks.  A landing strip between them.  You do not want fireworks sold next to monigotes.  Especially since the fireworks are constantly being demonstrated for potential customers.

Just think about it for a minute.

Paper mache.  Fireworks.  Paper Mache.  Fireworks.

Got it?  Okay.

These are not wimpy wambly wombly fireworks.  These are badda big badda boom fireworks.  All legal - here. 

Although we have already bought two monigotes in Crucita - the Pilsener Futbol Toro & Peppa Pig, we see Sylvester Cat and buy him for $5.00 USD.

Tamy has taught us a lot about the bargaining ritual, and I have observed her enough times that I think I got the best deal on our Sylvester monigote.  It turns out that I did.  Practicing a few more phrases in Spanish before we got there did not hurt.

Special Fireworks for Sylvester!

As Jason mentioned in New Year's Eve Part 1, we have to wear yellow underwear (bragas amarillas) for good luck on New Year's Eve.

You cannot buy them yourself.  Someone has to buy them for you. Jason and I buy for each other.

I would be remiss if I did not remind you that the Ecuadorian people are generally smaller than us Gringos.  Keep that in mind when shopping for clothing.  Enough said.

Fotos, fotos and more fotos.  Monigote and yellow underwear in hand.

Shoppers in El Centro.

On to Fireworks.

There is a very specific type of firework used to blow up your monigote on New Year's Eve.  You will need several for each monigote, depending on its size.  They are craft paper colored triangles with a fuse on one corner - four for $1.00.  We bought eight of them, along with some regular size roman candles (25 cents each) and mega size roman candles ($2.00 each).

The man we bought the fireworks from gave us a bunch of jumping jacks for free.

We are now as ready as we can be for Año Nuevo.   (That is code for come back for Part 3.  You will not be disappointed.)

Feliz Año Nuevo

After our trip to World of Monigotes and Fireworks, we intended to take the bus back to Crucita.

Tamy insisted on driving us home.  I should have known she had a surprise for us.

Bam Bam Dulceria in Rocafuerte.

But that story, my cyber friends, is for another day. 

We hope you all had a Safe, Fun & Happy New Year.  We did!

Questions? E-mail us!

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Tamera's Take: Gilligan's Island, Cats and Holidays

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

One day in a public speaking class at NYU, the professor had students compose an impromptu one-minute speech on this topic:  If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you like to have?  Sherwood Schwartz was a student in that class, and the question so intrigued him that it remained lodged in the back of his mind for many years.

Who is Sherwood Schwartz?  Sherwood Schwartz was a famed television producer and Emmy Award winning screenwriter, best known for Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch.

Bamboo House

I grew up with both of those shows.  With the exception of the "Hawaii Bound" episode, The Brady Bunch has nothing to do with being in Ecuador - nothing that I can think of anyway.   On the other hand, Gilligan's Island seems pretty close to home.

Ecuador and Jacksonville are on the same Longitude

We are not stranded on a deserted island.  But at times it feels like we are on an island.

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, to the North, East and South of Crucita is a crescent of mountains.  The village of Crucita is directly on the Pacific coast, and the adjacent farms are located between the village and the mountains.

The entire area is very tropical, even the farm-land.  The coconut trees are endless.

Ecuadorians drink Agua de Coco (in the U.S. we call it coconut milk) directly from coconuts with a straw, then scoop out the coconut with a spoon. Restaurants simply cut off the top of a coconut with the husk on, then in goes the straw.  Cold agua de coco is sold by the bag.

Watch out for falling coconuts!

When I was a kid I remember bugging my mom over and over until she finally relented and bought me a coconut from the grocery store.

For those of you who were in Jacksonville during the 1970's, you may remember a store called Pantry Pride.

It had already been shelled from the husk.  I had no idea how to open it.  This was not going to deter me.  I took a hammer and screwdriver from my dad's work bench, and began the task of beating this poor coconut.

My goal was to puncture a hole so I could get the coconut milk first.

This did not go well, for me or the coconut.



Many varieties of Bamboo (Caña de Bambu) are grown here in abundance and used by almost every family, in one way or another.  Caña is used to make furniture, fishing rods, fences, and even houses. There are many uses for coconuts in addition to a source of food and beverage.  Coconut husk is a fiber that can be used to make rope, rugs and fabric.  Coconut shells are a source of charcoal and can be burned as fuel.  They can also be used to send messages.

JFK used this as a paperweight on his desk in the Oval Office. 

In a dugout canoe, Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana of the Solomon Islands, located the U.S. crew of PT-109 on August 5, 1943.  The crew had been stranded for three days on an inhabited island of the South Pacific after being hit by an enemy destroyer, and presumed dead.  In command of that crew was Lt. John F. Kennedy.

Kumana and Gasa worked with the Coastwatchers, a network of agents based across the Pacific islands during WWII, tasked with keeping an eye on the enemy and reporting back to Allied forces.
Kennedy knew he somehow needed to get a message back to base if a rescue was to be organised, so he wrote a message on a coconut and gave it to Kumana and Gasa to return to a Coastwatchers station 35 miles (55 km) away.

Paper Stars

Tonight is Christmas Eve.

This is our first Christmas in Ecuador.  This means we will not be able to spend the holidays with our family and friends back in the states.  I know this is not easy for them. It is not easy for us.

We did our Christmas shopping online for the family, made phone calls through Skype Phone, and plan to video call our family tonight through Skype on our laptop.

Most of our neighbors have decorated artificial Christmas trees.  Next to their trees, they set up very beautiful Nativity scenes.  We do not have a Christmas tree or a Nativity scene.  After two trips to the Hipermarket last week, we still could not find any Christmas lights.  I was resolved to have some type of decorations, knowing that I would plan better for next year.


We have paper stars all over the second floor of our house.  It looks more like Cinco de Mayo than Christmas, but decorations are decorations.

Two days ago, after I made all those paper stars, we found lights (luces) in the little tienda around the corner from our house. They had decorations too. But those colorful paper stars have started to grow on me.

At least now we know where to buy lights and decorations.

Fiesta de Navidad!

As I am writing this I can hear a lot of festive music, including music I recognize from the states. The children have a holiday from school - today and tomorrow.  There are little parties being held all throughout the neighborhood.

Christmas Eve is when Ecuadorians celebrate Christmas.  The families gather all day for festivities, then open their presents at midnight.

I am not sure what will happen on Christmas Day.  I will find out tomorrow.



Jason and I were lucky enough to be part of a Christmas party on December 21.  Our friend Tamy and her husband Jared have a Fiesta de Navidad at their home for the children of the farmers in her parish - just outside the town of Portoviejo.  Tamy raises money and organizes this event every year by herself, and on the day of the fiesta (party) family and friends volunteer to help.  There was a lot of work involved.

Feliz Navidad!

Many of these children will not receive any presents on Christmas, except for the ones they received at this party.

There were over 250 children attending the party, along with a very entertaining clown who also acted as the MC (master of ceremonies),  Santa Claus, and the very famous well-loved Peppa Pig & his brother George!

Volunteering at this party was probably the best Christmas present we could have received.

Well, it is time for me to bake some cookies.

To all of our friends, family, and to everyone else who reads our blog,

Merry Christmas & Feliz Navidad!


Good Kittie!

Kodak gets his Christmas bath!  

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