Peace Corps Ecuador

The third week of June marks the summer solstice and the beginning of the seasonal harvest. And that means celebration.

Every year, indigenous communities in los cantones in the province of Imbabura take Inti Raymi to new levels.

On this day, they pause from agriculture and community work to represent their town in full force.

Cotacachi’s main square fills up with spectators from neighboring communities which include La Calera, Morales Chupa, Morochos, Saint Nicholas, Topo and others.

Each community, mostly men and boys, wear chaps made of llama wool or cowhide or traditional white pants and shirts with blue ponchos.

Others opt for army fatigues and large, black hats covered in religious and spiritual symbols and walk to the center to represent their town.

The low hum of voices be- comes stronger as the participants of the parade get closer. Spectators gather on the pavement until the stampede floods into the main park.

Sun-soaked bodies are tired from the hour of marching, but do not show it because it is their time to make their community stand out.

Voices are so strong that people can barely discern the words as two or three communities take to the square at one time.

Do you shop for food? If you do, where do you go to buy it?

MG: There is an early morning Sunday market a few towns over from Las Gilces that sells fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, cheese, and other items. In Portoviejo, an hour away, there are a couple of gro- cery stores for packaged items. Community mem- bers are also very generous and frequently give me fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens, as well as eggs, freshly-caught fish, shrimp, and crabs.

KF: We love looking up recipes we’ve never tried and shopping for those ingredients. The bulk of our shopping is done at Supermaxi because they can’t charge us the precio gringo. We’ll supplement some items at the tienda (mostly just Pilsener and eggs.)

NS: I shop for food at the local daily market or at the large community market that takes place on Sun-days, but if I need some- thing special I often have to travel to Loja (three hours away) if I want to get it.

What do people in your area do on Sunday?

MG: On Sunday, many people go to the market early in the morning and then come home to spend time with the family. They also finish up some house-hold chores or play sports. The youth of the commu- nity hang out with their friends and go to the beach or play sports.

MG: There are no piedras de lavar at my site. The majority of people wash by hand in round bins called tinas. A few people have their own washing ma- chines, but even so, they wash the clothes by hand first and then throw it into the washing machine to make sure the clothes are extra clean.

KF: On Sundays, crowds of people fill the malls to shop or watch a movie, play fútbol in one of the many parks, go to church, ride their bikes on the Ciclo Paseo, or do what we do: stay at home and watch pirated DVDs while making artesanía reciclada.

NS: Sundays are pretty lazy days. Stores open late and restaurants are only open for lunch. Most peo- ple don’t work and hang out with their families. The main event is the regional market that takes place in Yantzaza. On Sunday, I do laundry, take a run, and plan for the week.

How do you wash your clothes?