The Kichwa Community

 

 

Approaching the Kichwa community from the river

 Thess are part of the women's group recently formed - they greet visitors, cook a traditional lunch,

make and sell jewelry

The people don't live at this location but the school and community rooms and an agriculture project are here and community meetings are held here.

They have no electricity.  This is their "stove" in their kitchen.  Our lunch is being cooked

While our group was listening to how the cooking was done, I was "playing with the children.

I took several pix of this little guy and he would come and look

He was a little shy until his friend called him to see this picture

(For Pat :)  They are grubs.  This was offered to us.  No takers but or guide showed us how to eat it.  They live on wood so they are crunchy chewy.  I read some interesting things on the nutritional value of bugs.  We have been taught the euww! factor but had we been raised on them I'm sure we would enjoy them as much as the Kichwa.

This is the common room off which the kitchen is.  The table is covered with jewelry for sale that also helps the community.

Lunch was served the traditional way.  A banana leaf serves as table.  we each have a serving of fish cooked in the banana leaf with other unknown ingredients that tasted good!

The 5 lighter things in the left are baked plantains - yummy!

The top skewer on the right is a kind of bean.   The skewer below it is baked grubs.  Apparently when they first started serving visitors they were offended that some of their food was not eaten but now they understand better.  Our guide was very happy to eat most of mine.   I have had little appetite in the heat.  BUT we have been served some of the most delicious juices I have ever tasted  All fresh.  Guava, Passion fruit,  coconut , some totally unfamiliar.

One more little fellow

 

Kichwa weddings are interesting.  The man and woman live together and after a couple of years they decide if they will marry.   The wedding is a 24 hour affair.  People walk up to 3 hours to come.  There is one ritual where the bride  goes off  with all the women and slowly disrobes and then the women shout to her all the warnings they can think of.  There is dancing and drinking all night. and then the visitors walk home