Layne used to teach English as a Second Language in Marathon about half an hours drive north from our home on Cudjoe Key and wouldn’t you know it; she had more than one student from Ecuador.
Emilio Corina and their daughter Emily live in the Keys but were in Quito visiting their family on summer vacation. That they took a day to entertain us was brilliant.
Emilio grew up in north Quito and emigrated the States as a youngster where he owns a construction company. But he has a very soft spot for his childhood home and he comes to visit his brother when he can. He took us by Carolina Park in his car and we went for a walk in what is Quito’s Central Park.
And it’s surrounded by some pretty sharp architecture, a wealthier part of the city where architects apparently let their fantasies loose.
This one below put me in mind of Las Vegas:
Then lunch and had we known it Rusty need not have stayed back in the van in the campground.
It turns out the owner of this seafood joint has built a 60 restaurant empire with outlets across Ecuador and a new one in Miami. And oddly enough Emilio’s brother, a restaurateur himself, grew up close friends with the entrepreneur.
We were served a bowl of popcorn, plantain chips and toasted kernels (“tostados” in Ecuador) while Dmilio told us the story of his this chain started. The owner was looking for work when he saw a bunch of taxis parked waiting. He offered one of them a bowl of ceviche for lunch and the driver liked it so much he spread the word and from his home he started feeding his neighborhood.
In Ecuador ceviche, which is essentially raw seafood smothered in citrus marinade is called “cebiche” and is extremely popular such that this chain is very well known. Except to us of course but now we know. And they had a menu in English I photographed to make it easier to understand.
You may have seen or eaten Mexican style ceviche but in Ecuador ceviche is more like a soup. We tried the “black shell” version which is limpets much to my surprise. The other surprise was when the waiter brought us each a bowl of popcorn and chips which you put into your cebiche. We tried to do as the locals do.
The limpet cebiche tasted of seafood and citrus as you’d expect but it was a bit stringy and awkward to eat. Nothing daunted I finished my share.
We shared fried rice and grilled limpets and some of the best fried yuca I’ve had, crisp outside and light and fluffy inside. Never had it so good I fear, in Key West.
Grilled limpets in cilantro sauce were delicious and smoky. I’d never have thought I’d enjoy those black shells you see on rocks on beaches all over the world. I was surprised.
After lunch we walked it off and Layne bought a souvenir of the day in the form of a tiny cactus that we shall try not to kill on our journey south. I doubt customs in Chile, notorious for their brutal efficiency, will allow it in. To get into Chile Rusty needs very specific papers to please Chilean agriculture officials, never mind a plant in actual dirt.
We had coffee and chocolate cake at their home as though we weren’t full enough and then we went home to Rusty. A great day.
Last November we met Canadians Hugh and Sue at a beach campground in Nicaragua.
Then in January we met up at a campground just inside the border in Panama. Later we met in Colombia and now…
…they just got back to Quito after ten fabulous days in the Galápagos Islands on a small ship cruise. We plan to make a special trip after Rusty goes to his reward but for now, no, so we got to enjoy it secondhand.
Their Land Rover is in the shop waiting for clutch parts from England which did arrive while they were gone but the package hasn’t yet cleared customs. It’s not like we travelers aren’t prepared to pay duty but the problem is the bozos who demand customs payments won’t accept the money and simply release the package. It’s a really annoying circus. So we had some cocktail to cheer ourselves up made with rice milk (horchata) and something strong and I wasn’t expecting alcohol. When Hugh asked for horchata I expected an alcohol free drink. I managed to get it down quite easily.
A little taster of hot sauce and small tortillas before…
…we got our dumpling appetizer…
…while Sue and Hugh shared a soup with lots of bits to drop in.
And here come the bright yellow potatoes in the soup! It was a pleasant leisurely afternoon chat while Rusty slept in the van with the air conditioning to keep him comfortable in the sun.
We had a lamb stew main with mashed potatoes that I enjoyed more than Layne did and then I got voted down for dessert as I wanted to try a traditional Easter Thursday cake. Now I will never know.
The rain came down as we parted. I know we will meet again, perhaps in Ecuador and perhaps in Chile as they have plans to spend summer in British Colombia. That’s the joy of travel, parting and meeting and exchanging stories.
