Monday, 11 February 2019
Lasso, Ecuador
Having been up to 12-14,000ft in Bolivia and Peru with no breathing difficulties, felt like I was constantly taking my last gasp all through the night, even though only at 10,000ft.
Short rail journey from Riobamba to La Moya up in the Andes to see a local community project showing what life is like. Greeted off the train by three young girls, about 10 years old or so, doing a dance routine to local music. One of them takes my hand to dance but there’s something wrong about that so make my excuses. A group of lads in school uniform sit on the roof of an adjacent building watching the show and doing what young lads do when young girls dance. The girls wear a brightly coloured shawl over a green and black skirt with what appears to look like a pith helmet.
Walk through the village and the surrounding fields but at 10,500ft, even gentle exertion is a struggle. Shown how they use different plants and trees for medicine and everyday use. Stinging nettles were used as punishment you’d be thrashed with a bunch and the pain would last 24hrs. Nice. Two old woman are spinning sheep and alpaca wool on a hand spindle. They keep talking and spinning a yarn.
An old bloke plays his ‘horn’ as we approach the local museum (and gift shop obviously) but upon closer inspection it’s a coiled up rubber hose with colourful mouth piece and end piece. More woman appear with a sheep and tie it up which makes me wonder if they’re going to slaughter it. Thankfully not. It’s a sheep shearing demonstration. But with bog standard kitchen scissors.
Back on the train climbing to 3,200m and the highest railway station in Ecuador, Urbina, at the foot of Chimborazo mountain.
Here to meet a very famous local.
Baltazar Uschca.
The last ice merchant.
Now 74 years old, he’s been climbing 4hrs up the mountain each week for the past 60 years, to mine the ice. He’s the last one left still doing it and he’s even had a short film made about him.
Back in the days before refrigeration, he and others used to mine the ice, bring it down to the railway and then take the ice to the towns and cities to sell. Obviously, now, there’s no need but he continues doing it each week as that’s all he knows. He’s only about 5ft tall and he holds a block of ice for minutes on end, whereas we only last a matter of seconds. Legend has it that the mountain gives birth to albinos. His father was an albino and so he considers himself a grandson of the mountain, which is why he will never leave.
His brother makes a flavoured sorbet out of the ice, which is quite creamy even though there’s no milk/cream in it. As part of the film, the documentary makers flew him to New York for a week to experience that. He didn’t like the processed food he said. Having lived on nothing but fresh meat and produce since he was born.
Slow descent to Ambato, whilst enjoying goat stew for lunch, where we pick up some devils!
Local traditional dancers dressed as devils. Strut their stuff up and down the dining car wearing ornately decorated masks.
Arrive at Hacienda La Cinega (http://www.haciendalacienega.com/en/) near Lasso. Think French chateau. Like that. Walls are 2m thick and made of volcanic stone. Room has a log fire which isn’t yet roaring.
It needs to be because it’s freezing.
