Gloria

Gloria did a few somersaults down a steep hill and picked some dandelions to blow my way before beginning her daily chore of milking the family cow. After she milks the cow, Gloria carries a large jug back up the hill and down the road to a small cheese-making facility in the village.

Chimborazo

Located in the Andean Range, Chimborazo is Ecuador’s highest peak (20,565 feet). This inactive volcano towers above indigenous communities near the city of Riobamba. Due to the earth’s bulge at the equator, Chimborazo’s summit is the furthest point from the center of the earth.

Clouds usually obscure the behemoth volcano, but on this day we were able to pull over on the Pan-American Highway to take in the view from the south.The drive to Riobamba from the village of San Bernardo usually takes about one and a half hours. San Bernardo is located in a small valley, roughly 10,500 feet above sea level.

Good Friday

Villagers gather for baptisms on Good Friday in the community of Sasapud. The neighboring village of Sasapud is a short walk up the road from San Bernardo. Many people in San Bernardo have relatives in Sasapud. Although the majority of Ecuador is Roman Catholic, Protestantism has spread rapidly over the past several decades in remote indigenous communities like San Bernardo. Here, all of the communities in the valley are Evangelical and Pentecostal.

Nativity Moss

Every Christmas children scramble up a very steep trail to pick moss from a specific area of rocks that cling to the hillside. Gloria held a sample of moss and explained that it is used in the nativity scene at the church. There is stiff competition to collect the most moss. Some of the bigger kids even take moss from the younger children!

Storm on the Paja

Exhausted from the steep climb, I crouch in the paja (tall dry grass) and watch as a storm approaches high above San Bernardo (at approximately 12,500 feet). On a clear day you can see Ecuador’s famous volcanoes: El Altar, Chimborazo, and Tungurahua from this point.

Burro

There are no fences in the mountainous rangeland above the villages. Sheep, cows, bulls and burros are tethered to small areas. Their keepers, in the villages below, must hike up two times a day, lead the animals to water and return them to new spots for fresh grazing.

Segundo Jose

I was immediately captured by Segundo Jose's brilliant smile and warm personality. I first met him on the Llin Llin (pron. "jean jean") bus that runs up the valley to San Bernardo. When we arrived in town, he quickly pulled himself, hands first, down the steep steps and across the dusty cobbled road. I had not realized that, disabled from birth, Segundo Jose is unable to walk. Later, I spent some time with him and his neighbor on one of my walks around town. He works a loom (making ponchos) and, on Thursdays, shines shoes in Guamote market.

Gato

Hula Babe

This young girl’s extended family owns several small adjoining plots of land on the upper road in San Bernardo. The minute I arrived, I was promptly given a full tour of their sheep, chicken, and rabbit pens, cuy (guinea pig) shed, and a view of the future site of a new house (see pile of bricks in background). “Hula Babe” (see shirt) walked along side me eating grapes as we toured.

Belly Laugh

Manuel

Manuel is in charge of purchasing food and keeping inventory for the kitchen at El Proyecto Inti Ñan. El Proyecto Inti Ñan is supported by the German charitable organization Kindernothilfe. Kindernothilfe is one of the largest aid organizations in Europe. Each day, after regular school, children in the village come to El Proyecto Inti Ñan for lunch and supplemental education and activities. Many of the children in the village would suffer from malnutrition without lunchtime support from El Proyecto Inti Ñan. Manuel was proud to show me the way he organizes the meat and produce for the lunch program. El Proyecto Inti Ñan has a refrigerator for storing meat, one of very few in the village. Manuel purchases meat and produce from some farmers in town and in lager regional markets. Most of the residents in San Bernardo are subsistence farmers and do not produce much, if any surplus.

Homespun

A very friendly grandmother stepped outside her front door to show me her wool hand-spinning talents. With little effort she spun yarn while laughing with her children and grandchildren about this gringa’s curiosity!

Laundry Chores

Kids pitch in and help with the laundry. Conditions become quite muddy during the rainy season. Shoes are washed frequently to keep them in good shape.

Magdelena

Magdelena works extremely hard for her family and community. She is a mother of four (including Gloria), a farmer and the only employed cook at El Proyecto Inti Ñan. Parent volunteers (similar to a PTA) assist Magdelena in the preparation of meals.

Popsicle

Little Charmer

Salsa de Mani

Salsa de Mani is a traditional peanut sauce served with cuy (guinea pig) and papas (potatoes). The sauce is made from finely crushed roasted peanuts. A young boy helps by literally blowing the skins off of the roasted peanuts. I enjoyed watching the process and the resulting meal was very tasty! While it is difficult for many North Americans to reconcile eating guinea pig with the idea of the furry animal as a pet, I quickly learned how important cuy are as a traditional food source in Andean culture. Most families in San Bernardo raise cuy. This meal is prepared and served on special occasions, birthdays, weddings, celebrations, and, in this case, a going away party for my brother John. John’s work as a Peace Corps Volunteer was coming to an end and the staff at El Proyecto Inti Ñan honored his service to the community with this special meal.

Waiting

Little Pig

Family

John with Bike

John is the youngest of five siblings (the only boy). When I told him I would make a family portrait, he jumped up from the kitchen table, dunked his head in some water to slick it back and put on a nice shirt! After photographing the whole family, I caught John as he set out on his bike. John enjoys riding his bike up and down the road between his house and El Proyecto Inti Ñan. Quite fond of my brother, he would often yell up to my brother’s house from the road to say “hello”!

Through the Valley