Ecuador’s Independence-Day Weekend – a Short Outing to the Park

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Aug 10 Ecuador Independence, Birds at Parque Las Vegas Portoviejo Ecuador

Portoviejo Ecuador – August 8/2020   Strong afternoon light provided an easy excuse for a stroll to Parque las Vegas after five this afternoon. Several blocks before the park, a dozen street cats posed for a portrait session. A dear older lady feeds those cats – and five times as many pigeons each afternoon. Her kindness warms my heart.

The earthquake-damaged city of Portoviejo slowly rebuilds.

 

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With many more restaurants now open for business, the well-fed iguanas need no more special attention at the petite park across from the museum. Still closed to the public, this small park offers established plantings, a gazebo and small fountains, and an alamanda-draped pergola.

From June 2020

 

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The Plumeria and Royal Poinciana trees’ flowers caught my attention, though my goal was the larger park – surely busy on this Independence weekend.  (August 10 is the official date.)     Keeping my camera tucked inside my bag, I observed various small groups enjoying an outing in the park.

March 21,2020 – empty exercise lanes in park

A lone man sold inexpensive kites at the intersection beside the park, and several people flew their kites from the amphitheater’s highest point. A gaggle (!)of young boys pedaled their bicycles along the exercise lanes at full throttle; each one wore the socially-responsible face coverings. I considered pulling out my camera but decided to take my own visual snapshots to imprint that scene to long-term memory.

Today the water hyacinths claimed someone’s ball!

Two more youngsters kicked a soccer ball across a vast expanse of concrete.  Already built like a long-distance runner, one agile child sported official soccer attire, knee-high ‘stretchy’ athletic socks and serious black running shoes. About six or seven years old, he illustrated a seriousness about his sport. I wondered if he would one day become a world-famous soccer player!

 

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The late-afternoon sun provided dramatic light for admiring and photographing the various species. The Neotropic Cormorant, Striated Heron and Purple Gallinules competed with the lone turtle for my attention.

Content after half an hour of communing with the aquatic residents, I began my return trip.

A ground-level picnic caught my attention, and I glanced in that direction. Four women. Fresh flowers. A white china tea pot. A straw mat. Already passing them, I paused and asked permission to photograph them.  They invited me closer.

 

I asked if they were celebrating Independence Day? (No…) or a birthday? (No… We live nearby and are just out… We do this often…)  We talked briefly about the earthquake – still imprinted on the people of Manabi.   I commented on the flowers and the beauty of their setting.   One lady pointed to another and said, ‘My sister gets credit.’

They all get credit, as each person contributed her own serenity and natural beauty to their outing.

“You are all artists!” I said to them and motioned to the flowers, the mat, the easy and natural style of their entire setting. “You have provided a gift to my heart and to my soul,” I thanked them again and left them in peace.

Not planning to be out tonight for internet, the finale with those four beautiful women prompted me to go home, write this, process the photos and share them with all of you.

Hopefully their little tea party has warmed your hearts as much as it did mine!  I’ll end with a fun closing – the selfie while walking down the hall… It too made me chuckle!

Still doing well, gracias a-Dios!

Happy Independence Day to everyone in Ecuador!

Lisa

 

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The Invisible Fence

‘The memory is a living thing – it too is in transit. But during the moment, all that is remembered joins and lives – the old and the young, the past and the present, the living and the dead.’ – Eudora Welty – One Writer’s Beginnings

(This was written a few weeks ago ‘between painting sessions.’  Short internet checks have kept my communication skills hobbled, but it seems timely today to ignore the emails, the news updates (I am anxious to check – but will wait to post this.) I often realized my good fortune to have had so much practice with self-imposed isolation. This present marathon of isolation has barely affected my moods – as long as there are paints and brushes and pencils and books to occupy my time, I am happy. (I do miss my connection with nature.)

Even when recovering from the dengue-chikungunya co-infection in 2015, I realized that earlier ‘lessons’ had prepped me for enduring unexpected challenges. My first introduction to dengue happened in Costa Rica, about the time of the story that follows;  I realize now – that the USA is also suffering from a co-infection…  Having one virus is enough – add another serious challenge,  and the host faces a serious fight back to wellness.   The Covid 19 Pandemic presented enough challenges of its own, yet the ‘newest’ one has been simmering and smoldering.  I am not surprised that it ignited into a second heart-wrenching crisis. The scenes from yesterday’s cyber check made me cry, and with a sense of dread I will watch from afar as the racial tensions play out one day (and night) at a time.

This is titled, “The Invisible Fence” but has been incubating in my heart under the working title, ‘Whatever Happened to Dianne Wright?’   It’s another long epistle, so you’re warned. 

SHHHH! Bird Specialists in Training!

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Birding |Manabi Province, Ecuador Christmas Bird Count Manabi, poza honda ecuador

SHHHH! Bird Specialists in Training! (Part One)

(Poza Honda Reservoir – Manabi Province, Ecuador)    Just past ten in the morning, our birding party of three peered beyond the rustic bamboo corral in hopes of identifying the raucous oropendolas that had been playing hide and seek with us for the past two hours.  Luis Saltos – bird guide from Chone and Mindo – and I were guests of “Don Jorge” Arnet, owner of a lovingly-tended tract of land at Poza Honda.  (Jorge also owns the house that I rented for the past two years before I moved to Portoviejo.)  The three of us were conducting an all-day census of bird species in the area with hopes of the area being approved for Audubon’s 2020 Christmas Count.  We had been birding since 6 A.M. in intermittent drizzle.

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A few hours earlier that morning, two birds buzzed us, and we exclaimed, “What was THAT?” as I snapped two out-of-focus images of the rapidly-vanishing birds. “Oropendola?” I looked at Luis for confirmation. “That whooshing sound?”

Left: “Jorge” Arnet, owner of Casa Poza Honda and coffee/cacao farm; Right: Luis Saltos, bird guide from Mindo and Chone.

We consulted several books and hoped to see those birds again.   The (McMullan/Navarrete) Fieldbook for the Birds of Ecuador places all species of oropendolas in other areas of the country. This particular elusive group of birds must have taken a holiday vacation to Poza Honda, and we were trying to decide, “Russet-backed or Chestnut-headed.”  Two years ago my friend Xiomara and I saw and photographed one Chestnut headed Oropendola, so my bets were on that species. Photos are oh so important in documenting out-of-range species, even if the photo is a bad one.

I waited at the next curve and watched Oropendolas fly towards my friends. “Did you see them?” I exclaimed later, “Yes!” they replied, “Lots!”

There were fleeting glimpses of ‘a lot’ half an hour later – then another viewing half an hour later near the bamboo corral. The Oropendolas were out of sight, but my drizzle-baptized camera managed to document one Rufous-headed Chachalaca in the distance, one Tropical Gnatcatcher way up high, and a Long-billed Hermit inspecting flowers along the living fence.

‘Don’t forget about me,’ says the Golden-olive Woodpecker!

States the mule: “A year ago there was one lone human staring at the birds. Now there are four!”

The last thing I expected to see was another human on the seldom-traveled road and staring at the three of us. A tall, lean and well-scrubbed young man, he wore an expression of curiosity as if observing Santa Clause placing last-minute gifts beneath a tree – or gnomes and fairies in another realm.

And I Cried

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Ecuadorian poetry, Ivo Uquillas, portoviejo ecuador

boceto – Poesia/Ivo Uquillas – ©2017

Portoviejo/Manabi Province/Ecuador

My friend Alexandra Cevallos Castro recently sent an email, “Lisa… Ivo will be reading his poetry and I’d like to invite you to attend…” – – – and I certainly attended!

Alexandra Cevallos Castro

Alexandra and Ivo Uquillos have known each other/have been friends forever;  we met in 2012 when they graciously supported the opening/inauguration of The Mola Series. Ivo and Alexandra also presided over the opening of “Lisa Brunetti – A Journey” which opened last November in the same Museo Portoviejo.

Between those two events, all three of us have dealt with personal challenges, including the 7.8 earthquake’s collective imprint on our psyches. (April 2016)   I experienced the earthquake from a barely-safe distance in Mindo’s cloudforest, while Alexandra and Ivo witnessed their beloved city of Portoviejo fragmented into crumbles. The people – numbed and trapped in raw emotions of angst, fear, worry and sorrow – often struggle to reclaim a sense of peace, and the trauma is often branded deep into their souls.

Just this past week while I was walking to the market, two ladies stopped me and asked, ‘Where are you from?” and then asked, “Where were you when the earthquake hit?”

When they learned that I was from Jama, their faces sobered. I quickly changed the topic to a slightly-lighter one, that of the dengue/chikungunya epidemic, as many people in this province now identify with chikungunya’s lingering side effects. We swapped stories of cramped hands and crippling gaits, which are often amusing to replicate when one is no longer suffering.   Epidemics and natural disasters often unite people – even years later.

Another friend recently shared greater depth into his own personal hell of the night of the earthquake.  Numbness provides a buffer, and it might take years to process trapped emotions and view them with neutral vision. Sometimes there are no words, no artful ways to deal with emotional trauma, and with time or with a patient listener, we open those windows that we slammed so tightly shut, and we release the pain. Slowly the inner burdens, observations – and sometimes guilt – are acknowledged and eventually released.

Near Rio Jama/Ecuador – The locals and the birds in the canals and ponds kept me entertained!

Almost each week in the six or so years before the earthquake, I walked from Casa Loca (at the last bend of Rio Jama) into town along the same predictable route. I often paused to say Hello to friends at the edge of Jama, and the second stop was to greet friends Chana and Arturo at their small tienda near the center of town. If I bypassed their corner, Arturo might spot me when he rode his bicycle through town. No scolding was needed – Ecuadorians have a talent for speaking without words! My final stop before leaving town would almost always be my friends’ tienda, and I often pulled up a stool and sat for ten minutes or half an hour – depending on the demands of that day. I departed either on foot or via mototaxi, also depending on how many purchases I carried home.

When friends wrote to say that my own beloved town of Jama had been devastated by the earthquake, I made several ‘remote’ imaginary walks through that town. When I ventured near the corner of the tienda, I sensed a great loss. “Chana? — Arturo?” Flitting between the two options, I felt a stronger loss regarding Chana. Each time I did that exercise, I sensed that someone had died there, most likely Chana. Moving on to the center of town, I also paused when I pondered ‘Rosa’ the matriarch who presided over the area facing the park. Several other areas prompted me to pause and ponder, but concerns about Chana and Rosa were the strongest.

I was not surprised when friends wrote to say they were sorry to pass along news of both women’s deaths. My premonitions prepped me and helped to soften the news. Months later I spent several hours at the cemetery and paused at many new graves, including my friends.’ After I left Rosa’s site – lovingly planted with new roses, two Burrowing Owls escorted me out of the cemetery. Coincidence? Naming them Chana and Rosa, I smiled at the thought of my friends watching over those who loved them.

Chanita and Rosita, the guardians of the cemetery.

During October’s (2019) recent protests, I walked the almost-empty streets of Portoviejo. It seemed quite eerie that most businesses were closed, that people were home and unsure about venturing out, that the corner tiendas offered not even a banana for sale – while the absence of traffic sounds and absence of people imprinted on the gringita’s psyche. It was like walking through a ghost city, yet the policemen held silent vigils at strategic points.

Perhaps that is why I cried when Ivo’s words captured my own emotions, of another who walks the streets and ponders the silent trauma of the masses. His poem captures universal grief and concern, especially following a disaster.

Ivo Uquillas

With Ivo’s permission, I share one of the poems from page 15 of his book ‘boceto’ – translated by Alexandra Cevallos Castro. He wrote this after the earthquake, when – unable to sleep – he walked the streets of Portoviejo each night. (Ivo’s original Spanish version follows the English one.)

EMPTY SPACE
Empty space, no one in the streets,
Face of abandoned cemetery.
City covered by loneliness
No one goes in, no one goes out,
No one goes up, no one goes down.
No one sits outdoors
To see no one pass by,
No one gives out hugs,
No one lives
No one is in the spaces,
No one thinks, no one talks,
No one buys, no one sells
No one gives credit, no one steals,
No one is silent, no one sings,
No one shouts, no one walks,
No one chases, no one runs away,
No one dies,
No one passes by, no one goes away,
No one plays anything
No one cries,
No one moves anything,
No one opens doors, no one laughs,
No one writes love letters,
No one leaves traces in the void.
No one is there,
No one says goodbye,
No one.

ESPACIO VACIO
Espacio vacio, calles sin nadie,
rostro de cementerio abandonado
ciudad cubierta de soledades
nadie entra, nadie sale,
nadie sube, nadie baja,
nadie se sienta afuera,
a ver pasr a nadie,
nadie reparte abrazos,
nadie habita en los espacios,
nadie piensa, nadie habla,
nadie compra, nadie vende,
nadie fia, nadie roba,
nadie hace silencia, nadie canta,
nadie grita, nadie camina,
nadie persigue, nadie huye,
nadie muere,
nadie va, nadie se va,
nadie juega a nada,
nadie llora,
nadie mueve nada,
nadie abre puertas, nadie rie,
nadie escribe cartas de amor,
nadie deja huellas en el vacio,

Nadie esta ahi,
nadie dice adios,
nadie.
………

…and yes, I cried.

Nomadas en Manabi – Opens Tonight at Museo Portoviejo!

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Nomadas en Manabi, portoviejo ecuador

Portoviejo/Manabi Province/Ecuador – Thanks to the magic of scheduling a post to be published at a specified date and time, this should reach you when the inauguration  of Nomadas en Ecuador begins.    What follows is my ‘Artist’s Statement’ written specifically for this event.  Enjoy!

¡ Good Morning, Buenos Dias!

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daily post smile, happy, smile

An artfully-served cup of Ecuadorian Coffee!

“Good Morning,” I’d say, as I plunked down mugs of hot coffee in front of my regulars as soon as they came in the door. I knew the exceptions that wanted decaf or tea, instead. I knew who might order a little breakfast, after a couple cups of coffee. I knew who needed to get to work quickly, and who would sit for an hour or more. They were friends, sort of, though we only met over morning coffee, and mine was a position of servitude. They felt like family, all of us still groggy from sleep, making conversation in the early morning hours. – (Cindy Ricksgers)

Cindy Ricksgers’ ‘Good Morning’ post reminds us how two simple words have the power to brighten another’s day. The rest of Cindy’s ‘Good Morning’ post is HERE.

“Some days I wake up grumpy; other mornings I let him sleep.”  (From a cocktail napkin)

When I lived in Costa Rica, the howler monkeys often slept in the canopy over the roof of my studio/casita.   Some mornings they awakened quietly, and other mornings they began with pre-dawn guttural sounds that slowly increased into grumpy roars.  On those ‘grumpy’ mornings I would go outside, gape up at them and smile as I replied in my heart-felt “Good Morning!  BuenOs dias – Umph-umph-umph-umph!”   

My attempts to mock their passive ‘we’re happy and content’ sounds seemed to pacify them.  After five or so minutes of quiet time in their presence, I began my day and they began theirs! Like any living being, they just wanted to be acknowledged!

“…Smiling is infectious, You catch it like the flu. When someone smiled at me today I started smiling too. I passed around the corner And someone saw my grin. When he smiled I realised I’d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile Then I realised its worth…  ”   Enjoy Pommepal’s artful pairing of images to that poem!   – Living in Paradise

My friend Francisca smiles when I walk into her tienda and state, “Good Morning -BuenOs dias!” and she repeats, “Gud morning!”   It’s a ritual that gives us all a refreshing chuckle, especially when she is the one that laughs the most. Ah! The power of a smile!

She’s an archaeologist; he specializes in roasting cafe over a fire. The secret ingredient in their coffee is happiness!

Friends Stephen and Xiomara sample that lovingly-roasted coffee!

An impromptu moment in Cayambe Ecuador…

It’s always great to see a familiar face in a crowd of strangers, especially when he gives such a genuine smile!

Birthday Traditions

(Can you imagine how different our world would be if all scowls were replaced by lighthearted smiles? Would it feel strange if we embraced each day with a heart as happy as his?)

Participants in this week’s WordPress theme helped wrap smiles around the world.

…..

My friends remain in a holding pattern while taking shifts at the hospital.  Even though the patient’s condition is still listed as critical, the doctors say that he is very strong and has an amazing will to live.  The family is finding moments to smile, and at times they laugh.  They send heart-felt thanks to many of you who are sending strong energy and prayers in their direction.  Thanks, also, for your comments, which I’ve passed along while stating the many countries you represent.

A Token Orange for Halloween

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day of the dead ecuador, halloween ideas, sour mandarin oranges

A few days ago after a leisurely ‘Birding Walk,’ I noticed several citrus trees that were loaded with small mandarin oranges.   I asked my neighbors why no one was picking them.

Melissa

“They’re too sour,” Melissa said with a dramatic twist of her face; “Nobody likes them.”

“Seriously?”  I marveled, “May I go pick some?  I also would like to get a higher view of the trees where I saw a mystery bird.

‘Whoo’s Watching?”

There’s that sneaky little owl!

The mystery bird was absent, but the Peruvian Pygmy Owl watched from overhead.

The cafe, cacao and citrus area offers a great view of the houses below.   Moringa grows up here, as well as down near the house!

Moringa

There were several ‘mandarina’ trees with the tiny little oranges.  I sampled one, which was almost like eating an extra sour Lifesaver’s mandarin candy!

Nearby another tree was in full flower.

My imagination went a bit crazy as I pondered turning the mandarinas into little Jack-O-Lanterns!

Are Artists & Poets Crazy?!!

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are artists crazy, whimsical artists

“Going back in time at least as far as Plato there have been those who insisted that poets, and artists generally, are mad as hatters. Plato thought they were “inspired” and the Platonic dialogues are full of exchanges between Socrates and assorted poets and artists who are unable to explain to Socrates what exactly it is they do and what it is they claim to know. “ – Hugh Curtler

Well, you see, or maybe you don’t, because I cannot really articulate exactly what it is that I do or do not do – it’s more like asking why a cat suddenly tweaks its attention to an unseen entity two feet to its right – as it leaps skyward and moves laterally three feet to its left – it’s a spacial shift of inspiration that strikes when least expected,

Ambling Along —

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azul plata cumbia, brown wood rail, costa rica, Ecuador, living with nature, Panama, Slow Internet

A frustrated Long-tailed Mockingbird – near Portoviejo, Ecuador

A very contented Toucan in Panama…

A deer in my friends’ yard in Costa Rica…

A very-rare Brown Wood Rail in the yard at the Poza Honda Ecuador house!

From Dictionary.com : Amble “verb (used without object), ambled, ambling.
1.    to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter:
He ambled around the town.

2.   (of a horse) to go at a slow pace with the legs moving in lateral pairs and usually having a four-beat rhythm.
noun
3.an ambling gait.
4.a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
5.a stroll.

Ambling along a shady road with Marie in Costa Rica….

“We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air.” — Seneca

Don’t forget to look up when walking! – Costa Rica

Variegated Squirrel in the park near the Municipality Office – Nandayure Costa Rica

In the past three weeks I’ve been from Ecuador to Costa Rica and back via a stopover in Panama to visit my friend Barb.   These were quick-but-very rewarding  visits that combined ‘business’ with pleasure.  Comparing the three countries, I definitely give Costa Rica and Panama the top scores for quality of internet!

Panama wins on shopping opportunities as well as the dramatic skyline contest… 

Leisbert Moreno – Ecuador’s 1st Professional Organista

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Leisbert Moreno, Organista Leisbert Moreno, portoviejo ecuador, Portoviejo Ecuador Catedral Concert

“There is nothing to playing the organ. You only have to hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” – Johann Sebastian Bach

POR LA ESPERANZA – ‘de un Pueblo que se levanta’
Catedral/Portoviejo Ecuador

18/08/2017 8:10 pm
Organista: Leisbert Moreno

Portoviejo – Manabi Province, Ecuador –   Letty Quadrado, a dear friend from Jama and Portoviejo exclaimed, “Lisa!  I live here, but you know more about where I live than I do! How did you know about this concert?”

With a smirk I replied, “A little inside information; the owner of the house I am renting is the person who has been repairing the organ for this concert!

I learned more over the past two days and stopped by the cathedral to meet the young maestro in person.  He is not only dedicated to his music, but he has charisma as well!

Organista Leisbert Moreno

So what inspired a young man from Portoviejo Ecuador to devote his life to the discipline and training to become an organista?  The catalyst happened when he was a teenager; Leisbert’s father Pasqual Moreno played the organ in Portoviejo.  When his father was sick and unable to play, Leisbert was the substitute!

With no prior experience for performing in the cathedral, Leisbert pulled the two doors inward for privacy and focused on his task!

The experience propelled him into new directions! Leisbert has been studying for three years in Roma/Rome and has also studied in Germany. He is the only professional ‘organista’ from Ecuador, and will be playing at 8:10 pm on Friday night/tonight in his home city of Portoviejo!

Friday night’s program – with Spanish titles – includes:
Leon Boellmann  – “Suite Gothique”
Paul Barras  – “Meditation Et. Cortege”
Johann Ludwig Krebs  – “Tocata y fuga en la Menor”
Eugene Gigout  – “Tocata en si Menor”