These kids look clean-cut, teeth brushed (who’s their dentist?) and coming from most likely middle class families in Ecuador, right? Yikes & no! This was an out-of-control set of low-income students riding the bus back home from school in the small town San Vincente to their homes in Canoa, Ecuador just 30 minutes away.
And I, thinking it was public transportation, got on the bus too… the only other adult besides the driver! For me, the dumb American tourist, it became public transportation for an afternoon and I watched a bit worriedly as the kids jumped around yelling at each other far too close to the bus door that wouldn’t close properly.
Jump on, jump off… that’s public bus transport in Ecuador.
I sat a bit embarrassed for a bit, then realized I had a decent photo opportunity and if I could get them to focus on something other than each other, maybe they’d calm down a little and we all would arrive without any ambulances being called. The kids loved the attention, fighting and shoving each other to be included in the photo… almost a peaceful solution 🙂
We spent three months there, living in two rooms of a local family that we converted into our own little apartment, complete with makeshift kitchen (they provided the table and even painted it yellow for me!) and 2nd floor balcony looking over main street with peekaboo view of the ocean.
During our stay they had their annual Canoa Day Parade, and these local fishermen I thought were the cutest. They deserve much gratitude as any day of the week you can be served a plate of freshly caught fish, squid or other delicacies from the sea, topped with rice and fresh salad.
The one regret I have is that I lost the photographs of the family we stayed with, and of chancho… the house pig who was slaughtered on New Years – me being given fair warning of time and place as they tend to squeal very loudly during the event and they knew I was the sensitive type. R.I.P Chancho, thank you for the delicious pork.
The last photo above is of me and the then preteen enjoying one of the gorgeous sunsets over the water.