Hello! I have a chance to put together a quick update while I’m in Quito….
I’ve been off to Mindo already and back to Quito. I’ll have more on that in a bit, but I arrived in Quito on Feb 8 (the feast of St. Jerome Emiliani) and took a covid pcr test because I’m planning to go to Chontal on Wed Feb 10. It’s a courtesy to the folks in Chontal. There is a covid testing place about a 10-minute walk from where I’m staying. It’s always empty, and the PCR test costs $64. It’s not my favorite thing, but I thought it was good to do before heading out to the village for a few months.
In Quito
While in Quito I’ve been staying with a friend, Rosa, who owns a Spanish school here, Vida Verde. We’ve been friends since my first visits to Ecuador in 2010, and she and her family is from Chontal. There are typically students staying here, too, but not with the pandemic, though another room is rented out for her to earn some money. I’m grateful to have a convenient place to stay. The card games are fun, though I often lose!
One afternoon, I got out the charango to play with some of the Spanish school teachers. I’ve taken several classes over the years, and Fernando is not only a Spanish teacher, but a very talented musician. We played some simple Ecuadorian classics to get one of the students some exposure and participation.
I got to take a few long walks for some exercise here in Quito as well. This location is a nicer part of Quito, and it’s situated on the east side near the city center, overlooking the mountain valley. It made for some great views and walking. The community Guapulo in the valley shown below has an old church that I was able to visit. It was a tough walk up and down the hill at 9000 ft altitude!
A stairway that goes all the way down the mountain… I only made it so far before I noticed a few dogs in the way - better to avoid them!
I view from the lookout over the valley of Guapulo and heading further east through the Andes and towards the Amazon.
I couldn’t choose between the previous picture and this one, so I’m including them both…
The church in Guapulo, built in the late 1600’s to early 1700’s.
Another view of the valley of Guapulo, with the moon trying to peek through the clouds
A view looking south over Quito from the rooftop of Vida Verde, the Spanish School
From the same rooftop looking west. If not for the neighboring building, you’d see the volcano Guagua Pichincha, which has overlooked Quito since it’s ancient beginnings.
While I was in Quito just after my arrival, I spent a good deal of time making plans for the next steps. There are a few churches for Mass around here, and I was able to make a Mass now and then, aiming to keep social distancing.
As in most everywhere in the world, the mentality is stay at home unless necessary. So, I haven’t been traveling around as much, just getting out for walks and things, and getting more things done on the planning side of things. Before arriving, I didn’t have plans set, because you don’t really know enough of what’s going on until you arrive. It was a wise decision. I ended up scoping out my time here, and going to Mindo first, with plans to then return to Quito for the covid test and then to go to Chontal for most of the duration of my time here.
In Mindo
Last year I was considering spending more time in Mindo. The reason is because it is a tourist destination, and really a place full of people - both Ecuadorians and foreigners - in life transition. I had started doing the Tree of Life workshop here, and there’s probably no better place to do that because Mindo is like the Garden of Eden! It’s a tropical to sub-tropical climate with some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet.
Main Street, Mindo. In the rain season, clouds and rain arrive every day after noontime.
So, in addition to investigating and listening in Mindo concerning future possibilities, I spent my time in a retreat & reflection mode to
Do my annual review and retreat, including a gathering of what is sprouting up in Barriers to Bridges
Come up with follow-on activities coming out of the retreat
Consider possibilities for Lent activities in Ecuador and potentially online
I stayed at the usual place I stay at: Casa de Piedra. It’s located close to the town center, but off any real roads, so it is quiet. The grounds of the hostel and surrounding area are beautiful.
The hosteria is near a river with crystal clear water:
By the river, there is a sign recently put up to dissuade littering in the river. It says, “In this amazing place, the river sings its song of life; don’t add an out-of-tune note by leaving your trash.”
“In this amazing place, the river sings its song of life; don’t add an out-of-tune note by leaving your trash.”
I got a few good views of local toucans from where I was staying. They are called Diostede’s because of their call, which sounds like “Dios te de” (May God give you). You can hear it in the video below, and see the toucan in the center near the top of the tree raise its head with each call:
Of course, there also are the enormous wandering spiders to encounter:
Large but not aggressive - you have to be aware….
In the center of Mindo one day I caught a common sight: leafcutter ants doing their thing. They can carry 20 times their body weight, and work together to make a nest, fungi, and food by cutting pieces of leaves to bring back. They can actually become a major pest, destroying trees. But here I narrate what looks like some of their strategy in getting from point A to B:
I was able to visit a retreat center in Mindo that I’ve often stopped by at over the years. The family who tends the grounds are still there, and it was good to catch up. It provides a quiet environment and chapel close to nature:
Almost every day I could visit, and other days I spent some time in the local church in the pueblo.
Nazareno, who cares for the retreat center with his family, had found some chontacuros, which are large beetle larvae, that flourish in palm trees and also old “paja” that is used for thatched roofs. He was taking apart a roof of a gondola that had collapsed. Though he was going to feed them to the chickens, they are also eaten by people, especially in the Amazon areas. Usually after being “cleaned” like a shrimp, and then fried, as they are mostly fatty protein. But sometimes raw! I’ve never had them, but would like to try one someday, fried of course! You can see them in the photos and video:
The chickens will eat well …
On another day, I caught a guatuso wandering through the center. Guatusos are a protected animal in the rodent family that has been hunted for food. You can see one walking along in the video below:
The Invisible Monastery
I went for a long walk one day along a route that I’ve gone before. After leaving the pueblo on the main road, you eventually go off road into the jungle-like area along the river. This time, I noticed a new sign there: The Invisible Monastery. I thought it fit very well my times in Mindo.
The Invisible Monastery
As you walk through the jungle area, the river views are beautiful:
There’s eventually a bamboo footbridge crossing the river, with a doorway to the Invisible Monastery. It’s not for the public, so I don’t cross - plus it warns of the guard dogs!
But there’s more to see along the river anyway. I made some new friends in this couple:
Of course, you have to be aware. Snakes aren’t that common in the day, but there are other not-so-common dangers to just be aware of, like some creature accidentally falling on you - or this wasp nest up in the tree:
A wasp nest up in the tree
An old tarabita is chained up. Tarabitas are used for people to cross the river, either themselves, or sending supplies like products or milk to the other side:
A tarabita for crossing over the river in a carriage
Finally, at the end of the pathway is a cable/rope bridge that leads to a hosteria and a reserve. I’ve never crossed it, though the last time I was here, I saw people coming over from the other side:
A cable / rope bridge for crossing the river on foot
After that, I turned around to come back out. But it makes for some good reflection time as part of my retreat time - in my own Invisible Monastery, which is what you’re seeing on this whole page!
Branching Out
This time in Mindo, I was able to branch out and meet some more people, including the local priest. So, I extended my stay to 9 nights to give more space for all of that. Between socializing, playing some basketball, and a birthday party, I was a little more active in the pulse of the pueblo.
It seemed to me that the place has a large population of people in life transition, and the Tree of Life workshop would be something worthwhile offering there. If I can return for a while before I leave for Boston, I’ll look for a way to begin to offer that to people and see how things go from there.
What’s Growing Up
As I mentioned, Mindo is a veritable Garden of Eden, and every retreat time is in fact a returning to origins in some manner, to encounter God. So, Mindo is a great place to have a retreat.
In this time, I got to review, reassess and pray on what God is growing in me and Barriers to Bridges and others, gathering in all that’s happened. In the theme of plants and growth, which is so common in the Gospels and the mystery of God and life, I put together what I felt was a satisfying image of Barriers to Bridges - what is growing up after all these trips and years.
There are five general areas that have roots and are growing. Two lead with listening, two lead with speaking, and the cultural bridging - at the bottom - is really mutual. At the center is the core: living together in accompaniment as family in God. This core produces a personal and customized character to all the activities that grow out of the ground. That’s why what I do can’t be packaged up and mass produced: each activity is personal and customized. And that is characteristic of real Christian mission. “The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us.” (Jn 1:14) means, among other things, that each activity of Jesus is customized and personal. Each activity comes from organic and divine growth. There’s no mass production, and that means there’s no efficiency and time & money savings to make things happen fast. In Jesus’ way, everything is costly, but deeply meaningful - and satisfying.
There can be lots more to share on this, but I’ll save that for another time. For now, I’m glad and satisfied with the fruits of this retreat time in the Invisible Monastery!
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falling into the ground dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.”
Off to Chontal
I’m hopefully leaving Quito today (Wednesday) for Chontal - if my covid test is negative, and if there’s no covil unrest from the presidential elections happening these days! So, I’ll post when I can.
God bless,
Jerome
