There are many things that we loved about Ecuador, and there are also many things we didn't like so much. Perhaps the worst thing for me was the constant noise of firecrackers going off. Ecuadorians love them and I hate them! Life in Cuenca stopped being fun soon after we moved to Challuabamba because of all the noise. There were too many weeks when the firecrackers started on Thursday and went on through Sunday ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT LONG! We had chosen to be away from the city because we thought it would be quieter in the country. WRONG!!!!
Mom tried everything to calm me down when the firecrackers would start. She would dressed me up with my Thunder Shirt and put on one of her headbands over my ears. They both helped some even though I looked pretty pathetic. I just couldn't help it. I really get scared with loud noises. Whenever they would start I would go hide under mom's desk and never left her side; I panted and paced and just prayed that they would stop and so did mom. During the night, the only solution was to sleep in the laundry room since it was the only room in the house had didn't have any windows. So from Thursday to Sunday nights mom would pull out the sleeping bag and a couple of pillows from the sofa and the two of us just slept there. Trust me, that was simply no fun but it was the only place we could get some rest and I could feel somewhat safe.
Ecuador is simply a loud country. And, people there really enjoy noise. Mom and I prefer it quiet and heaven to us is to be serenaded by the sound of birds and nature, not firecrackers and loud music. It is just a matter of preferences and ours did not coincide with what most Ecuadorians like.
Just as there were things we didn't like, there were things we loved. Ecuador is a beautiful country and the expansive views and countryside are just spectacular. A few weeks before we came back to the US, we went to El Rancho de Jack. Jack is my friend and his dad is building a house twenty minutes outside of Cuenca in the beautiful countryside. That day was lots of fun. We played and ran freely and enjoyed the horses while our parents feasted in a picnic.
Of course, the day came to an end and we had to ride back to town. Jack and I were pretty tired from all the running around so we slept in the back. I even used Jack as my pillow. That day, life was good in Cuenca!
