Monday, 16th November, La Esperanza: Mi Mariposa sewing collective
We meet up with the collective of indigenous women who are part of the Mi Mariposa sewing collective. When an order comes in, they meet at Hortensia’s house to get their orders from the efficient Hortensia, then they head back to their own houses to complete the work. One of the things that is really good about the embroidery work that these women do is that they can do it in their own homes while being mothers, wives, homemakers.
The 9 or so women sit outside Hortensia’s house, on her uneven and dusty patch of grass in front of the house, clustered around the tree roots and occasional building materials which they can sit on. They sew contentedly while children scamper about, and dogs wander in and out of their company. All are dressed with the classic hats, gold necklaces and ponchos.
The sun shines, and the view is totally magnificent. The skill of these women, their willingness to work hard, it’s been a fascinating encounter – and the Mi Mariposa products are totally gorgeous!
On the way to Quito, we cross the ecuator. 0’00 latitude. Are we really only half way through the journey?! There is a monument to it, and it’s fascinating. More on this to follow (since I was left to look after the bike and Mike spent half an hour going round the exhibit)
We head to Quito, to a suburb called Cumbaya, where we are staying with friends of Mike’s cousin’s wife. We arrive, greet the family, and within 20 minutes, the whole house is plunged into darkness.
Ecuador is largely powered hydroelectrically, and this year, the rains simply have not come in the volumes needed to meet the country’s electricity demands. Which has meant that the government has had to impose scheduled power cuts across the country. People are warned when the cuts are coming, and entire neighbourhoods plunge into darkness for 2-3 hours at a time. During the working day, places are without electricity for 6 to 7 hour blocks. Our host tells us unequivocally that the ineptitudes of the current government have played a huge part in these cuts.
