The Market

I think the thing I enjoyed most in South America was being around people and there was no better way to do this than visit a market on a busy day.

I got a kick out of the HATS people wore while shopping. You can tell which people are in what groups by looking at them. It’s much like seeing “Steelers” or “Cowboys” hats in the United States.

You can also tell by the colors in their clothing and the patterns in the woven fabric they use for everything. I could spend weeks in a market just watching people because it’s such a fascinating place and a social opportunity to learn about people.

This basic, essential lifestyle and the people’s attitude about life in general is something to be admired. Everyone is on the same level here and the way they watch out for and help each other is something to be proud of.

This is truly a communal farming lifestyle.

Food is plentiful and I’ve always said that if you have food, shelter, and clothing, life is what you make of it after that…..

I couldn’t get over the variety of food that is made out of corn in South America. There are dozens of different kinds of it here. Some of the kernels are big as quarters and it’s really tasty. There are puddings, pies, and drinks made out of it and it’s really great.

The purple corn is the best….

Oh…by the way…there’s not much refrigeration in the country out here.

If you eat meat….it’s fresh!

There’s not much waste and it’s all used very quickly.

My time was getting short now in South America and we would soon fly to Quito for the connecting flight to the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands are one of the most isolated places in the world.
Many times I relaxed on the deck of the boat and gazed at the nighttime stars.
The Milky Way was bright as an Interstate Highway and the constellation Orion was actually upside down in the sky from here.

While here, I never once saw the vapor trail of a jet crossing the night sky.