A week and a half ago, we went to a crazy huge market here in Cuenca. It was honestly bananas and not my favorite experience. I'm not a big shopper and this place was kind of overwhelming. We did buy a fleece blanket for the girls' bed and I bought a pair of sweatpants. We found some local spice called achiote.

Conor returned to this market one Saturday at 7am with a local family to observe how they do their weekly shopping. They spend $40 and that's almost all their groceries for the week! Feria Libre is supposed to be a really cheap place to shop, but it's too much for me!

On Tuesdays and Fridays, one can be cleansed at the market for $3. We went one Friday with out tutor and I tried it out. It's a mixture of Catholic and Aboriginal beliefs.

First, a bouquet of medicinal plants and herbs is rubbed and torn to release the fragrance. The lady held the bouquet to my face for three deep inhales and then she began to whack my body with it while chanting. The whacking doesn't hurt, but it really isn't soft either. She used a strong hand. My whole upper body was thwacked multiple times, including lifting my arms to get my side body. Maeve was extremely concerned as she watched this happen and squawked and panicked a bit. When I had been sufficiently whacked, an egg was then rubbed over my body, my eyes, my face, my arms, my chest, my stomach (against the skin) and my low back (against the skin). She drew crosses with eggs on my forehead and eyes. Then the lady cracked the egg into a plastic bag, held it up to examine it and read it. She told me that I'm worried and I need to relax (so accurate). The next step included liquid (alcohol of some kind) that was super fragranced like flowers. The perfume was poured into my hand where I was encouraged to breath deeply of the smell. Then the lady poured some on my head and rubbed it in. Ok, here's the crazy part. Then she put some of the liquid in her mouth and spat/sprayed it on my bare stomach and back and the back of my neck. That was an odd experience. Last of all, to close the energy doors to my body, crosses were drawn with charcoal on my forehead, stomach and the nape of my neck. 

A truly interesting experience! There were many small children and babies cleansed while we were there. When we asked some of our local friends about it, they were like, ya, we do that every week. Their kids too. I'm not sure that I'll do it again because I'm sensitive to smells and I didn't love smelling so strongly. If I did do it again, I'd do it on the day before a hair wash day! But, I want to take Conor to the market on a Tuesday or Friday so that he can experience this very interesting and very different experience. 

When we visited the Museo de las culturas aborigenes, I bought Maeve a cute little drum in the gift shop. It was $4 and I just couldn't pass it up. I think it's adorable when she plays with it and lifts the strap over her head! Best $4 I've ever spent.

One rainy day, we visited Museo de las Culturas Aborigenes. Maeve was napping and left at home while Conor worked. The girls and I loved this museum, although I believe what Holly and Greta liked best was the shop at the end. This museum is much larger than it appears from the outside and was so fascinating. On the way in, he were given a guide book in english. For the different sections, there were illustrations of some of the pieces in the book. Holly and Greta loved hunting for the real life pieces. We spent a surprising amount of time in this museum. Every time we walk past it, the girls ask to return!

Okay, here it is... the crazy "when in Ecuador" experience! Cuy or Guinea Pig is a traditional dish here in Ecuador but specific to the city we are currently in, Cuenca.

A family that we met last Sunday when we flew here from Quito invited us over for roasted cuy. We couldn't pass up the opportunity, plus friends! Our friends, Monica and Gustav are so generous. Not only did they pick us up from our apartment, but they also made us an amazing meal of cuy, chicken, rice, potatoes, corn and salad.

The cuy... oh gosh, reflecting on it, I can't believe I ate that! I would compare the meat to dark meat, but silkier (maybe because of the fat content). There isn't a whole ton of meat on the cuy. I would guess that it weighed about 3 pounds. Conor and I were each served a hind quarter. And it's eaten with your hands. I just can't get the image of that little claw so close to my face out of my mind! The skin is really thick and difficult to eat. While it was roasting, we sampled the liver and that was actually really good.

Don't get me wrong, the meat was tasty, or bien rico. However, it's the getting my mind around eating something that is a pet, a rodent back home. Super glad I did it. Not biting at the bit to do it again!

Oh, I have to note that while the cuy was roasting over the charcoal, rain came. And to solve that problem, Gustav and Conor brought the grill into the house and opened a window. Not going to lie, my first thought was that we were going to die of carbon monoxide poisoning in Ecuador. It was fine, but the grill did go in and out of the house a few times! 

Also have to note, that when we asked our friends in Quito about cuy, they thought it was yucky to eat. So it's definitely a regional dish! 

After lunch, our friends took us on a driving tour around Cuenca. They were seriously so generous to spend so much time with us!