AMBATO - Music, market & bakery

Our new neighbor, Napolean Sanchez, invited us to go with him to Ambato, about 80 miles south of Quito in the central Andes. He was born and raised in the small village of Ambatotillo, on the hill above Ambato. When Napolean was 18 he received a scholarship to go to the U.S. to study English for one year at a prep school in Massachusettes. At the end of the year the Headmaster of the school gave him the option of returning home or staying in the U.S. and going to community college. He offered to help him with his first semester and told him he would have to get a job to support himself. He opted to stay and go to college and he didn't return home to Ecuador for 16 years. After he got his degree in Latin American Studies, History & Literature, he was offered a job teaching at the college on the condition he continued to persue his graduate degree, which he did, eventually earning his Phd. During this time he met and married his wife Dotty and they had two children. He just retired in May and bought the house next door to us, where he and Dotty plan to escape from the cold winter months in Massachusettes.

Our first night in Ambato we had the pleasure of experiencing some wonderful authentic folk music at Rodrigo's house. One of his friends played beautiful music on his harp, which was made in Peru. We cruised around the markets, enjoying the local people and got to have tour of a local bakey. It has been owned by the same family for over 25 years and they have 2 large wood fired ovens where they bake thousands of rolls everyday. The man with the goats walked down the street every morning hollaring "leche de chivo," which means "goat milk." People would come out with their containers and he would actually milk the goat right there, now that's fresh! We also saw a lady in front of the hospital in Quito with 2 goats selling milk. (click on the image for larger photo's and captions)