A&J's Travels: TEXTILES

As in many 3rd world countries, the textiles are wonderful in Ecuador. The other day Jim and I were shopping for some handicrafts to take home for gifts. We were in a wonderful 2 floor market that used to be called "La Casa de las Mujeres." (House of Women), which is a co-op of local women's crafts. It is now called Cemuarte. The story we heard is that when men got drunk they would go to the "House of Women" thinking it was a different sort of house and they would bother the women. Hence the name change. No one here calls it Cemuarte and the guidebooks still call it "La Casa de las Mujeres."

The day we were shopping we were not looking for textiles. I was looking at earrings when Jim spotted something interesting in a pile of folded cloth - it was mostly black with green stripes. The vendor pulled it out and it was a stylized poncho (with a zipper!). We got talking with her about the fabric content of different items she had. When I asked about wool the good stuff got pulled out. First was a poncho of a totally different sort than the first one. The wool is so beautiful and you can still smell the lanolin from the sheep.

Here is Jim modeling it in the tipico way.

Then we got into real trouble. The lady pulled out all the other wool things she had, including this exquisite rug made with all natural dyes and colors.

We were not shopping for a poncho or a rug but we bought them both. It was embarrasing how inexpensive they were. We bargained half heartedly and in the end we were happy and so was she. The lady we bought them from made them herself. When I asked if I could take her photograph she smiled and said, "wait." She then proceeded to take off her everyday sweater and put on an exquisite beaded collar, amazingly long and intricate silver earrings that fastened around the back of her head with a beautiful silver cord, a shawl of wool that went under one arm and then fastened with another beautiful piece of silver jewelry - a long spike with a gem stone in the top - and finished her ensemble off with a hat. All the while she was smiling and saying that these things were typical garb of her area (we wanted to but didn't think of a PC way to ask what tribe she was from). All the while Jim and I were thinking that this indio lady and our sister-in-law Carol V. would hit it off immediately because they both talk weaving and wool. Her she is in her regalia:

So today, Jim, Chuck and I had to leave the house early because the maid arrived at 7:30 am and you don't want to be in her way. We headed to the central bus station to get my ticket to Guayaquil for Thursday (we were worried they might sell out since we heard that locals go to the beach for New Years) and I have a plane to catch on the 2nd. We got our business taken care of and then walked to the Cemetery area where the market has moved to, while the city is renovating the Plaza Rotary.

The Cemetery area is lovely. The bad part for the merchants, though, is that there is very little foot traffic in this area.

This market is one of my favorites. It is the one where locals buy terra cotta pots, hardware, rope, baskets, small furniture, etc. Many stalls that sold baskets had this raw sisal. We weren't sure what they were doing with it, except perhaps making rope.

We were some of the first shoppers and discovered more "rugs" at a little kiosk that sold harnesses, ropes, etc. These "rugs" are burro or horse blankets. Here's Chuck holding up the biggest one. That's for a big horse!