Barbacoa

When you hear the word ''Barbeque'', what do you think of?

-family/friends
-summer
-burgers and hot dogs
-pasta salad
-macaroni salad
-watermelon
-potato chips
-things covered in BBQ sauce...
-a GRILL!

well that's what I thought too... but I guess we were both wrong.

Today, we had a barbeque for a few of us BCA girls and our host families. There was about 20 of us all together, but by looking at the amount of food we brought, you would think there was like 40 of us. I've never been to a cookout where there is more meat than actual side dishes. Our side dishes were potatoes, salad and corn on the cob. Here let me start at the beginning...

I woke up this morning around 10 (thank goodness) and ate some fruit for breakfast and then my host mom, sister and I got into the car and went to meet up with everyone else who was going. We got all of our supplies and food packed into the three cars and then headed out to Tumbaco. It was about an hour long drive out to another BCA girl's host families land. We unpacked the cars into a small house and then walked around the property. There were two other houses on the land. One is still being built and finished and is completely made of adobe and the other is already being lived in. There were so many flowers and gorgeous views that I could hardly take it all in.

Then we all walked back to start making our food. I expected to find a grill of some sort behind the house because I had yet to discover it....but there was no grill. The got out the coals and wheeled over a wheel barrow, emptied the coals into it and put a grill top over it. Now I can say that I've cooked my food in a wheel barrow! Not many can...

The meat was divided into containers based on how many were in a ''family''. As I watched the meat that was to be my host mom's, sister's and mine....my eyes were just wide with shock. It kept GROWING! I'm sure that at home the amount that was in our container could completely satisfy my family of 5 and there would be leftovers....There was so much. We each had a pork chop, a huge slab of beef, three or four little sausages, a long, thin hot dog looking thing, corn, potatoes and salad...like really?!

Well, my family was the first to get to use the...wheel barrow. We had to cook our own food. My host sister is a chef so she was in charge of knowing when the meat was done. My job was to fan the coals so that the meat would actually cook. =] I did a good job. haha. It was all really good but soo filling I couldn't finish a third of it. After we all finished eating, Meghan, Kelly, Kelsey and I all walked around again, taking pictures and we sat on the balcony of the adobe house for a good while just talking and taking in the view.

Soon my host mom and sister had to leave to go to a baby shower (which, coincidentally, is ''baby shower'' in spanish....). I chose to stay and hang out with everyone else. We played a few Ecuadorian games that were pretty interesting. All of which consisted giving up one of your posessions every time you lost and to get it back you had to do something rediculous like sing or dance. Then the moms wanted to play an american game so we decided on ''Red Rover''. It was funny enough just hearing them try to say ''Red Rover, Red Rover, let ........ come over" and actually playing the game took quite a while. Only like 2 people actually broke through the other teams arms so it wasn't that exciting.

Tired and ready to get home we were on our way. 45 minutes later, here I am.
My neck is super sore because I think I slept on it wrong and my stomach hurts so tonight I get to stay in while everyone else goes out. Tonight there are a bunch of things going on in the historic center because it's Ecuador's Independence Day...I think. But they're celebrating something and I can't enjoy it. Blah. =\

I hope a few movies and lot of sleep will help.

Buenas Noches


World Traveler