Santa Elena - The origin of Ecuadorian culture

Santa Elena in Ecuador is a Peninsula, a Province, a canton and a town.

The province of Santa Elena is located in the Peninsula of Santa Elena.

The canton of Santa Elena is located in the Province and town of Santa Elena is the capital of both the canton and the province.

Many know it for its fame for beautiful beaches and welcoming towns for tourists, filled with friendly people and delicious seafood.

View of one of the beaches in Santa Elena.

The province may be young but it has a long history.

Peninsula of Santa Elena was discovered August 18th of 1527 but the Province of Santa Elena was established as late as in November 7th 2007.

Before the Peninsula was part of the Province of Guayas and it still remains as the favorite vacations spot for the neighboring provinces inhabitants.

The canton of Santa Elena was founded in January 22nd 1839 and the town of Santa Elena was founded on August 18^th 1531 by Francisco Pizarro.

San Pedro beach with the buildings of towns of Santa Elena and La Libertad at the far end (left side).

Francisco Pizarro was one of the original conquistadors sent from Spain and has a very cruel and bloody history.

But Santa Elena’s history is lot longer than Spanish conquest of South America.

Precolombian Santa Elena

The town of Santa Elena was originally called Sumpa and it is regarded as the location of the most important and best documented archaeological site in Ecuador.

The peninsula was first inhabited by Las Vegas culture between 8000 AD and 4600 AD which flourished along the Ecuadorian coast was the first Ecuadorian culture.

Modern work with ceremics in Ecuador, a pelican made with silver and mosaics.

The archaeologists have found numerous artifacts and remains of homes and a garbage dump, but the biggest discovery in Santa Elena has been a cemetery of about 200 people.

Among these remains are included the bodies of the Lovers of Sumpa, or Los Amantes de Sumpa.

They were found buried, and apparently embracing each other.

There is much speculation as to why they died, including being stoned to death, but the real reason is not known.

Cereamic and stone scuptures on sale.

Venus of Valdivia

After the Las Vegas culture Valdivia culture was developed between 3500 and 1800 AD in the Ecuadorian Pacific coast.

Valdivian culture was more widely spread and included the Peninsula of Santa Elena and also the estuary of Guayas River and parts of the Provinces of Los Ríos, Manabí and El Oro.

Later on Machalilla culture was developed from Valdivian culture developing many elements of their culture like the ceramic and spreading it to the neighboring areas.

In many parts of Ecuadorian Pacific Coast there can be found remains of these cultures, like female figures made of stone and later on from clay, called Venus of Valdivia.

Sculpture of Venus of Valdivia in the town of Valdivia.

There has even been a discovery of a ceramic public bathroom at the Ecuadorian Coast from this time period.

The Santa Elena archaeological site is considered a main attraction of the Ecuadorian coast.

Because Ecuador has no moral issues preventing the public display of remains, there are three burials on display, protected by glass.

There are various public, communal and private museums in the towns of Province of Santa Elena where you can visit and see the artifacts for yourself.

How to spoil the renewal in the church - Part 4

This is the fourth, and last, part of a series about renewal in the church. The series has four parts in total and is posted once a week, on consecutive Tuesdays.

7. Create a culture of disrespect and blind following

 

A real respect between the older and younger generations demands honesty and causes trust.

 

In worst case scenario, the people who were against the renewal in the beginning become reformist themselves and will start to push for a renewal in the church.

 

This happens when the people advocating a renewal are too respected and listened too open mindedly, and become trusted.

 

The most important thing to do to avoid this is to create a culture of disrespecting others, of secret agendas and blindly following the leadership.

 

8. Keep the young people out of leadership

 

Even if there were young people with calling to teaching and leadership in the church, keep them out of the teams, elders (even the name says elders, not youngsters) and central responsibilities in the church.

Do not let young people, or people open to renewal, steal away the responsibilities in the church.

This could mean that the church would change and people would become more open to the renewal.

The congregation might even reach out to new generations and find ways to close the generational gap.

It could even become a church that creates new disciples and reaches out to find new Christians.

This is the fourth, and final, part of the series.

To read the first part, go to Part 1

To read the second part, go to Part 2

To read the third part, go to Part 3

Swimming hole in the Misahualli river in Archidona

June is called Tamia killa, or Rain month, in Amazonic Kichwa.

July and August both are part of this rainy season also.

It has been rainy and chilly, for the Equator and the Amazon.

My son with our Colombian friend and her cousin (also visiting from Colombia) at the swimming hole.

But there are always some beautiful days with sun shining and temperatures climbing.

Those are the perfect days to visit the different rivers and watering holes that the area around Tena offers.

Local Kichwa children enjoying the water.

One of them can be found in the little town of Archidona, just 10 minutes from Tena.

The Misahualli River flows through the town.

The water feels cold at first.

The water is cold and refreshing, after all its melting water from the glaciers of the Andes.

The hot and humid of the air makes a perfect mix with the refreshingly cool water.

The water is clear and clean. It is melting water from the glaciers of the Andes.

Misahualli River is also part of many local folktales.

It is said that a giant boa, over 15 meters long, is trapped under a huge boulder in the riverbed around Archidona area.

The children here learn to swim from early age on.

And if the boulder was ever to be moved, the boa will be freed from its prison and will devour all the people of Archidona.

This is a very famous story adds excitement to the visit to the river.

Jumping from the boulder to the water. Wander if this is where the boa is trapped?

Especially for my son who wanted to know which is the exact boulder where the boa is trapped.

If you ever visit Tena, I recommend you go for a swim in the clear waters of Misahualli River.

Ecuadorian Empanas or Empanadas de Viento

Empanada de viento is Ecuador’s version of the popular Latin empanadas.

These delicious empanas from the Andean region, or highlands of Ecuador, are very light.

The name comes from their delicateness and the way they puff with the air when they are being fried.

They can be made either in cocktail size or appetizer size.

In some places they are also sold in giant size, which are very popular among the middle and worker class.

They are a must when preparing a meal around fritada (fried chunks of pork), or with fanesca (vegetable chowder made in Easter time).

You can buy them around the country from food stalls, at the road, on the markets or in the restaurants.

During religious holidays, women from the countryside fry these empanas and sell them in front of Ecuador’s many churches.

And they are indeed puffy and light, just like the wind.

EMPANADAS DE VIENTO

DOUGH

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

¼ cup lard, vegetable shortening, or unsalted butter

¼ cup water mixed with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

FILLING

4 ounces of Chihuahua, Muenster or Parmesan cheese, shredded

¼ cup minced scallions (white part and 1 inch of the green)

½ teaspoon ground annatto (or red sweet paprika to give a bit of color)

Oil for frying

Sugar (optional) for sprinkling

1. To make the dough, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Add the lard and blend together with your fingers to make a coarse meal.

3. Add the lemon water and mix well; adding a little more water if needed to make soft dough.

4. Knead until smooth and eleastic.

5. Cover with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl.

Making the empanadas

1. Divide the dough into 8 or 24 equal-size pieces.

2. Roll the pieces into balls and cover with towel.

3. On a lightly floured board, roll each ball into a thin round.

4. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center for large empanadas and 1 teaspoon for small.

5. Lightly moisten half of the edge with water, fold in half, pressing firmly to seal the edges and crimp with a fork.

6. Place the empanadas on a lightly floured tray and cover with a kitchen towel. They can be assembled a couple of hours before frying and left at room temperature.

Frying the empanadas

1. In a frying pan, heat ½ inch of the oil to 350 °F.

2. Fry a few empanadas at a time, carefully swishing the oil back and forth with a large spoon so that they puff up.

3. Cook for a few minutes, until they are golden on both sides.

4. Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter lined with paper towels.

5. Serve immediately plain, or, in the traditional manner, sprinkled with sugar.

His love endures forever - (Not so) Wordless Wednesday

It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.

Phillips Brooks

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

NIV

Iguana Park in Guayaquil - Parque de las Iguanas

One of the main atractions for a family travelling in Ecuador's biggest city, Guayaquil, is the Iguana Park.

The bustling coastal town is huge and dangerous and not very touristic.

But for a knowledgeful visitor there are spots worth seeing.

Iguanas lounging in a tree.

One of them is the Iguana Park in the center of the city, close to the Malecon Park.

The Iguana Parks main atraction are the iguanas lounging freely around.

These huge lizard tan themselves in the sun, right next to the tourists and vistors.

There are other animals you can spot in the park also.

If you are brave enough, you can touch them or feed them.

If you are unlucky enough, they might defecate on you.

Always remember to check what is above you, because iguanas love to climb to trees in the park.

Iguana in the park.

And they don't use a restroom.

But if you keep your eyes open, the park is a wonderful place to visit and rest in the hubbub of the big city.

And the children are sure to enjoy seeing these prehistorical beast that will remind them so much of real life dinosaurs or dragons.

Eight handy ways to spoil the renewal in the church - Part 3

This is the third part of a series about renewal in the church. The series has four parts in total and is posted once a week, on consecutive Tuesdays.

5. Always team-up and keep the side of the people who are against the renewal

 

Many people get hurt, angry or are afraid of the renewal.

 

Because of this they might leave the church – or worse – they might stop tithing the church.

 

If you are a leader in a church, do not annoy the people.

 

But obey them and try to make everyone happy, especially the most strong willed, and richest, people.

 

They are usually the most conservative people around, and sure to be against any renewal in the church.

 

6. Keep the mission and vision of the church secret and as obscure as possible

 

If the congregation has a clear vision and mission of what they want to accomplish, they might actually do it.

 

And this could cause a renewal in the church.

 

Make sure as few people as possible know the church’s mission and vision.

 

And make it at obscure and hard to understand as possible.

 

It is always better to use theological terms and long, hard words, maybe even some Latin and Greek.

 

If the people actually understand what vision is and internalize the mission, they might get involved and put it in practice in their own lives.

 

Again, this might lead to a renewal.

 

This is the third part of the series.

To read the first part, go to Part 1

To read the second part, go to Part 2