The third day has started. A Journey of 200 km From Quito. Still, the trip lasted several hours. It was a fantastic opportunity to enjoy, with peace of mind, the change of perspective, vegetation, temperature. It passed through “Sierra” Orient, and arrived to the Amazon!

The journey was full of surprises. Beside the discovery of the landscape, we took the opportunity to know each other more. Talking to Isabel, for example, I found that she arrived in Ecuador 9 months ago: “Last year I finished college in Austria. Before starting university I decided to dedicate a year of my life for others. I did not know where to go, I just knew I wanted to get out of my routine. Because in traveling, you come into contact with other people, other cultures, other realities, and knowing more about them, you come to know a little more about yourself. These nine months – continues – were fantastic. Sometimes I felt alone and not understood, but the strongest of all was the desire to build real relationships. “

Guillermo is also a real surprise: “I studied in Germany for two years. I was preparing myself to be a mechanic. But being there, I realized that Ecuador is not well known for the world. And then, I decided to come back and I opened a transport company for tourists to raise awareness of the beauty of our history, the treasures of our Earth. Because, to break down prejudices, one must know the various cultures. “

During the journey, on the slopes of Cotopaxi Volcano, we stopped to Salsedo where we tasted a specialty from there: ice cream in 4 flavors made exclusively from fruit! A chance to celebrate, but also to immerse yourself in the traditions (even culinary) of the Ecuadorian people.

After a few hours, we arrived at Pujo (in the province of Pastaza). There we tasted the “volquetero”, typical dish and intercultural hymn: “This dish was created to make people from two cultures feel closer: thanks to the mix of food from Sierra and the East, we all felt welcomed,” we explained. Anyhow the food is also an opportunity to build bridges of brotherhood!

We moved to the Amazon. The vegetation becomes thick and, after 10 hours from the beginning of our trip, here we are in the indigenous community of Shiwakucha. Upon arriving, we lived a truly inspiring moment: the whole community was waiting for hours! Despite this, they welcomed us immediately with dances, songs, presentations of their culture. And in the end, we all lived an experience of sharing and enculturation: each of us was given a Kichwa name. The community celebrates each time the new name solemnly pronounced.

After dinner, Cirangelo and I were moving in the Amazon jungle. Araceli and Omar, sons of Pedro and Margarita were showing us the road. This night we slept with them, along with the other 7 children and a grandmother. In all, a wonderful and dynamic family of 12 people! There are no words to describe the emotion: sleeping in the middle of nature, in a totally open wooden house, with no barriers between with the nature, makes a few hours of sleep an incredible experience there, in bed, with the rain roars and sounds of the forest all around us, I realize that I’m really making a journey, not a tourist trip but a journey within myself, rediscovering a balance I’ve never tried before.

After a few hours, a cock crows. It is 3 in the morning. The family gathers for moments of sharing. Pedro, told us the night before that “before starting the day, we preserve a moment of sharing, listening and organizing the day.” In fact, although I was already awake, I stayed in bed because I realized that even though we felt welcomed wonderfully, it’s important to respect that intimate and festive time.

At five, I decide to go down. We had breakfast and, with Pedro, began a dialogue that lasted throughout the whole morning: a continual communion, simple but profound, on indigenous culture. Their customs, habits, beliefs. From what he told us, shines a great sense of responsibility towards creation. Since the rain was falling, we decide to go forward in the wilderness. Often Pedro stopped to tell us anecdotes about the nature, he told us what is that tree or that root. Back home, we continued sharing each others: he was telling us how important it is, for Shiwakucha culture, the sense of community. And We told him the stories of our lives, in short, a morning of the search for the other. In a word: intercultural!

Everything, then, becomes clear when, at lunch, we met Nadino, a youth from the community very active in the promotion of indigenous culture: “We know that we can no longer live like our ancestors; but we do not feel represented even in a materialistic and individualistic society. What sense does it have to continue to produce and possess, when in the world there are moments and spaces for sharing? What we should do is; to create spaces for dialogue, inclusion spaces, spaces of mutual understanding. For this our communities was born. Because only when we know, we do not judge. Only when we listen, we really communicate. “

Now it’s time to leave, the children greeted us with joy. Next destination: Bagnos, tourist resort and rich with thermal pools and waterfalls. This night we will sleep there, tomorrow another indigenous community is waiting for us.

from Francesco Ricciardi

Source: Città Nuova