2013-03-30

【Aiden in English】

        Pew! Pew! Pew! It went to my 3DS XL as Mario got zapped by Bowser Junior's Waldo magic for the fifth time. Mom and I have been waiting for our tour guide for about 10 minutes, and we're getting awfully bored. We were going to cross the equator and head to the northern Sierra for Otavalo, a two-hour drive north of bustling Quito, to see the famous market, particularly on Saturday.

        Soon, an SUV parked outside our hotel's glass doors, and out came our tour guide. He introduced himself as Andrew. We got along quite quickly with him. As we cruised over, he talked about jokes that kept us occupied along the Pan-American Highway. We were greeted with the magnificent scenery of volcanoes, sparkling lakes, patchwork-covered Andes Mountains, gorgeous valleys filled with lush green foliage, a cloud-tropical forest, rose plantations, and multi-colored wildflowers of every shade and hue that lined the road. We could even look for the giant pig hanging out front, then head in and sit at a booth. There was mouth-watering fruit for sale in Hacienda country. Andrew bought us some soursop from an indigenous lady for the retreat instead.

〖Calderon Countryside〗

        To look into the Farmers' Market in Calderon, we visited this satellite town of Quito. It was a street with shop after shop along the colorful sides of the enormous road, and everything cost less than in the capital. I wish I had watched what Mom ate for dinner last night. She seemed as if she had too much caffeine and sugar, which probably meant that she behaved so hyper that she explored every inch of every crack of every shop. 

        We went into a bread store, and I thought it was odd to tour a store for bread. I hardly saw any tour guides inside grocery stores. But the mystery was solved as I walked in. The bread was not intended for eating, but rather for art displays of other creatures, such as fish, etc. Even if I did take a mouthful, my dentist would be seriously striking rich. The bread felt as hard as a rock! That solved another mystery: why the bread had been baked so many times that I had to have both hands to count. 

        On the way back to the car, I spotted a herd of goats leashed together and hanging around the street. I pointed it out to Mom, who said the owner had tried selling goat milk directly to shoppers. You came up to squeeze the boobs as much as you wanted. No wonder the owner was shouting in Spanish. He probably was saying: "100% pure fresh goat milk for sale!" Or maybe even: "Drink up, people!"

〖Equator〗

        After continuing on the road, I felt as bored as ever. Finally, we arrived at a stone globe marked with the middle of the world- the equator. Andrew made us do simple tests, such as pulling his index finger and thumb apart. I couldn't do it when we stood away from the equator. But as Andrew asked me to do it right on the equator with Mom, her fingers came apart quickly. He explained that the forces caused by the North and South Poles separating resulted in less air pressure at the equator. So, Mom's fingers were pulled apart by my strength and the forces that pushed them apart when we remained on the equator.

        Another interesting test was to put a raw egg on the equator and balance it on its end. It worked! We could make an egg stand on end anywhere along the equator. The centripetal force exerted by the rotation was most significant at the equator, making the egg resist the force of gravity and easier to balance. 

        Then, Andrew took off his gold necklace and held it above the equator. The chain swayed back and forth as if two people were pulling on both sides. When he moved the necklace across the equator from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere, it turned counterclockwise; when he moved it back to the north, it turned clockwise. On the date when day and night were equal in length, Andrew continued to mention that there was a minute of no shadow on the equator at the vernal and autumnal equinox.

〖San Pablo Lake & Imbabura Volcano〗

        At the foot of the dormant Imbabura Volcano (15,190 feet/4,630 meters), Cayambe was well-known for homemade biscuits and the production of long, thin, yellowish biscuits—buttery biscuits, i.e., Bizcochos, made by hand and baked in an oven. We intended to stop by Cayambe town near San Pablo Lake for breakfast. Bizcochos tasted salty but delicious when I ate them by dipping them in a milk product, such as caramel, as many Ecuadorians do. 

〖Otavalo Indigenous Market〗

        When we arrived at Plaza de Ponchos in Otavalo, the sun was already over our heads at a low angle. The Saturday Market resembled a maze of stands, primarily selling food, clothing, weaving materials, and variously colored spices. The indigenous people came from nearby villages and towns to sell their products. 

        We skirted around the edge for a little while to get a picture of how big it was before plunging headfirst into the crowd. It was nothing I had ever seen before! Counters were set up under tents in neat rows. Chefs were cooking up everything from guinea pigs to rice. Mom tried to bargain with the stallholders for Panama Hats, hand-embroidered shoulder wraps, indigenous Ecuadorian tapestry wall hangings, thick hand-woven blankets, hand-spun shirts, and chunky hand-knit sweaters. However, they wouldn't budge.

〖Cotacachi Village〗

        We visited Cotacachi Village, renowned for its exceptional leatherwork in Ecuador. There were numerous options available in jackets, skirts, boots, briefcases, bags, riding equipment, and wallets. This was the only place where the unemployment rate remained low for decades due to the leather industry. Many American retirees were said to move down here and enjoy paradise at the end of the rainbow at the end of the Andes Mountains.

        However, we did not come here for any leather products; we were only here for our lunch. Mom was extremely excited to order one of the most traditional cuisines ever. I wasn't expecting it until she said, "I'll have a guinea pig," to the waiter. As I swallowed my first bite, I immediately thought of the bathroom. The guinea pig tasted like rotten fish, plus a dab of lemon sauce. Well, different people liked different things!

【紅霞譯】

        噗！噗！噗！我手上任天堂立體遊戲機發出陣陣叫聲，馬里奧“好戰”已被巫師瓦爾多“神的力量”的成功魔法擊中五次；媽媽和我一起靜候導遊，10分鐘過得實在無聊。我們計劃從基多出發，驅車兩個鐘頭縱穿赤道線，深入北部山區，前往奧塔瓦洛“織布機之地”著名的星期六農貿市場趕集。

        不久，一輛越野車停靠在酒店玻璃門外，導遊終於現身我們眼前。他名叫安德魯“男子漢”，彼此很快就熟悉起來。汽車沿着泛美高速公路行駛，安德魯插科打諢，生怕我們路上犯困。說真的，道路兩旁火山景致宛如仙境，湖泊河流波光粼粼，安第斯山脈錯落其間，峽谷平原華麗秀美，一路上不光熱帶雲林蔥鬱，玫瑰種植園嬌艷，野花更加五彩繽紛；超級肥豬高掛客棧門前，藉機吸引過往行人；鄉下牧區游動地攤上新鮮水果令人口水欲滴，安德魯有意從印第安大媽那裡買來刺番荔枝叫我們嘗鮮。

〖卡爾德隆“火山口”鄉村景象〗

        為參觀卡爾德隆的農貿市場，我們來到基多郊外這座衛星城，其街道色彩繽紛，沿着寬闊的道路兩旁，店鋪鱗次櫛比，所有東西都比首都便宜。真希望我昨晚看到媽媽吃了什麼，她看起來像是攝入了過多的咖啡因和糖，因而亢奮不已，以至於把每家商店的各個角落都探索了一遍。

        我們走進一家麵包店，在裡面閒逛感覺很奇怪，期間我幾乎看不到導遊，但當我走進去時謎底就解開了。眼前的麵包不是用來吃的，而是海龜、魚類和其它生物等藝術品，就算我吃上一口，我的牙醫肯定會賺個盆滿缽滿。這些麵包摸起來硬得像石頭！這又解開了另一個謎：為啥這些麵包烤了那麼多遍，我得用雙手才能數得清。

        正要離開此地，我巧遇幾隻山羊被拴在一起，旁若無人四處遊蕩，隨即提醒媽媽。她告訴我這純屬當地小城特色，山羊主人直接帶羊群走街串巷，誰想買奶，誰都可以直接擠奶，想買多少就擠多少。難怪山羊主人不停地用西班牙語大力叫賣，好像在說：“來呀，這裡有新鮮道地的羊奶嘍！”或者高聲吆喝：“大伙兒，快來喝羊奶吧！”

〖赤道〗

        繼續前行後，我一直覺得路上非常無聊，終於來到石標旁，上面意指世界中部──赤道。安德魯要我們先做幾個試驗，比如叫我把他的無名指跟大拇指分開，如果站到赤道線以外任何地方，我根本無力做到；可是等站在赤道線上，我很容易將媽媽的手指分開。他解釋說，由於南北兩極引起的磁力在赤道上相抵，才使手指較易分開。

        另一個有趣的試驗便是在赤道線上巧立生雞蛋，我竟然不怎麼費力就可以讓“金雞獨立”！地球旋轉所引起的向心力在赤道上表現得最強，由此而使雞蛋平衡有度，極易站穩腳跟。

        隨之安德魯又把自己脖子上的金項鍊摘下，輕輕吊掛手指上，這時項鍊在赤道線上方南北擺動，好像兩個人左右用力。當他把項鍊移至赤道以北的北半球，只見項鍊沿逆時針旋轉；而當他把項鍊移至赤道以南的南半球，只見項鍊沿順時針旋轉。安德魯繼續說道，每年春分或秋分晝夜相等這天，赤道上會出現一分鐘完全沒有影子的景觀。

〖聖保羅“小”湖及因巴布拉“金色草原之地”火山〗

        因巴布拉休眠火山腳下(15,190英尺／4,630米)座落着卡揚貝“生命之源”城，該城素以自制奶酪和手制烘烤的細長黃油餅乾著稱，今天的早飯我們特意趕到這裡來吃。前方面對聖保羅湖，側面倚仗因巴布拉火山，餅乾本身雖然咸滋滋的，但蘸着當地盛產的焦糖奶制產品，味道甭提有多好吃，感覺自己跟厄瓜多爾人貼近了許多。

〖奧塔瓦洛土特產市場〗

        等我們抵達奧塔瓦洛龐喬斯“斗篷”市場，高掛的太陽毫無偏差地直射在我們頭頂。星期六土特產集市看上去跟迷宮似的，地攤一個挨一個，食品、服裝、編織、不同顏色的調味品應有盡有，擺貨的土著居民全部來自附近村落，推銷的商品都是自家祖傳的罕世絕活。

        我們粗略繞場一周，首先摸清基本方陣，然後才好有的放矢。我從來未曾見識過這般陣勢！攤販各自為政，貨位依序排開；廚子大顯工技，從豚鼠到米飯，吃的喝的全部擺到桌上。媽媽看中巴拿馬帽、手工刺繡肩套、厄瓜多爾土著掛毯壁飾、手工編織厚毯、手工紡襯衫和手工針織短毛衣，逐一跟攤販討價還價，大有血拼採購瘋狂掃貨之勢，只是他們並非輕易降價。

〖科塔卡奇“粉鹽”村莊〗

        科塔卡奇是厄瓜多爾全國有名的皮革製品基地，皮夾克、皮衣、皮靴、皮包、皮鞍、皮夾，不一而足。幾十年來，這裡還是全國唯一失業率為零的地方，聽說許多美國退休人士喜歡到蜿蜒崎嶇的安第斯“銅色”山脈下安度晚年，來這裡享受天堂的彩虹。

        當然，我們並非衝着皮革製品而來，相反我們到此只為吃頓午餐。媽媽主意已定，決定點上瓜多爾正宗菜譜──烤豚鼠。不知怎的，我一聽“豚鼠”兩字就倒胃口，嘗試第一口後更強化了這種感覺，豚鼠吃起來跟拌上了酸橙的臭魚爛蝦味道差不多，看來蘿蔔白菜各有所愛！

Pan-American Hwy, Troncal de la Sierra or Highland's Road w/ Avenue of the Volcanoes 

(泛美高速公路·高地之路火山大道)

Patchwork-Covered Andes, Terraced for Agriculture or Andenes

(安第斯山脈梯田·安第斯梯田用於農業耕作 03-30-2013)

Giant Pig (大豬)

Open-Air Kitchen Restaurant (開放式餐館)

Menu in Display @ Open-Air Kitchen Restaurant

(開放式餐館·食譜)

Sourtop or Guanbana (刺番荔枝)

Mouth-Watering Fruit for Sale (誘人的水果地攤)

Bread Animals @ Bakery, Calderon 

(卡爾德隆點心鋪·麵包動物 03-30-2013)

Fresh Goat Milk on Sale @ Calderon

(卡爾德隆·出售自己動手擠的新鮮羊奶)

Residence Area @ Calderon (卡爾德隆·居民區)

Soup Pot (湯鍋)

Egg Balancing on the Equator

(赤道線上雞蛋獨立 03-30-2013)

Egg Balancing on the Equator (赤道上立蛋)

Forces by the North and South Poles Separated

(南北極力量分界之地 03-30-2013)

Cayambe Town @ the Foot of the Cayambe Volcano

(卡揚貝鎮·位於卡揚貝火山腳下)

Thatched Cottage @ Cayambe Town 

(卡揚貝鎮·草屋 03-30-2013)

Panama Hat under Imbabura Volcano, a Traditional Brimmed Straw Hat of Ecuadorian Origin 

(因巴布拉火山下巴拿馬帽·起源於厄瓜多爾的傳統寬邊草帽 03-30-2013)

Imbabura Volcano, an Inactive Stratovolcano over San Pablo Lake & the Indigenous City of Otavalo

(因巴布拉火山·聖保羅湖和原住民城市奧塔瓦洛之上的休眠層狀火山)

Local Shop @ Cayambe (卡揚貝鎮·當地小賣部 03-30-2013)

Home-Made Cheese & Buttery Biscuits @ Cayambe

(卡揚貝鎮·手工奶酪黃油餅乾 03-30-2013)

Free-Range Cattle @ Cayambe (卡揚貝鎮·放養牛群)

Veggie Patch @ Cayambe (卡揚貝鎮·菜地)

Imbabura Volcano @ 15,190-ft/4,630-m

(因巴布拉火山·15,190英尺／4,630米高 03-30-2013)

San Pablo Lake Combining Nature, Indigenous Tradition, & Outdoor Activities

(聖保羅湖·融合了自然、土著傳統和戶外活動 03-30-2013)

San Pablo Lake against Imbabura Volcano

(依因巴布拉火山傍聖保羅湖 03-30-2013)

Village by San Pablo Lake (聖保羅湖邊鄉村 03-30-2013)

Veggie Vendor @ Otavalo Market 

(奧塔瓦洛市場·蔬菜地攤 03-30-2013)

Spices @ Otavalo Market (奧塔瓦洛市場·香料)

Fish @ Otavalo Market (奧塔瓦洛市場·魚市)

Flours @ Otavalo Market (奧塔瓦洛市場·麵粉)

Grains @ Otavalo Market (奧塔瓦洛市場·穀物)

Roast Pig @ Otavalo Market (奧塔瓦洛市場·烤豬)

Authentic Cuisine @ Otavalo Market

(奧塔瓦洛市場·風味小吃)

Locro de Papa @ Otavalo Market

(奧塔瓦洛市場·土豆奶酪雜燴)

Handicrafts @ Otavalo Market

(奧塔瓦洛市場·手工品)

Ponchos Plaza as the Centennial Market 

(龐喬斯市場·百年市場 03-30-2013)

Marketcomber @ Ponchos Plaza (龐喬斯市場·趕集人)

Otavalo Indigenous People (奧塔瓦洛原住民)

Otavalo Indigenous People @ Bus Station

(奧塔瓦洛原住民·等車)

Cotacachi, an Artisan City for Its Leather Goods & Handicrafts

(科塔卡奇·以皮革製品和手工藝品著稱的工匠之城)

Roast Guinea Pig for Lunch (午餐·烤豚鼠)

Hotel Patio Andaluz (安達盧斯“流浪者”天井酒店 03-30-2013)

列當、倒掛金鐘

漏斗菜、大波斯菊、金雞菊、馬纓丹

Crosslinks(相關博文):

Ecuador(出遊厄瓜多爾)

South America(漂流南美洲)

小學四年級(4th Grade)