Ecuador 5: Anita

One night I went to a town soccer extravaganza- boys followed by women followed by men. They were playing on concrete! Of course the newly crowned "Reina" (Queen) of the town was in attendance, prominently seated in the middle of the sidelines. They have queens for everything down here and they always wear their tiara and sash at public functions. At the game I saw Juanita's friend Anita, one of my favorites from last time. She invited me to visit her for dinner the next evening. So I brought Lizeth and Maria Jose with me, and we trekked out to the edge of town, covering ourselves in dust. Anita and her husband just bought their first home and it is in bad shape, but they are really proud. But they beamed as they showed me their tomato garden and prepared a bag for me to take with me. The view from the hammock on the front porch was the best I saw in the town- you could see Yamana shadowed by the green hills behind it. They just got lights, and have an outdoor bathroom. Like many homes, they have one large room that serves as a bedroom and dining room for all. Husband is out of work, and they are in incredible debt. "La vida es dura" Anita told me. Life is hard.