Can You Put Milk In A Keurig

few days in the community of San Francisco

It is now three days that I am based in the community of San Francisco a few miles from Riobamba. I live in the community house Capari Quilla. Pierrick father lives there now for 12 years. He helped build and design the house but he does not own. It belongs to the women of the community. San Francisco is surrounded by 20 other communities. Each is composed of 50 to 100 houses.

Pierrick lives surrounded by several volunteers. Charlotte and Thomas first couple of veterinarians in the community for two years. It involved almost daily in neighboring communities. I was able to attend a morning in the community of Asuncion. Then Ethienne water specialist who works with the water agency in France also came voluntarily. He is interested in water issues and especially the problem of irrigation. And finally Manon agronomy student involved in food production projects. All involved to help raise awareness and educate the communities.

Pierrick is the pastor of Calpe. It gives a daily Mass in the village for Métis and natives who live and go to Calpe. It was not always obvious for him to able to adapt to two audiences. Racism is strong between indigenous and mestizo, mixed some even going to forget their native origins. A few months ago a census of the population has been mobilized 300,000 youth for the investigation. Nevertheless the results are biased in advance if we consider here the origin is a point of view. There is indeed likely that the Métis do not declare themselves indigenous.

The latter, who feel more important, impose their will. Several times the father of Pierrick has to bow to their demand for to mass at the time they choose. He explains that this is the only way to make things easier and to satisfy everyone.

The view from Quilla Pacari is fantastic. You can see the Altar, the Tungurahua volcano, the second highest in Ecuador, Chimborazo, the tallest. According to legend, Chimborazo and Tungurahua had a son on Carihuarazo.
Off Tungurahua spit its smoke and ashes. For several days he is back in business. This is the most active volcano and the most watched in Ecuador. Already in 2009, residents of Banos, the town situated at the foot of the volcano had been evacuated to the nearby city Puyo. This year the scale is not the same but some steps have been taken. Climbing the volcano has been banned until further notice. However the landscape is no less surreal especially near Riobamba, where the view is even more incredible. At night the inhabitants of Banos can see the streams of lava flowing from the crater of the volcano. Since Pacari Quilla is a little more difficult.

Around San Francisco as in the whole valley hundreds of plots draw the scenery. The region is predominantly agricultural. Each inhabitant has distributed some land here and there. Reunification policies are planned which will facilitate the cultivation of these plots and improved productivity. However these are difficult to apply now. The natives cultivate potato, quinoa, tomatoes, strawberries, rice throughout the valley.

The first day I'm leaving in the afternoon walk in the hills of San Francisco. From the top we saw the whole valley of Riobamba and the valleys of San Juan and Guaranda. Soils, origin volcanic sand and very little organic matter compounds. The land is very permeable. Water is a real problem for communities. Studies are being made to explain the origin of the water used by residents for irrigation. A major part of their water from the melting glacier Volcan Chimborazo. The other part of rainwater, although the level of rainfall remains low with 500 ml per year. With global warming the ice is changing. His days are numbered. According to studies the glacier will be gone in about 50 years when he is at the moment the main source of water for local communities with much of the water from melting snow and rain. Meanwhile the main problem remains the distribution of water for irrigation purposes. A canal system was set up to distribute power to turn water channeled upstream from San Francisco. Studies are being made to fund works to improve the network in order to achieve a more even distribution and better organized.

Thursday I went to the market Guamote. All communities in the region there make doing business and sell their crops for the week. It is held as a animal fair is the place most folk market. Pigs and sheep in the midst of a teeming crowd electric. Prices are firm battles. It must be said that a purchase is therefore for the community. Prices vary between 120 and 200 U.S. dollars a beast. I even at the crowd. Here here and here customers leave with their newly acquired animals that scream endlessly showing their fear and refusal to go further. But the strength of man prevails. Along grids animals are piled alongside us to others feet bound so they do not go away.

The colors are everywhere. Women more than men still wear traditional clothing made in the bottom of a skirt and top Anako a tunic held by a belt. However in general even in communities holding traditional disappears in favor of Western clothes. Improved roads and infrastructure and proximity to villages with the cities has changed a lot. The direction and future of new generations is modified, for example. If more children participate in youth farm work, later big they only dream to go.

Returning market I prepared my ascent of Chimborazo for tomorrow. Yves I met in Bogota and with whom I am here told me about a "cutter ice" with which one could climb to Volcano. Arriving in Quilla Pacari, I discussed with Father Balthazar tells me about the last ice cutter volcano Chimborazo. The latter lives in some communities here. I go visit him to arrange the day tomorrow. Balthazar is still arriving at Chimborazo. I arrange the appointment early in the morning with his daughter.