Sangolqui was Bust

Sangolqui is a market town located about 15 kilometers from Quito. We went there today (Sunday) with the hope of satiating the shopping bug that has taken hold of Rebecca since her mother arrived in town. But, the market was a general produce market (which I would have known if I could only remember what I read). So, all we were able to buy was some strawberries (for a buck), four papayas (also a buck), fifteen tangerines (a buck), a dozen tomatoes (a buck) and a pineapple (I think that was a buck too). If I was hell-bent on spending cash, even I wouldn't consider that a very satisfying shopping day.

Here is a picture of Opa wondering if just one bag of garlic will be enough.



And a picture of PoPo in her version of heaven, hundreds of dead stinky fish on a table.



And here is a picture of Maya picking out dinner. Yes, those are cuy in the near basket. And no, they aren't there to be brought home and made into pets.

Anyway, to add to our general disappointment with the shopping scene, two bad things happened while we were there.

The first bad thing that happened is that Rebecca had her wallet stolen. While we were chowing down on fried fish in a crowded market stall, someone slashed her purse without her knowing, reached in and took her wallet (which contained our credit card, ATM card, and her drivers license) and the case for our camera. Fortunately, the camera was in another pocket in her purse and not in its case, so we still have it - as evidenced by this photo that we took immediately after she tried to pay for our lunch and realized someone had been snooping in her purse. You can see the gash in the side of the bag. Opa was perplexed that such a thing could happen. And yes, Rebecca did call him in the morning to see if he was going to wear his blue striped shirt.

We had been warned about the slash and grab technique as far back as India - which we visited in 1998. Not only are pickpockets a concern in crowded places, but one must be cognizant of the slash and grab. In a slash and grab, someone will cut a purse or backpack with a razor, grab whatever valuables fall out, and take off. In this case, the slash was only just large enough for a hand to reach in, and a small hand at that. I couldn't get my hand in the slash that was cut. So, we wondered if a child was in cahoots with whomever did the slashing. Or even if a child was the sole culprit.

Her purse was slung over her head and shoulder but laying to her back side as she ate. Afterwards, Rebecca said that she felt tugging on her purse at one point while she was eating, moved the purse to her front but then felt she was being an overcautious gringo.

We think that she only had $11 bucks in her wallet (which begs the question - was she serious about doing serious shopping today?). We called the credit card company as soon as we got back to the apartment and no charges had been made. Which isn't surprising. Every time I use the credit card the clerk asks for ID and really looks at it. That's quite a novelty from the custom in the States.

We also checked the account from which our ATM funds are withdrawn, and the only one depleting it is us. Here are some picture of us on the bus back to Quito. Maya wasn't interested in having her picture taken.




Our new cards should be here this coming week. It's a hassle, but not the end of the world. I'm pretty sure Rebecca is most upset that 1) the wallet (more of a change purse) that was stolen was one that she really liked that she got in Thailand and 2) her purse is ruined. On the bright side, it gives her an excuse to be in the market for a new purse.

Maya was asking questions about why someone would slash Mommy's purse and steal what was in there. Rebecca told her that some people do things that are bad for other people. Sometimes, people do bad things for evil reasons, and sometimes they do them out of necessity. Maya has seen the kids her age and younger working sales of trivial objects at intersections. She knows that it is a hard life for some people here in Ecuador.

Even at my advanced age, it was kind of surreal to see the slashed purse and understand what happened. But, when I think about it in context, I can see why we should have been more careful in Sangolqui not to let this happen. It was a local produce market. Local people come here to buy their sustenance for the week. Besides us, I don't recall seeing one gringo in Sangolqui today. It was nearly the exact opposite of the market in Otavalo, which had elements of local necessity, but was primarily geared towards tourists. So, in Sangolqui, there is no consequence to the overall reputation of the market among tourists. If you slash and steal from enough tourists, word will spread and they won't come back. But so what? We spent about five bucks there today. However, in Otavalo, protection of the reputation of the market is paramount. They can't afford too many thefts because they need tourists to come and feel safe. In that case, there is no need to slash and steal from us because we will buy the stuff that is for sale. So, we are less likely to have our stuff stolen in Otavalo, even though we may be careless, than we are in Sangolqui. Maybe that theory is all BS, and we just were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it's one way to think about it. And, I'm sure we will all be more careful, wherever we are, in the future.

The other bad news we got when we returned to the apartment. PoPo's mom, Rebecca's grandmother, died in Hong Kong. Sci-PoPo (Maya and Jonah's great-grandmother) was ailing, and her death at this time is not a complete surprise, but just this morning, PoPo got a report from her brother that Sci-PoPo was maintaining at the level of health that she was at. That was good news. So the news was somewhat shocking, and of course, whenever anyone loses a dearly loved one, heartbreaking.

I met Sci-PoPo in November 2000 when Rebecca and I had the Hong Kong version of our wedding. She was 90 and robust at the time. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures on the computer to post from October 2003, when Maya went to Hong Kong to meet Sci-PoPo and put the finishing touches on walking. Though, I know we have actual pictures of the two of them together. We must only have had a 35 mm camera at that time. We are sorry that Jonah never got to meet Sci-PoPo. The report is that she died peacefully in her sleep, at the ripe age of 96, so we are thankful for that.

To add to the feeling of gloom, we will be missing PoPo and Opa when they fly to Hong Kong for the funeral in a few days. Not sure how long they will be gone, but they have promised that they will return to Ecuador for the remainder of their scheduled visit. That's a bright spot.