Sometimes you run into someone and you just know, I have a connection with this person, without a word being spoken.
Today I had a special encounter with a woman in ‘La Basilica Voto Nacional’ in Quito. A small woman, to me, with a blush on her cheeks, lights in her eyes and a small child in her arms. She had just climbed quite a few stairs to reach the plateau where Arjan and I are sitting, catching our breath over a cup of drink.
I look at her, see the fire in her eyes, the smile on her face, and the rosy cheeks from the strenuous climb. We look at each other and nod. I think, wow… respect for you. I struggle enough with myself just going up those stairs, let alone with a child in my arms. Behind her, a beautiful, older, traditional woman walks in. Thick black braid, black skirt, colorful headscarf draped around her, and a beautiful black hat on her head. And surrounding her is a slightly taller man, still small to us. He has a different appearance. American-Mexican, we find out later.
The lady is very eager to have her picture taken with me, and a strange situation arises where we are. Because on the plateau, you are only allowed to take photos if you buy a drink. The café is decorated with decorations, and you are not allowed to just take a picture of that. Unless you pay for it. It is a weird situation. Due to the woman’s language barrier—she speaks Quechua and not Spanish—the local waitress cannot communicate well with her. While I understand that she wants a photo with me and not necessarily with the café’s surroundings.
After quite a verbal sparring match and money being thrown across the table to buy ‘drinks,’ she comes to stand next to me for the photo. The American-Mexican completes the story.
The American-Mexican man has just arrived in Ecuador from America. He is in a relationship with the woman’s sister. He has come over for a short week. He wants to ask the parents for permission to marry the sister in America; to ask for her hand. His future fiancée isn’t with him, because if she leaves America, she isn’t allowed to return. He has just been picked up from the airport by the sister, with her child and mother. They live a few hours’ drive from the airport, in the mountains, and speak not Spanish, only Quechua. Before heading to the mountains, he wants to visit some tourist attractions. And he has brought his future in-laws along.
The woman, with her child and mother, has also been to the tourist attractions in Quito before. And you can see that the woman is eagerly soaking everything up. And I think I am the first tall, white woman she has encountered. She wants to capture all the day’s experiences and therefore also wants to have her picture taken with me. A very special encounter.
Of course, I also asked to take a photo with my camera, and Arjan is standing right there. Back home, Arjan looks at the photos and sees what I see too. She really clicked with me. How beautiful can an encounter be?
A few days later, when we are visiting other places, Arjan says, “If that woman from the cathedral had invited you to go into the mountains with me, you surely would have done it.” My answer is, of course. The special thing about traveling is not just seeing beautiful places, but also having special encounters. This is one I won’t soon forget.
What is an encounter to you?
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