Manta Ecuador,where we separate and go our own ways

 

Albert got on the bus early (5am) this morning and heads to the airport for his flight to the Galopogus Islands to view the jungle there and experience Charles Darwin .. I am staying on the ship and will leave for an excursion I have been very excited about… hat weaving!Today is the day I get to see the world’s master weaver’s family and see just how the “panama Hats” ( not really made in Panama EVER) is woven. We will be heading to a small town outside of Manta and to the home of Don Simon Espinal who is the world’s best hat weaver. As a former weaver of baskets using all types of material, I cant tell you how excited I am for this opportunity! 

I only took a few picture as we drove through the city..I was more interested in the countryside. And besides, these cities are starting to look alike here in central and South America. 

This is morning traffic. The afternoon traffic on the return was much much more.

Within minutes we were traveling out of the city into the countryside. There was a variety of housing, many made of bamboo as it allows more movement of air along with being stilted to prevent flooding of the house. Currently we are in the dry season for the country…

 

 

We would rapidly change climate from ocean to desert (kind of) then to forest. All due to altitude changes. 

 

Cactus!

The entrance into the village of Pile`. 

Can you guess what they make in this village??

A local playground for the children paid for by the community of weavers from their earnings.

As we got off the bus to walk up the street to Don Simone` s house we were met with this… a French family with three children who are traveling around South America! I looked them up on You-Tube and you can see their adventures! Too bad I don’t speak French because I bet they have lots of stories to tell! 

Now that’s an Overland Jeep!

The local church

Walking the street to Don Simone’s home

Local chickens papayas

Barking dogs.. running right at us,barking and growling

Heading up to the house. Nothing special considering the occupant produces hats that cost upwards of 25,000 dollars…He often makes only three or four hats a year.

Since Don Simone was in Italy on a business trip, his father (82) and son (20?) will be showing us the process. The father can weave 30-40 strands per inch and the son is weaving 52-54 strands per inch so very possibly he will exceed his father in quality at some point in his life. the palm leaves of only a certain kind will work. They are harvested and split into fine threads. The splitting is done with a fingernail. It has to be very,very thin.

The threads are dried and only wet with the fingertips while being woven into the hat .our guide is holding one of the molds that are used to form the ship of the hat. Many of the molds are stacked on top of each other to provide enough stability while the weaving is done.

The weavers lean over the molds ,using a small pillow to help relieve the stress in their chests and back, and they weave in this position for 5-6 hours.. 5 OR 6 HOURS!!!! 

Here is the center start for a hat. It is so fine that you could mistake it for fabric. 

 

 

This was a most amazing thing to witness. The UNESCO committee has proclaimed the process of hat making here a heritage activity. 

A picture of Don Simone and his family taken in 2015.

After getting a lesson from the men here, we leave the house and head to a former private weaving school. Although the school ran out of funds, they opened it to us so we could see it. Students were given lessons in hat weaving for free to encourage the continuation of the skill. Most of the community does weave hats now. 

Our tour guide with Fidel, the administrator of the school

The school just bought this steamer 4 months ago to encourage the local artisans to use and be able to keep that part of the process here at Pile instead of sending it out to pressers in Montecristo. It will help them return more income back to the weavers themselves rather than give to the middlemen.  So far they have been able to use the proceeds of the machine to put in a community playground and helping where ever needed in the community.

Here is a hat that haw been steamed and i awaiting trimming of the edge

Close ups of the weaving

After the visit to Pile` we were taken to a resort for our lunch. It was a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean and dining al fresco.

Our welcome cocktail

The napkin

A fish done three ways.. raw,seared and crunchy skin

Fish with a purée of squash and peppers

Or giant shrimp with the squash

A mango fluffy light desert

After a great lunch we were given a surprise.. our very own Montecristo panama hat! BTW did you know the name is a misnomer… the hat was alsways made in Ecuador and brought to Panama by the men who worked on the canal to give them shade.. Teddy Roosevelt liked the hat and not knowing any better thought it was made in Panama and gave it that name.!It was NEVER made in Panama!

A table full of hats 

My hat with its monogrammed hatband. The best souvenir ever!

After lunch we headed back to the ship . This time the traffic was a bit worse than when we left in the early morning

We saw beautiful scenery

Fishing boats

And seaside villages on our trip home to the ship

My day was fantastic and I hope Albert had a good day as well. I received one picture from him

Of a saddleback turtle. He will be off the ship for four days and return when we leave the port of Lima… I’ll get his adventure for next blog!While I wait for him to return to the ship I will be busy playing Mahjong, attending the Polliwog ceremony for those of crew and passengers who have crossed the Equator for the first time, attend a few lectures and watch for wildlife…