La Dueña del Primer Piso

Did you know? Baking powder = polvo de hornear and Baking soda = bicarbonato.

While the first can be found in many grocery stores, the second is much harder to come by here. That is, until I found out that Ecuadorians just don’t use it in their cooking.

I was on a mission. A banana bread mission – to thank my hosts for their hospitality – and it called for bicarbonato. That’s how I met the dueña de la tienda en el primer piso del edificio donde vivo con Bárbara y Santi.

She sells just about anything and everything in her small corner store. From rice to candy, shampoo products to plastic cups and cigarettes, every item has its own little nook and cranny, small aisleways are about 2 feet wide and the lighting a bit dim. I had come looking for toothpaste and left 1 ½ hours later with bicarbonato and having had the pleasure of a good conversation with her and her two sons (standing in front of the cash register with my groceries in tow).

While the serranos are not necessarily as outgoing as their costeño counterparts, I’m finding that given the opportunity, they’ll talk to you for hours...especially if they find you have something interesting to say and can make them laugh. (Being able to laugh at and make fun of yourself is a quality most Quiteños respond well to. No perfectionists, please).