Manta to Portoviejo

Hats, Ceiba Trees and Vision Project

A statue of a woman weaving a hat in the center of Montecristi.  Years ago this was the place where the Panama hats were made.  The people were not making enough money making them so the industry died.  Now the old people are trying to teach the hat making techniques to the younger generation.  One hat may take a couple of months to weave.  They can only weave at certain hours of the day when the humidity is just right.  Notice how the statue is leaning on a piece of wood.  You will see a picture of a woman below weaving in the same position.

 

The Kapok or Ceibo tree (Ceiba trichistandra), is a tropical tree native to the drier regions of Ecuador and Peru in South America.

The flowers open during the nighttime and are pollinated by bats.  Usually, the trees flower every five years and only when the tree is leafless. This generally occurs during the dry season.  Fruits and seeds from the tree contain lightweight fibers that are water-repellent.
The ancient Maya of Central America believed that a great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth, connecting the terrestrial world to the spirit-world above.  The long thick vines hanging down from its spreading limbs provided a connection to the heavens for the souls that ascended them.  Even today, these grand trees are regularly spared when forests are cut — it is a common event to see lone, isolated Ceiba trees proudly spreading their shady branches high above a pasture or agricultural field, a relict of the great forests that once were there.
Ceibas have had a long commercial history.  During the 1940s the fluff, or kapok, that surrounds the seeds was harvested commercially for stuffing life preservers, seat cushions, mattresses and saddles. Being lighter than cotton, buoyant and resistant to saturation by water, it made an excellent filler for life preservers.  Until the middle of the 1900’s, nearly every stuffed life preserver and upholstered automobile seat was filled with kapok fibers.  As modern materials fell more in favor, demand for kapok fluff has fallen, and the Ceiba fruits are no longer harvested commercially. This is a blessing in disguise as deforestation of these trees has greatly diminished.
The trunks have been adapted for use as canoes.  Indigenous peoples traditionally prized the Ceiba for constructing enormous dugout canoes out of the tree’s large and cylindrical trunk.  The construction process normally takes months to complete, and may involve over a dozen men’s labor.  For many villages nestled in the forests of the tropical lowlands, these giant canoes provide the only connection to their neighbors and the rest of the world, as they are plied on the winding waterways of the rain forest.
While the wood of Ceiba is soft and light, and thus not suitable for furniture, it has been used commercially for pulpwood and plywood.   The low desirability of the wood however, may have been the Ceiba’s saving grace and one of the reason one still sees these giant trees gracing the tropical agricultural landscape.
The seeds of Ceiba are rich in oil (20%) and protein (26%).  The edible oil can also be used for soap and lighting while the “seed-cake” leftover after pressing for oil can be used to feed livestock.

Miriam and Dad.  She was the vice president from the foundation where we are doing our vision project for 2015.  Oh how I wished I could really talk to her because she seemed so full of life and personality.  She loved to give everyone a huge hug!!

Dad and Yolanda Loor who is the prsident of Fundacion Loor where we are doing our vision project in Portoviejo.  She is a dynamo and so sweet and caring to all who come to her foundation to get help with their eyes.

Yolanda and 2 of her coworkers who work with the blind children and their families.  She was showing us some books the children had made with the use of a braille machine.

The 3 doctors who work at Fundacion Loor and Bob and Shannon Christiansen, our vision specialists from SLC.  Notice I have to wear glasses now all the time.

Some poor homes in Portoviejo made out of bamboo on stilts.

A close up of the bamboo house.  Looks like some animals sleeping underneath the house.

 Panama Hats

 The straw in Panama hats comes from the leaves of the carludovica palmata or "paja toquilla", a type of palm indigenous to Ecuador. The art of weaving the straw has flourished along the Ecuadorian Coast since the 1600's. Over generations, master craftsmen perfected many of the delicate weaves we see in only the finest Panama hats. The exemplary Panama must be nearly flawless, of good color and consistent weave, exhibiting numerous enjiras, concentric or spiraling patterns radiating outward from the center of the crown. The body must be supple and delicate, yet strong. Unfortunately, the masters of this craft are now passing into old age and due to modern Ecuadorian economy, few are taking their place.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAjZ2cnqu9A

Visiting a tienda that makes and sells hats.  You can see the woman on the right who is making one.  Diego our chauffer on the far right.  He was so nice and loved telling us about the area.

My good looking man trying on a hat!!  The hats are so soft they can be rolled up and put in a container to be put in a suitcase and taken home.

Dad trying on a partially finished hat.  We all had quite a laugh!!  His new hairdo!

This is a fruit from a tagua tree.  Inside are the seeds which the people here make jewelry from in all different colors.  I need to buy some!!

 Tagua Uses
Before the introduction of inexpensive plastic buttons, about 20% of buttons manufactured in the United States were made from tagua nuts. In the 1920's tagua exports brought $5 million per year into Ecuador. Conservation International and other ecological groups have been instrumental in increasing the number of major companies who are once again using tagua, a sustainably harvested natural resource, for buttons.

The Tagua Nut, commonly known as "vegetable ivory", earned its name from its ivory-like color and texture. With the near extinction of animal ivory, tagua nuts have become a highly valued commodity by artisans and consumers alike. In Ecuador, tagua is skillfully carved by artisans into figurines, keychains, Christmas ornaments, jewelry and boxes.

 

Here she is weaving the hat just like the pose of the statue.  One of these handmade hats can sell for a couple hundred dollars.

A closer look at the weaving.  They are really beautiful!!

A sign about the hat weaving.

Good bye to Montecristi.  We will be back soon!!