The Mango Solstice

One of the most common conversations I have with Ecuadorians is about seasons.

Because Ecuador is located on the Equator, it only has two seasons. People want to know what it's like to live in a climate that has four seasons.

I tell them that it's pretty great, but nothing compared to the two seasons they get in Ecuador.

Of course we get fall colors and spring blossoms in the States, but, the way I see it, one of Ecuador's seasons far surpasses any that the United States can offer.

Why is that?

Well, for me, the two seasons in Ecuador are Mango Season and NotMango Season. Mango Season refers to the time of year where you can reach into a tree down the street from your house for a big, juicy mango. There is really nothing like it.

Last week, I celebrated the Mango Solstice: the first Ecuadorian mango of the season. It was delicious.

There is always a great variety of locally produced fruits here: oranges, bananas, zapotes, and papayas (and those are just the kinds of fruit trees I can see from my front door). But in my mind, the mango reigns supreme.

The flavor, the juiciness, the experience, and the residue it leaves in your beard/mustache is just something very special.

For the next four or five months, I will be in mango heaven. I shall try to maintain a count for how many mangoes I consume this season. I'm already at five. (I know I've said this before, but I mean it for real this time)