The chivas (party buses) drive by all evening, blasting their Quiteno music, celebrating the establishment of Quito as a Spanish city in the 1500s. The bullfights have been canceled for the first time in 500 years, due to concerns about cruelty towards animals. The bullfights were the signature event of the celebration, and I had planned to participate as often as I could. Last time we were here for the fiestas, I spent a couple of days fascinated and horrified by the experience. This year, I decided to pursue the cultural events.
The day started early and exactly on time at 9 AM. Maya and I just walked out of our apartment building, and within a few minutes, found seats along the parade route. We had to pay a dollar each for the seats, because we needed to sit after an hour or so. Every school in the city had a marching band and baton twirlers, and drums pounded for the six hours! I liked the traditional dancing best, and there were colourful costumes from indigenous groups all around Quito. The sky over Pinchincha was an ominous grey, and I expected it to rain any minute. One of the onlookers nearby kept predicting rain, but the sun kept finding its way through the clouds, and at times it was sweltering. Maya and I began to fade after three hours, and I could not believe that most of the people watching stayed for the entire show. The music was marching music most of the time, but Quiteno and Andean music appealed to me more than the incessant banging.
While watching the offical parade on one side of Shyris, groups of protesters marched on the other side, under the watchful eye of regular and riot outfitted policemen. The Mejia high school students have been in a struggle with the authorities for years now, and they were in full force with their flags and insignias. There were other groups, but I did not want to lose my place in the crowd, and just took note of the counter parade.
Maya and I wandered to Quicentro for quiche at Cyranos and ice cream for Maya at Corfu and coffee for me at El Espanol. We watched a little more of the parade from a different vantage point, but decided to take a break, and while Maya practiced her violin, I listened and watched the parade from our terrace. It did start to rain when we left the parade, but not for long, and the crowds just pulled our their umbrellas and kept watching.
I was not sure of our plan for the afternoon. We took the Ecovia with the crowds going home from the parade, so the buses were packed. We disembarked at Simon Bolivar, near Alameda park and walked to San Blas, where a dessert market was supposed to be. I looked up my orario and confirmed that we were in the right place, but of course there was no sign of a festival of 'dulces Ecutoriano'. We walked to Teatro Sucre, up to Plaza de Independencia, and then to Santo Domingo, where we did find the dulces market, and tried a few typical Ecuadorian desserts. There were empanadas de viento filled with cheese, galletas with choice of jams or chocolate of manjar inside, helados de paila, cotton candy, sugar cane candies, spuma, and lots of baked goods. I bought delicious honey and stayed away from all the sweets.
We checked out a busy La Ronda and visited the shops looking for Christmas gift ideas. When we returned to Santo Domingo, we visited the church, and when we came out, a band was playing, and groups of local dancers poured in. Dancers and musicians from communities in and around Quito each danced in and competed for our attention. One group would attract the crowd for a while, until another would redirect us. I liked those in masks, whom I had seen with Eric once time in the same square. Later a group fom Tabacundo danced on stage. The women wore colourful skirts that twirled around, with matching scarves and embroidered blouses. A group of Colorados from Santo Domingo danced shirtless in their striped skirts. A mimed theatre/dance group from Pomaski near Mitad del Mundo put on a theatre show for us. A Pujili group showed us costumes and dance for Corpus Cristi. The final group was an African group from the coast, with entirely different music. Maya and I had a great time listening to the music and following the dancers around.
We missed a show at the Casa de la Cultura, because we were enjoying ourselves so much at Santo Domingo. The Centro Historico was full of revelers, with chivas everywhere, and now at home, I can hear them drive by, music blasting, celebrating the biggest event of the year. We have started our celebrations early, and I have a list of activities to participate in all week.
The day started early and exactly on time at 9 AM. Maya and I just walked out of our apartment building, and within a few minutes, found seats along the parade route. We had to pay a dollar each for the seats, because we needed to sit after an hour or so. Every school in the city had a marching band and baton twirlers, and drums pounded for the six hours! I liked the traditional dancing best, and there were colourful costumes from indigenous groups all around Quito. The sky over Pinchincha was an ominous grey, and I expected it to rain any minute. One of the onlookers nearby kept predicting rain, but the sun kept finding its way through the clouds, and at times it was sweltering. Maya and I began to fade after three hours, and I could not believe that most of the people watching stayed for the entire show. The music was marching music most of the time, but Quiteno and Andean music appealed to me more than the incessant banging.
While watching the offical parade on one side of Shyris, groups of protesters marched on the other side, under the watchful eye of regular and riot outfitted policemen. The Mejia high school students have been in a struggle with the authorities for years now, and they were in full force with their flags and insignias. There were other groups, but I did not want to lose my place in the crowd, and just took note of the counter parade.
Maya and I wandered to Quicentro for quiche at Cyranos and ice cream for Maya at Corfu and coffee for me at El Espanol. We watched a little more of the parade from a different vantage point, but decided to take a break, and while Maya practiced her violin, I listened and watched the parade from our terrace. It did start to rain when we left the parade, but not for long, and the crowds just pulled our their umbrellas and kept watching.
I was not sure of our plan for the afternoon. We took the Ecovia with the crowds going home from the parade, so the buses were packed. We disembarked at Simon Bolivar, near Alameda park and walked to San Blas, where a dessert market was supposed to be. I looked up my orario and confirmed that we were in the right place, but of course there was no sign of a festival of 'dulces Ecutoriano'. We walked to Teatro Sucre, up to Plaza de Independencia, and then to Santo Domingo, where we did find the dulces market, and tried a few typical Ecuadorian desserts. There were empanadas de viento filled with cheese, galletas with choice of jams or chocolate of manjar inside, helados de paila, cotton candy, sugar cane candies, spuma, and lots of baked goods. I bought delicious honey and stayed away from all the sweets.
We checked out a busy La Ronda and visited the shops looking for Christmas gift ideas. When we returned to Santo Domingo, we visited the church, and when we came out, a band was playing, and groups of local dancers poured in. Dancers and musicians from communities in and around Quito each danced in and competed for our attention. One group would attract the crowd for a while, until another would redirect us. I liked those in masks, whom I had seen with Eric once time in the same square. Later a group fom Tabacundo danced on stage. The women wore colourful skirts that twirled around, with matching scarves and embroidered blouses. A group of Colorados from Santo Domingo danced shirtless in their striped skirts. A mimed theatre/dance group from Pomaski near Mitad del Mundo put on a theatre show for us. A Pujili group showed us costumes and dance for Corpus Cristi. The final group was an African group from the coast, with entirely different music. Maya and I had a great time listening to the music and following the dancers around.
We missed a show at the Casa de la Cultura, because we were enjoying ourselves so much at Santo Domingo. The Centro Historico was full of revelers, with chivas everywhere, and now at home, I can hear them drive by, music blasting, celebrating the biggest event of the year. We have started our celebrations early, and I have a list of activities to participate in all week.
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