Fiestas in Quito
Trip Start
Sep 24, 2008
1
5
41
Trip End
Ongoing
Quito,
Ecuador
Saturday, December 6, 2008
This past week has been a week of fiestas in Quito. December marks a month of celebration. The first week is filled with dancing, music and food. December 5th marks the end of the week long concentrated celebration...the weekend of the finally is when the real fun begins. Last night was forever memorable. In our country our streets fill in central locations for New Years eve. The Space needle is where the biggest crowd gathers. Quito trumps our celebration...and new years eve has not come yet. At about five last night I was adding a blog to my page...the sun had left and heavy rain followed. I thought this would damper the party. Three hours later the streets were dry...people began leaving their homes in search of block parties. Music blares around every corner. A warm sangria eske drink fills everyone´s stomach and dancing is required. I left our apartment with Johnny and William, Benito´s brother and his good friend. We met up with Johnny´s girlfriend and little sister being accompanied by their mom. Our first passing of the street was a bit calm, a DJ was mixing salsa and meringue with two speaker towers and a soundboard. The streets were beginning to show life. When I left the Internet cafe about 6:30 I wouldn´t have believed that there would be as many people as there were.
We strolled down the main street in the barrio, taking a left we began a slow climb up a hill where there was supposed people and music. Coming to the crest, we turned into an alley teaming with people. Street vendors lined the walls selling food and trago. Making our way through the thick crowd we descended into a school yard volleyball court. There were two stages and about two thousand people packed into an area about the size of a basketball court.
After a bit of conversation with our lady companions they warmed to my Spanish and smile. A short description of the people as a huge smile earns mega kudos. The MC riled the crowd with free booze...given to anyone who had the guts to represent the various adjectives he was throwing out and make their way to the stage. This was followed by a dance with young people who circled a bottle of sangria with ribbon. After many trips around the bottle it was secure enough to be suspended by the dancers ribbon in hand. The bottle was opened and followed by waves of movement by the dancers sending drink into the air and the crowd. I wish I had my video camera the entire night.
Music ensued the crowd danced in a drunken state of national pride. Viva Quito was shouted at every opportunity. I love the people here. Peace and a mentality of community was shared with every face that I met. I was the only gringo in the crowd. Heads bobbed at my shoulders and smiles were constant throughout the night.
The dance of choice was more or less meringue. With a simple moving of the hips you can fit in with out questioning glances. I danced for hours with the young ladies´ mom. The music changed constantly, keeping the theme of Quito strong with every new band. Trumpets, Spanish and a quick beat were present with every new group to take center stage. As the night pressed on fireworks were brought to the middle of the crowd. There are no safety precautions taken. The fireworks are woven through a large paper mache structure and held but a man...absolutely faded...and danced around an opening made in the crowd. Moments after the first set was lit the man´s jacket was on fire, a friend patted it out...the man thought his friend was patting him on the back, encouraging him. Ignorant of the flames and his burnt jacket, he danced harder. This spectacular was brilliant. Fireworks shot into the crowd...no one panic-ed, simply extinguished and turned their attention back to the dancer lighting up the sky.
After a few hours and another fireworks display we moved on.
Leaving the alley we walked back down the hill to the familiar street. On our way we passed another block party. It is amazing how the streets fill with people. Motivations only to find other faces and dancing. As we came up to the street where the first DJ I had seen was just starting, we were greeted by what looked to be another couple thousand people. It blows my mind to view some of the thing that I have witnessed here. People told me that people gathered and danced throughout the streets during the fiestas of this weekend. To be in the scale that they are is ming boggling. We met up with Benito and Rita in the street. Sangria began to flow more frequently as the night pressed on. At twelve O'Clock it seemed as if the night was just beginning. More dancing brightened the night...smiles and shouts of Viva Ecuador were plenty. My Spanish has gotten better, good enough that last night a man...although drunk...thought that I couldn´t speak English well as he tried to practice in his in a mix of both our languages. Surprisingly I was encouraged with smiles and thumbs up as Rita and I danced to a mix of Columbian, Ecuadorian and drum and bass music. They move their feet so quickly...hard to emulate, but improvement on my part to say a bit in my defense. I had way too much fun last night...the fiesta continues all of today and through the night...all of Quito will rest on Sunday.
I am falling in love with this culture...but movement is necessary. Rodrigo will be taking me to Cuenca, his home town, in the next week. From there I will spend a bit of time in Machala, followed by a 30 hour bus ride to Lima. I cannot wait to return to the friends I have made here. Making a surprise of my return is going to be so much fun.
