Quito: We're NOT in the States Anymore

So far, I have had two really distinctly unique experiences, and I am positive there is no USA equivalent.

Last week Saturday (30 Sept), there was this sort of birthday party/last hurrah before the official start with students for the school year. A combination between new and returning staff rode a Chiva around Quito for about one or two hours before stopping at our final destination. What is a Chiva, you might ask? Imagine you’re watching one of those reality TV shows where the “stars” are riding in a luxury bus to Las Vegas: stripper pole, drinks, music, and all. Now, imagine a flatbed truck that was converted into a bus: stripper pole, drinks, music, and all. When we boarded the bus, we were presented with whistles (yellow and blue for Ecuador) and cups on a string. Basically, it was a necklace to keep track of our cups as we traversed the bumpy and speed bump-loaded streets of Quito. Our cups, though small, were constantly filled with this common drink here called, I think, Canelazo. It’s this warm rum drink with different spices in it. When it starts to get chilly at night, this is the perfect drink to sip upon.

It was an unreal experience, especially as locals drove past. They took pictures, laughed, honked their horns, waved to us as we danced the night away. After the Chiva arrived to our destination, Bandido Brewery (LINK), in an to the directly to the east of Centro Historico. It really reminded me of home, with craft beers flowing and people enjoying great company. When I have visitors, it will definitely be on the list for things to take people to.

I had my next culturally distinct experience on Saturday the 6^th: Fiesta de Guapulo. As it turns out, this is a celebration that happens once a year to honor the Virgin Mary, and it happens in front of the church in the city’s region of Guapulo, a 15-minute walk down the side of a mountain from the Gonzalez Suarez neighborhood. Straight down. It’s a strange feeling making this walk because you can sense the change of architecture from modern to Spanish colonial. The narrow, cobblestone roads. The traditional buildings. The open square in front of the church. However, in this experience, the square was saturated to capacity with people. The music was playing and the people were dancing and eating.

Before I describe what actually happened, I should inform you on what I was told prior to seeing it with my own eyes. They bring out wooden structures that shoot fireworks out into the crowd, while people are running around it in a circle… and the people are getting whipped and pushed by people. Sound like a real thing? I really had to experience it for myself, out of respect naturally. The idea at first made me laugh so hard because I have never heard of such a thing and I couldn’t believe it.

We got down to Guapulo around 9 PM. A twenty-piece band was standing shoulder to shoulder on a stage while playing a never-ending song. Looking around, there were distinct groups of people in costumes, possibly representing a different factions or clans of this old section of the city. They were in costumes that were traditional Ecuadorian, or gorilla body suits, or funny-looking cowboys, or wearing elaborate headdresses. Some of them shared their own version of moonshine by filling it into a small cup on string (sound familiar). The only way to do it was open up and take it down.

After about 30 minutes of being there, the first wooden statue was carried out. Standing at about 20 feet, it carried a figure of the Virgin Mary and spinning wheels with fireworks attached to it (the fireworks weren’t going off yet). Over the next ten minutes, smaller wooden structures were carried out, while the music continued to play. Then it became a waiting game. It must have been close to 10-10:15 PM when the first firework was lite: a fountain, facing sideways, as to shoot out into the crowd. Seeing at it was tied onto a smaller structure, it was easy for its carrier to run through the crowd to allow the sparks to hit people in the face! While this was happening, roughly 200-300 people were run-dancing around the main statue. More and more fireworks were being lit, more and more people were run-dancing, and, all of a sudden, the people dressed in costumes were whipping the runners as they passed!

I hopped into the circle with a bunch of other people, resulting in getting whipped and pushed while making each revolution. After a few times around the circle, more fireworks were lit. I was being hit by the sparks, but thankfully my hair and clothes didn’t start on fire or burn. This went on for at least 45 minutes. Once it was finished, it started feeling late… but a second, slightly smaller statue was being carried out. Apparently, they do this three times total! Next year, I am going to make sure to see more of this event.

This was a time when it was definitely important to not have any valuables, or at least be smart about where you are keeping them. A couple of friends/new hires had their wallets stolen. At one point, I felt my front pocket being felt up where my wallet was, and I became increasingly more careful about my pocket contents. One of their wallets was recovered after the money had been taken, and it was returned to him. The other girl—not as lucky.

I have some insane videos from the experience... but I will upload those later once I have WIFI connection at home. I have been going to a Juan Valdez Cafe in the meantime so I can do work after school hours. 

I’ll be sharing more about the food once I have more diversity in my diet and have some traditional dishes. The food at school is amazing, though. For $2.77 incl. tax, I get a generous helping of meat, vegetables, fruit, rice, soup, and dessert. It’s going to be my Friday routine. I'll also share later more of my experiences at Colegio Americano in a later post. Everything is going well, and I am happy and healthy.