Nestled down some 247 stairs from Gonzalez Suarez is the quaint neighborhood of Guápulo. Coined
"artsy and bohemian" this cool
barrio is rumored to have the best ceviche in Quito, along with a number of cozy cafés and restaurants. Generally
un lugar tranquilo, each 7th of September Guápulo kicks it up a notch as
canelazo drinking, crazy masked dancing and fireworks shooting ensue.
This, mi familia y amigos, is the Fiestas de Guápulo...
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| Que suerte that I now live 5 minutes walking distance from all these crazy cats. |
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| Entering the scene. Shenanigans will begin shortly... |
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| ...but food comes first. Choclo con queso...by far my favorite Ecuadorian food. |
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| Luke, Cait (my new vecinos), Patrick and Charles are ready for the show. |
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| Chris, Alli and Mark displaying their enthusiasm as well. |
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| This is just the beginning. |
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| Lighting up the night. |
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| Big structures are set a-sparkling and a-spinning. |
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| This would never fly in the States...perhaps for good reason, but all of the pyrotechnics sure make for a jolly good time. |
While I did enjoy the show, I am still something of a cautious woman and so I stayed out of the dancing ring around the sparkling structures. The unfortunate piece of this is I was not able to capture the people dressed up as animals snapping whips, or those donning crazy masks, but I also left the scene with all of my hair and possessions. Tradeoffs.
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| As mentioned above, one must walk down a number of stairs to reach las fiestas, which means one must also climb back up...after more choclos con queso for good energy. |
Yep, it was quite the enjoyable weekend here in Quito, also thanks in part to Michelle and her apple pancakes with Canadian maple syrup, a working DVD player where I can view my favorite films, and a Sunday walk around La Carolina with Alli. Now off to make some creamy veggie curry for Ana...
Abrazos from abroad,
Jame
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