Sunday, September 5, 2010

One more night in Quito

Tonight was awesome. I didn't make it to the bus today as it took far longer then expected to get a cell phone and internet stick, but I called my family and told them I would arrive tomorrow, and its no big deal. It turned out to be well worth it.
After an Ecuadorian lunch of roasted and fried pig, and the cell phone debaucle, I returned to the house, where I met Shiram, Sisima's sister. She invited me to join her and a friend on a trip to Guapolo, a very historic area which turns into party-central at night. It was thundering when we left, but stopped within a half hour, before we got to Guapolo. After parking we walked less then two hundred meters and stumbled upon a giant concert in the middle of a square in front of a beautiful famous church (which is a famous landmark of Guapolo, which may actually be Guapola). There was a full twenty person band, all in blue zoot-suits playing spanish brass ensemble music with a little bit of a faster beat. In front of the band were hundreds of people dancing around. Before we even got there three people in full gorilla costumes passed us. I saw a fellow in a Guy Fox mask later on, as well as various other costumes. There was a sculpture of a cow which shot plumes of indiscriminate sparks onto the crowd in every direction which several men were carrying dancing around. It was basicaly paper-mache covered with fireworks, I don't know how it didn't go up in flames, although later on I saw one catch on fire.
Behind the crowd of a few hundred (which grew to around a thousand around midnight) were various stands selling food. Miguel, a friend with us bought an ear of roasted corn dipped in cheese, which was delicous. We wen't to climb up a hill to a bar, but decided it was too far and ended up in a dingy little joint with Bob Marley, Sublime, and Dylan posters right next to the square. This turned out to be a great decision as the party in the square turned out to have three successive giant towers, which appeared to be built of exclusively fireworks and paint. Each one at least 40 feet tall, they shot sparklers and fireworks into the air (and into the crowd, and I mean actual fire works shooting directly into people). I got a small burn a solid forty feet away, so I have no idea how the people dancing directly around the tower survived, but I guess it was ok because they were all drunk.
After a few beers I got some roasted pork, straight off a whole pig, with some fried mashed potato pancakes and boiled corn (2$), as well as some cheese filled sugar crusted giant empanadas (2 for 50c). All this was delicious. There was a very popular drink which I tried but i am blanking on the name of, which is basically grain alcohol and cinnamon lemon-soup. I saw some guys in the back of the bar pouring this soup into empty beer bottles and adding booze, and I gave em a big thumbs up. The pot of soup had carrots and cinnamon in it and who knows what else. I didn't look too closely, but it was served warm (and its chilly, 8 degrees C when we left) and is delicious.  After the third tower shot its last sparks and the final third degree burns were administered, we finished our beers and headed back into the city, with a backdrop of lights sparkling over the hillsides of Quito. Pretty great.
wasn't safe to bring a camera, sorry no pictures. I'll post some soon.

3 comments:

  1. Sparkler cows that burst into flame while towers built of fireworks rain third-degree burns onto the crowd? Sounds like Ecuadorians know how to party :)

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  2. Sounds surreal and incredible. ALso like you are having a fantastic time.

    PS: Mater is mom right?

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