Fiestas de Saquilsili

A colleague at the Universidad Tecnica de Cotopaxi was kind enough to invite me (months ago) to the fiestas of his hometown, Saquisili, which culminated yesterday in a big parade and fairly epic street party.  The town's fiestas pay tribute to the Virgen and all she provides, showcase local music, and celebrate Ecuador's favorite beer: Pilsener.   (Yesterday somone informed me of the fact that if Ecuador were ever to change its name, it would change to "Pilsener."  Somehow I don't think they were kidding too much.)  We left shortly after noon, arriving in Saquisili with two other companeros from the university.  We ate lunch at Carlos' sister's home and when we arrived, we were immediately seated in a living room filled with the sounds and visual distraction of a New Kids on the Block DVD ("Baby I Believe in You," live Jordan Knight solo, complete with a white linen shirt, unbuttoned and billowing in front of a crowd of screaming 12 year-olds; incredible).  As usual, my vegetarian tendencies upset the older generation at lunch, forcing Carlos' 89 year-old uncle to scoff and scowl at my refusal to eat the chicken soup.  Because it is common knowledge here that chicken is not meat.  It's chicken.  ("It smells so good, but no thank you.  No really, no thank you.  Thank you, no.") 



This is meat.  Chicken doesn't fall into the same wheelbarrow as pigs and cows. 

After lunch, we joined Carlos' amazing and generous family on the curb to watch the parade.  In this tiny town, where everyone smiles and beers are shared with strangers and family alike, the typical Ecuadorian parade seemed especially charming.  I'm sure I was the only "outsider" in the town yesterday, and I felt honored to share the party with Carlos (one-time Ecuadorian National Boxing Champion) and his family. 

This white stuff is basically Silly String, but wetter, stickier, and without the "string."  By the end of the day, no one had been spared a dousing.  The crowd's favorite places to spray it: in one's eyes, in one's mouth, in the hood of my jacket.

Later, after the parade, the crowd gathered in the main square.  The smells were of beer (mostly), fried things (tortillas, empanadas, y chancho frito - fried pork), and sulphur from fireworks. 

Saquisili's main square as the parade finished up.

As the sun set, the crowd got a little messier.  People drink here.  They start early on fiesta days and don't stop until they have run out of energy, Pilsener, or music.  On every block, a different sound system blared popular music and revelers formed fabulous little dance parties.  Bandstands were set up on tiny one-way streets and in the plazas and throngs of salsa-dancing Ecuadorians enjoyed the brassy sounds of 12-piece bands until late in the evening.  This may be hard to imagine for some, but try (because it's pretty incredible): One can wander down a street, dancing the entire way, stopping to stay in front of a storefront that happens to be playing a song you like, and then continuing on to the next party where maybe the sound is better or the crowd won't let you pass through.  It's surreal, and when my colleague Pablo asked me, "Why don't you have parties like this in Alaska?" I didn't have a good answer.  We should. 

With the boxing champ.

With Pablo and Mayra, language professor friends from the university.