Well, it´s Good Friday, or Viernes Santo as they say in Quito. And it´s a pretty big deal. I decided to go down to the historic Center by myself and check out the famous procession "Jesus del Gran Poder." In the first spot I picked I ended up being almost suffocated and trampled on by a crowd. I´m actually not kidding. I was crying out in pain and screaming for help and for about 30 seconds I thought I might die. Luckily I am tall by Ecuadorian standards and the crowd pushed me to edge where I was able to get out and find a different spot.
The parade itself was incredibly bizarre but really cool because it was so different than anything else I´ve ever seen. Almost everyone in the parade wore these giant robes with hoods and tall pointed caps. Sound familiar? They basically all looked like they were straight out of the Klu Klux Klan except that the robes they wore were purple, not white. Also many of them were carrying giant photographs or statues of Jesus and crosses. There were also a large number of people dressed as Jesus, complete with crown of thorns, fake blood and bare feet. They carried crosses some of which were HUGE. Many other people carried whips and a stinging nettle type of plant with which they beat themselves. One guy had a cactus strapped to his back and two others I saw were wearing barbed wire. I haven´t gotten a decent explanation of all of this yet, but the general idea is that these people are atoning for their sins and begging forgiveness from Jesus who died for all of our sins. It´s kind of a tribute to Jesus as well as a period of shame and atonement for all us sinners.
For once the weather here in Quito is gorgeous and I just can´t get enough. What I hate about sunshine here is that it is SO rare and fleeting that whenever there is sunshine I feel guilty if I´m not enjoying every waking second of it. I have no problem with clouds or rain, but I will admit that so far Quito has been oppressively chilly, cloudy, and rainy. Hopefully this nice weather will help ease my withdrawl from the beach where I have spent the last week.
For our first stop on spring break we went to Puerto Lopez which turned out to be kind of a dusty, quiet fishing port. In some ways I liked it better because it was less touristy and felt more lived in. It was also very quiet. Our second day there we went out on a boat ride with some Italians from our hostal. We fished (I caught one!) and then our captain made fresh ceviche for lunch from our catch. We took the boat to a nearby island and swam to shore. We also tried to snorkel a little but the water was too murky. The boat ride was probably my favorite thing we did the whole trip. I wish my family were water people because I just love boating and bodies of water!
After two days there we headed to Montanita where we ended up spending the rest of our time. Montanita was very different. It is famous for its surfing and was filled with foreigners - we made friends with some other Americans, Colombians, and Venezuelans while we were there. The dancing wasn´t great there, but there was definitely a night life in Montanita and lots of touristy restaurants with Happy Hours, etc. This was definitely the first time I feel líke I´ve spent spring break the way a college student is stereotypically supposed to - partying at the beach. The weather was wonderful and my first time in the Pacific was pretty great. It really wasn´t cold at all and the waves weren´t as big as I thought they would be. That said, Montanita is also known for its riptides. Two people drowned while I was there and I witnessed the second man being dragged to shore by a surfer. Not an image I am going to forget anytime soon. I decided to skip the surf lessons.
Other differences at the beach in Ecuador - more garbage, fewer lifeguards (as in virtually none) and lots of dogs. Some of the dogs were annoying strays but some were pets and it was soooo cute to watch them swim in the waves! I still hold a torch for the Jersey shore, lol, but I think that is more because of the great company I keep when I am there. I miss everyone, but most especially family. I am half way done with the program this coming Thursday or Friday. I can´t decide if it has gone by fast, or if I am going to die of homesickness before the end.
3 comments:
i know what you mean about the guys looking like kkk members! it takes a little while to get used to. in morocco, a lot of men wear white or beige jellabas, and when they put their hoods up, they look exactly like kkk members. it was pretty scary for the first week or so, but now i'm used to it. oh, and on another completely unrelated note, i just found cereal and skim milk at the grocery store - i'm so happy!
Wow. I don't think I'm brave enough yet to get in there with the crowds the way you did!
I've seen photos of those processions, but I don't remember any quite so dark and gothic in Honduras. That's what you could think of as the Mel Gibson/Passion of the Christ strain in Catholicism you witnessed.
Anne, I can´t wait to show you the pictures! There are literally little kids dressed like Jesus, carrying crosses. It is pretty intense. As far as the crowds go, I think I was probably pretty nieve to think I could just go to the parade by myself and get in the thick of things. I learned my lesson.
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