Over the course of a month, I had the opportunity to take Andino dance classes given by one of our spanish facilitators. We learned various different Latin dances including Salsa, Cumbia and traditional Andino dances. During the host family celebration day in Ayora, our class preformed a traditional indigenous dance as entertainment for all of our host families.
The following weekend I was invited by another volunteer and some of our Ecuadorian friends to dance in the streets from Ayora to Santa Clara as part of Los Fiestas de San Pedro and Inti Raymi. One thing that I will miss about La Sierra and Cayambe are los fiestas! I have had such an amazing time getting to know the Ecuadorian culture through the street festivals, parades and parties.
The Fiestas de San Pedro coincide with the end of one of the phases of the Andean agricultural cycle . The communities prepare various foods based in maize such as “chicha”, which is a special drink made of the best varieties of this grain. The dances and parades always include lively music, lead by the mythological character Aya Uma. The Aya Uma wears a mask with two faces and twelve horns. The two faces represent night and day, and the horns represent the twelve months of the year. The Aya Uma is considered the spirit of the mountain, which comes down to the communities to accompany the town people during the celebration dedicated to the sun, the moon and nature. During the fiestas and parades, dancers go around in circles, representing the two solstices and two equinoxes. The dancers stamp their feet while they circle around, as a way to invite Mother Earth to participate in the party, and to being a new agricultural cycle where the maize and other crops will be cultivated again. This party full of color, music and traditions goes on for various days and in some communities even for months. The Inti Raymi is a time of reunion with the family, the community and what is more important, Mother Earth.
Here are some pictures from family celebration day!
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Leana
love the bright colors!!!
PS
Trevor just spent 5 days here with us and we had such a blast!! Remember going to The Rapids water park? We did that too
The kids just loved romping and playing with him!! Miss you
love & kisses from Florida
Your Uncle Turi and I are so excited about sharing your adventures (glad to see you are finding time to have some fun as well!). And love all those fotos….what a beautiful country and people. I remember Cari talking about Ecuador on her return…I think it was her favorite country.
We are still in Baja for another week. It has been a strange, cool and foggy summer, although Nora and Gordon picked the right five days to visit earlier this month….lovely sun and warm days and evenings.
We are, of course, over the moon at having Cari, Brad and Ondine back with us in the states. In fact we had all three of them here immediately upon their arrival, and Cari and Ondine stayed on with us for yet another week while Brad worked for his first week in Venice. Now they’re in temporary corporate digs in Sausalito, and actually think they may choose that as a permanent location! Even looking at houseboats!
Les and Pat will be off to Paris in early October after a few days in New York to meet his new editor at ECCO. His French editor is putting them up in Paris….evidently there is a night that first week when all galleries and museums stay open all night long.
Uncle Turi is actually staring to run again…so I hope when it cools off at home, he can pick up a tennis racquet. We’re both getting into golf more, though.
Hugs and kisses….and keep those blog entries coming, kiddo. You are one amazing lady!
Aunt Pat
the pics are terrific!! and you in your native costume, you look like you fit in so easily. i am really impressed with how much you have done, learned, figured out in a mere 2.5 months! with love,