Festrival de los Toros in Ayora

This weekend I traveled to Quito to prepare for my parents and Mariah’s arrival. I arrived in Quito on Friday night and took a bus to Cayambe where I stayed with my close Ecuadorian friends (Marisol, Monse and Daysi) three sisters who I met last year during Peace Corps training.

In the month of May the town of Ayora celebrates the festivals of San Pedro with dancing, lots of food and cultural events. This weekend was the Festival de Los Toros (Festival of the Bulls). The whole town came together in Ayora to watch partcipants run around in a ring as macho bulls were released into the ring. It was quite the sight to watch men and women try to out run the bulls. A few times over the weekend people were taken away by an ambulance after being rammed by the bull.

I also had the opportunity to dance with Monse and my german friend Amelie in the cultural dances of Ayora. On Saturday morning we dressed in the indigenous cultural dress from head to toe and danced through the streets of Ayora with Monse’s dance group, Pura Vida. The dance group is made up of some of Monse’s close friends from high school. It was an amazing atmosphere dancing in the parade and celebrating the festival of Los Toros. For two hours we danced through Ayora and made our way to the bull ring for the Festival de los Toros.

Here are some pictures of this past weekend in Ayora!! ¡¡¡QUE VIVA AYORA!!!