Journals from Abroad
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Journal: Trevor Downey: Ecuador
July 4, 2007
 Festival in Urcuqui |
Happy Fourth of July! I hope everyone is celebrating Independence Day like only Americans can, with fireworks, watermelon and barbecue. Don't worry about me though; I was able to celebrate as well. As you prepared to grill your own feasts and marvel at fireworks, I cooked up my own bit of Americana. The IAESTE group here in Quito has designated Tuesday nights as international dinner night. Coincidently, my turn to share a taste of home was this week. That meant I had the chance to treat my friends here to an All-American meal: cheeseburgers, fries and shakes. My friends appreciated the dinner, especially the Oreo shakes.
Just the weekend before, I had witnessed and partaken in a significant cultural festival customary to many Ecuadorian towns. Last Saturday, my fellow IAESTE students and I, with the guidance of our coordinator, headed north past Otavalo - known for its weekend markets of indigenous crafts - toward the small town of Urcuqui. The people of Urcuqui, mainly of indigenous roots, celebrated a festival in honor of their Sun god. It's an important enough ceremony to stop traffic, literally.
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The many parades that occur across the town take precedence over cars on the roadways. Family members on both ends of the age spectrum dress up in traditional costumes to dance their way through the streets, supplied with music from the band tailing the procession. Vicky, a recent Quito university graduate, and her family own a considerably large plot of land in Urcuqui and host their own Corrida de Toros each year during the festivities.
 Bullfight |
I knew this was occurring going into the weekend but really didn't understand what it meant until the parade ended in front of a large circular area enclosed with a fence. Everyone participating and enjoying the parade moved towards the area to find a spot on or along the fence. It was easy to see then that the large trailer backed up to an opening in the makeshift torero arena housed the animals for the bullfight. Withholding any judgment regarding the treatment of animals, the event, as whole, was fascinating. Any member of the crowd could challenge the bulls as they desired. In reality, youngest and drunkest seemed to find their way most easily into the field.
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The ceremony was definitely not about violence. Instead, much like our Independence Day, it was a chance for families to reunite, enjoy the chance to celebrate their past and spend time doing things that only happen once a year.
