Fiestas de Quito 2006

It is a festive time of year here in Quito, as locals (and we non locals as well) take part in celebrating the founding of Quito by the Spanish in 1534. It's called "Quito Days" and the main festivities between November 28 and December 6 are centered around the Jesús del Gran Poder bullfighting events. This is the only time of year that there is bullfighting in the arena and as you can see by the picture above, it is a huge event - the stadium is full.

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This is not an event I would be able to sit through but my husband received an invitation to attend, and since the tickets were for seats that were practically in the rink (3rd row), how could he say no? He had never been before and he said it was very interesting to be a part of. It's very theatrical, dramatic, etc. It is a production, a huge event! Ah, but so sad for Mr. Bull. That is why I would not be able to go.

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There are more pictures of course, so I will post another one or two in the next couple of days if there is interest. Most of them are close up shots, but I wanted to begin with this one to show the size of the arena, the amount of people involved and just the general grand scheme of things.

Life on the street

Since we're only supposed to post one photo here, I have put two together to give you another glimpse into daily life. Pictured between the two vehicles is a young mother selling fruit. Typically one of these vendors is on the street selling for a good 6-8 hours I would say.

I point that out to then draw your attention to the young child sitting in the bottom left hand corner - picture 2 - he spends his day sitting on the embankment surrounded by six lanes of heavy traffic. When we first moved here I was always so nervous for these little, tiny children, but now I see that they know that this is their day - they spend the day playing with little sticks, bits of trash, running around or just sitting. I try not to let it break my heart...they don't know any better at this stage of their young life...it is all they know.

This is the way we do the wash...

If you step outside and make a full 360 degree turn, you will most certainly see that someone, somewhere has laundry hanging out to dry. I like this shot too because you will notice on the store front that Coca Cola is sold there. "I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony..." (anybody remember that commercial?)

A beautifully common finding - women sitting together visiting whilst working on their craft that will then be sold at market or on the street. These women are most likely Quichua Indian, and the woman on the right is wearing the common everyday dress of this group of prevalent people in Quito. Each day they come in from rural parts of the country to sell their crafts or produce on the street.

Vintage...or not

This is one of my favorite "everyday" scenes as it could have been taken anywhere in Ecuador. I confess, it is not in Quito but rather at a HUGE fruit market on the way to the beach (aka: the Pacific Ocean) near Esmeraldas, Ecuador. As mentioned in an earlier post though, fruit markets are everywhere! This is the time of year when people leave for the beaches in droves as there are various holidays celebrated during this season.

I like this picture because it could have been taken years and years ago, or just recently - it seems timeless. But...for the record, I took it this spring. :)

Some more floral life - can you tell what my eye is drawn towards?

Did you know that these grow everywhere in Quito? Many people have them growing in their yards. For some reason it was shocking for me to see them "with roots" the first time, as I had only ever seen them in floral shops! Who knew they came from the ground! HA!

We are heavily into the rainy season here in Quito, but a couple days ago when the sun came out again I was struck by the beauty of the view from our home.

The best part of the rain, in my opinion, is to awaken after a full night of showers and smell that the air is full of eucalyptus. It's a wonderful scent to begin the day with.

Happy Thanksgiving in the U.S.A. today! Gobble gobble!

I believe this sign speaks for itself...location and all. While it is the Quito zoo, it is located in Guayllabamba, which is about 30 minutes outside of Quito. Honestly, I was not expecting a lot of it, but it pleasantly surprised me and my family. A lovely outing. :)

One of the two clock towers that are a part of the National Basilica. This was an amazingly scary shot for me to get as I had to climb up a teeny iron ladder with no protection from falling on either side. My legs were literally shaking upon my decent, but the view of Quito captured here, as well as the tower itself was worth the fear! (and if you want to see the panoramic 360 degree video click here...)

Here is one of the outdoor fruit and vegetable shops found in and around Quito. You can easily fill a grocery bag with a huge variety of produce for under a dollar.

A sampling of the many beautiful flowers we encounter.

Here is one of the more common feathered friends that we see strolling around the countryside. I am sorry to report that since this photo was taken he has since become someone's dinner. Alas for Mr. Rooster...perhaps he was just too pretty.