We stayed a week in Quito, Ecuador. I think I can say that so far it’s been the only bigger city in South America that I’ve actually liked. People generally left us alone (in most other places they try and sell us stuff with force), it was quieter (honking seems to be a major pasttime everywhere else), and I actually enjoyed the cooler weather after coming from Costa Rica and Colombia. Also, our hostal (Hostal Chicago) was awesome and we met alot of cool people on their roof top patio.
Our reason for staying a whole week in Quito was that we were able to take cheap personal Spanish lessons at the hostal, and we thought that would be a good idea. However, it just so happened it was Easter Week (Semana Santa) and in Quito they do some weird things to celebrate.
During the days leading up to Easter, Brianna and I would:
- start our day off with Spanish lessons
- take a walk around the city and stop for some cheap chinese food at a Chifa (we could both eat and drink for about $6US and walk out so full we would complain)
- hang out with people on the patio at night with a few beers (or rum and yogurt) until we got too cold
- watch Spanish versions of Passion of the Christ and other Jesus-based films while I tried to explain to Brianna the difference between God and Jesus and where babies come from…
Then came Easter day and we went to watch the procession, and that was scary for the following reasons:
- thousands of people dressed in robes similar to that of a certain infamous racist clan (only in purple) walking slowly down the street while…
- creepy church music blared through the city (that type of dark choir music they use in horror flicks)
- people dressed as Jesus wearing real thorns and dragging real heavy crosses up the street
- a scary blind guy with no eyes walking around asking for money (more like “moaning” for money)
and it doesn´t end there. On the hill overlooking most of Quito there’s this statue.
so we start climbing up these stairs to go up to the top. A local family on the way down tells us to take a cab because it’s too dangerous. A man in the family points up, and then to us, and then makes the international “you gonna get murdered” sign by running his finger across his neck.
We ran into two other travellers and decide to all go anyway. Nothing happened, except a little boy asked us for our cameras (really). He didn´t have a weapon, and he was only 6 years old or so, so I beat the shit out of him. When we got to the top we got a good look at the statue….
an angel holding a chain which is attached to an alligator/turtle/dragon beast which she is standing on while it lays on top of the world
Makes as much sense as thousands of purple dwarves running through the streets, but I liked it.
and this is scary too…
