Carnaval!

For the festive vacation time of Carnaval in Ecuador, I and 4 fellow travelers set out on my first weekend trip. Destination: Baños (a small town surrounded by steep mountains and an active volcano and named for its natural hot spring baths) and Ambato (one of the best places to celebrate Carnaval and known for their parades).

I traveled with everyone who was staying at Rosita’s (Nina, Kibby, Ben and Abe). Here are some highlights from the trip:

This is a view from the bridge leading from Baños.

After arriving in Baños, the first day we went on a rain forest tour in the Amazon. We went to a monkey sanctuary where the monkeys are very friendly, went on a hike to a waterfall, got a natural facial (mud straight from the ground), went canoeing and ended the tour overlooking an amazonian river hanging in a hammock.

We also took a 12 mile bike ride which took us along a canyon where we saw countless waterfalls. We hiked to 2 of them.

Part of the tradition in Ecuador for Carnaval is on the nights of Saturday, Sunday and Monday revelers fill the streets with bottles of colored foam that they spray on their friends or any passersby. This can also include water balloons and water guns. It was quite a site. We were sprayed all of the 3 nights as well as during the day while on the bike ride and even when hiking down to a rain fall (!). As we were getting a ride in a truck at the end of our bike ride we were a target for groups of kids who would hurl giant buckets of water from the sidewalk into the truck. But you can imagine the feeling of celebration on the streets when the entire country is having a water fight. I have included a picture of what these spray cans of foam look like (basically like aerosol hairspray cans). And also some people having fun at the parade with a foam fight.

After 3 nights in Baños we headed to Ambato for their famous Carnaval parades. We also saw a bull fight which is traditionally done every year for Carnaval. That is something that was culturally interesting but I never want to see again. Here is how the bull fight works: The bull runs out. 3 matador helpers have the bull charge them a few times. 2 men on horses emerge and the bull charges the side of one of the horses who is wearing armor. As they do this the man on top spears the bull in the back of the neck. 2 more men with spears stick them in the back of the bull. At this point the matador comes out, does some tricks with the bull and after a while (the bull is dying by this point because the man on the horse did the most damage) he gets his sword and finishes the bull off. the end. Then the whole sequence starts over. They were killing 6 bulls but we only stayed for 3.

But the trip was a great success and a great way to see some new parts of Ecuador. I am struck by how friendly and kind Ecuadorians are and I can't wait to do some more exploring in Quito as well as other parts of the country.

Tomorrow a new part of this experience starts as I will be going to the clinic for the first time! I am excited and nervous.