Diane: We have survived a very short Carnaval season. The season gets going just after the Day of the Innocents, January 6, and lasts through Ash Wednesday, which came early this year. Ecuadorians celebrate Carnaval by throwing water and other liquids at each other. In Thailand, where I participated in a water festival many years ago, it was unbearably hot, and it was a lovely tradition. But, in Cuenca, where it is cool year round and generally rainy in February, it makes no sense at all. And in Cuenca, they don't limit themselves to water; they throw oil, flour, cornmeal, and pig’s blood. Also in Cuenca, foreigners are considered fair game whether they want to play or not.
We extended our stay in Cuenca into February just so that the kids could celebrate Carnaval here with their friends. As it turns out, school has not been in session for the last couple of weeks, the major school party planned for this period was cancelled, and TM does not have sufficient water armaments to suit his taste.
Nonetheless, both TM and Calliope played Carnaval almost every day for the last week or two with the daycare kids and had a blast. The Bells (TM's fabulous host family when we first arrived) invited us over for a final farewell, providing yet another opportunity to spray and throw water. During the final week, TM never left home without water balloons filled with water. He lived dangerously, hiding them up his sleeves and in his pockets. He caught a lot of Cuencanos off guard. And yesterday, the kids actually met some of our neighbors! When armed with water balloons, you meet a lot of people you might not otherwise meet.
Calliope is left with a bittersweet taste of Carnaval in her mouth. Yesterday she walked through town to her Spanish school. Unfortunately her teacher didn't show up and the building was locked, which left her with nowhere to run for cover. All the old men and drunks in the park in front of the school, most of whom she had greeted as she passed by each day, took the opportunity to pelt her with water balloons. She was dripping wet from head to toe, while every other person in the park was desert dry. The injustice of being singled out as a target, when she obviously was not prepared to play Carnaval, left her furious. Luckily, after a good night's sleep she is willing to go outside again.
As for me, except for going out to lunch, I have stayed inside for the last two days. Most everybody respected my desire not to play Carnaval. Only one person ignored my pleas for abstention. Luckily it was the middle of the afternoon and sunny! I was dry and reasonably warm by the time I finished lunch.
TM: Goodbyes are hard. Carnaval was fun. I was excellent at avoiding being hit, either through artful dodging of thrown water or through not being in "high danger" zones. It was awesome. I started a water fight with 8 guys, and did fairly well. Did you know that I can carry up to 10 water balloons at once. At one point, one of em grabbed me from behind and they got me with a bucket, but on the whole it was a lot of fun. Oh, and my sister was there too. We must have used like 80 balloons total in one go. Amazing fun, it was. I unfortunately slipped and gashed my arm pretty bad. Well worth it though, and they invited me to a party at their house that night(which would have been awesome, the house is also a DJ studio and break-dance school), but I didnt get to go as I went out with Walter. He wanted to bring along a girl who he know from Guayaquil, but her mom insisted on coming with us, not feeling comfortable sending her daughter off with two boys. So, I didnt end up going, but I had a fun time with Walter instead. Yesterday as well. I pissed my parents off by coming back at 11 instead of 8, like I said I would, but I wanted to squeeze in as much time with him before I left as I could.I almost forgot to mention, I am leaving for Peru today at 11:45 pm. Wish me luck.I went around with him in his car yesterday, throwing water balloons(don't worry, we alwasys slowed down so as not to hurt the people we were throwing them at) and having a good number thrown at us. After we got out to talk to one of his friends(actually, her whole family) we had used up all the ballons, and a truck drove by and drenched me with a bucket. The first and only time I was hit with water by someone who I didn't know and who I didnt see coming. It wasnt that bad either. I only got a little wet.I will miss Cuenca. I will miss the Bell family.I miss my friends. They have all diappeared. Or so it seems. .
No comments:
Post a Comment