Diane: Today our Spanish teacher from the Abraham Lincoln Center, Raúl, took us to the town of Biblián, home to a small sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin of the Dew (Santuario de la Virgen del Rocío). Years back, when the area was suffering a prolonged drought, the residents were able to survive by using water from especially heavy dews. They built a shrine right into the cliffside in honor of the Virgin of the Dew. It could be seen from great distances. Later a church made with stone from a local quarry was erected around the shrine.
In Biblián, I could see the town's indigenous roots with pieces of modernization projecting in many directions. For example, the first thing that captured everyone's attention as they entered the sanctuary was the neon sign hanging against the cliff directly above the altar. The virgin herself was so small that even after getting right up to the altar, I had to use binoculars to see any details. I couldn't see too clearly, but I believe she was holding a dark-skinned baby Jesus.
At the far end of the church, there were some letters of gratitude and plaques praising the virgin. In addition, there were locks of hair wrapped around the tacks that held up these letters. Leaving a lock of hair is an indigenous custom. The neon, of course, was a modern touch.
Another example of the modern jutting out from the traditional was the town itself. Fifteen years ago, it was composed of a few houses strung along the Pan-American Highway. Due to the large influx of rural compassions into the town over the last decade or so, Biblián now has several main streets. The buildings are constructed from modern-day concrete blocks. However, from the sanctuary, I could still see large fields being worked within the town.
Many garages have a car inside, but outside on the streets, there was almost no traffic. The cars are apparently status symbols, not used much to get around town. Calliope and TM joined us for this excursion, but unfortunately by the time we arrived, Calliope was suffering terribly from nausea, stomach cramps, and the constant need for a bathroom. Our search for a bathroom every ten minutes or so led us to an auto mechanic business, which sat directly across the street from a body shop. Neither of them were lacking for business. Evidently, the limited driving that does go on ends in a high rate of accidents.
Prominent in my recollection of the day, and also another example of the mix of old and new, was a parade that we stumbled upon as we walked up to the sanctuary. Various local schools were celebrating by showcasing exquisite clothing and dance forms from different regions of Ecuador. They played music and danced as they passed by.
There were only a few clusters of bystanders watching. The students' faces lit up, when they saw that some foreigners had taken an interest in their activities. Some of the participants received special treatment; I would guess that they were beauty pageant winners. They have beauty pageants here at the drop of a hat. Each holiday, each neighborhood, each school - each celebrate with a pageant.
The parade let the young people display their cultural pride. But they took some liberties. Raúl told us that some of the costumes were mixtures, using the skirts from one region and the hats from another. In addition, the parade did not exclude foreign influences. Toward the tail-end, we saw Mickey Mouse and a couple of characters from U.S television cartoons.
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