Friobomba

Monday, January 24, 2011-->Friday, January 21, 2011

This weekend I went to the Sierra to a city called Riobomba for a
Quincenera party which is like a sweet 16 but for 15 year old girls.
It was the neice of the brother (of leyla) and the whole San Isidro
family went…there were more than 20 of us. It was so much fun. The
traveling there and back wasn’t that great but being with the fam and
the kids and everyone made it a little easier. Along the 10 hour
journey I taught my 5 year old friend to tell time, slept a lot, ate
empanadas and just enjoyed the scenery. It was actually a nice break
from the hot, stuffy, sweaty, green and brown coast I see all the time
to be in the cool, brisk, blue, snow capped mountainous area of the
sierra. However after 4 days I was definitely ready to be back to
sweatiness.

(Buses)Our bus left San Isidro at 5am and with 3 bus transfers we arrived in
Riobomba around 2 (right after it had hailed!!---take that for the
people who think Ecuador is only heat and sun!). We did our saludos
at the house, got all situated (tons of people!) and walked around the
city a bit. I really liked Riobomba as a city and could see myself
living there however the cold just doesn’t do it for me. This night
we just went out with us kids to dance at some discotecas.

Saturday was the big day. We got up and went to rehersal. A
quincenera party here is so much like a wedding it’ll freak your
freak. There are “damas” and “caballeros” which are basically the
bridemaides and groomsmen. There is the quincenera and her specific
caballero (the couple to wed). at 7 started the real fiesta. First
we go to the church (to wed the happy pair) and afterwards we go to
the party which starts with a choreographed entrance of the wedding
party and the quincenera dances with her padrino (not father but like
godfather). Afterwards everyone dances! Late, around 10 or so we eat
dinner (and by ‘we’ I mean ‘everyone except for me’ because all there
was included meat…even the salad!...im used to it). After the food
was the ‘hora loca’ where everyone had animal masks, noise makers,
beads and basically you just danced more but with the great
accessories. After the hora loca we…danced more! Until 2 oclock when
we proceeded to go to the brother-in-law of the quincera’s bar and
dance until 5 in the morning! It was insane, super great and I think
one of if not the most fun I have had any night here in Ecuador.

>>In our dresses

The next morning we all just laughed recapping the night and the great
time we had. We did some more exploring of the city, got to go up to
the highest point and see all of Riobomba, we also went to a ‘parque
ecologico’ where we played in paddle boats and playsets. We returned
4am Friday morning where upon arriving around 3pm went directly to
sleep for the rest of the day due to the lack of sleep the rest of the
weekend. However, I’ll take this lack of sleep anytime because it was
one of the best times I had and being with the family the whole time,
I really got a chance to get closer to those whom I had already been
close to as well as those members who I haven’t gotten a good chance
to talk to often. And to think, I almost didn’t go.

(At the park)