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Fiestas de Quito on ParadeParades of Fiestas celebrating the founding of Quito burst into full swing on the last of November culminating December 6, Founder's Day.Music and smells of good food ooze throughout the city, and bullfights come into full encounter in the arena at the end of the trolley line for nine straight days. The Bullfights
Since the bullfights were not listed either as bullfights or corridas de toro in the schedule Angel brought me, I had no idea what to expect. I just wanted to participate. So, I hopped on the trolley at Guayaquil y Montufar at the Hermano Miguel stop.
When I reached the trolley station at the end of the line, I spotted the arena. The sun was intense, so I stopped to buy a Panama hat at a booth outside the arena for all of $12.00. Vendors were selling tickets. I sliced the price down to half before paying $40.00. Oblivious to what I would see, I looked for the line that had the matching number to my ticket. There I waited and waited. After what seemed like days, the door opened, and I followed the crowd in search of the seat number on the ticket. It wasn't easy, but it was almost front row! No wonder it wasn't cheap!
Working my way through the row of the bleacher which had my number, I found no place to sit. One of the spectators checked my ticket number and got everyone to squeeze together, and I squished into the place that was made for me. After I sat down, I became fully aware I was actually at a bullfight! Not ever having been to one in all my life, it was exciting!
I wasn't disappointed, except, of course, to see that the bull never wins, but the matadors in pink tights more than made up for it!
ParadesQuito fiesta parades feature people and culture but very few floats, except for the one carrying the queen. Participation seems endless but never boring. You can fill albums of memories with resulting photos.Stilt walkers hyphenate the themes.
The military joins the march playing their instruments in the colonial center parade. The music, always festive, transports Quito into celebration mode. Outdoor dancing and fireworks erupt every night in different places in the colonial area and elsewhere, I'm sure, in spontaneous combustion. Groups of laughing celebrants stride the sidewalks. Each and every day, you are constantly reminded it is time for FIESTA! The fiestas de Quito, parades and all bring on the colonial to the hilt!
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Themes can include those of school children, senior citizens, other cities in Ecuador and a very large assortment of bands with atypical instruments, such as xylophones.
