Ecuador Part V: Night in Quito

Diana and Betsy could only stay a few days because they have real structured jobs and lives in the States. We tried to fit as much in as possible while they were here. Our last night together was spent in Old Town Quito. This is where the giant cathedral is, old Spanish-influenced buildings and lots of people out and about late into the night. I felt like I was in Spain.


We stopped for yet another organic brownie then set off to watch a cultural performance. Performers of all ages danced traditional Ecuadorian dances for us and a band played their music on wooden flutes, guitars and drums. I noticed this in Uganda too, most cultures don't have a million different cultural dances, they usually have 2 or 3 and just change the music, age of participants or costume. This was true of Ecuador too. Ecuadorians dance fast and do a lot of turns. It was beautiful and fun to watch. One particular dance that held us in awe was a dance using ribbons attached to a May pole. In the beginning they danced around the pole and wound the ribbons tightly around the pole. Then they unwound them in-step with the dance the whole time! It was fascinating and I spend more time watching the ribbons on the pole than the actual dancing.



We finished the night at a lovely roof-top restaurant for dinner. We looked out over the city and enjoyed a traditional hot wine, which I was pretty skeptical of (sorry Jen) that was delicious. I had another trout dinner while everyone else had some sizzling steak. We were all happy with our meals, the ambiance, the view and the live music. It was a great time of fellowship and a wonderful ending to a great week of adventure in Ecuador.