Quito Dance Party

The bull fight in progress as viewed from the rooftop.

Regardless that my feet might be a little tired from strenuous hiking, or that it was after dark in Quito, it was 5 Dicembre, the day that Quito fills up El Centro with parties, concerts and dancing.  Tired feet or no, I was not about to miss it.  I emptied my pockets of everything except a little bit of cash and headed out.  The bullfight crowd was queing up for the 8 PM show, but I was heading down into El Centro to see what was happening.

I fortified myself with a quick ensalada de fruita and a mita, a sweet masa tamale without any filling.  The party was a few blocks down Av. Guayaquil in Plaza de Theatro.  The crowd was already swelling out into the street and the band was just taking the stage as I arrived.  Lots and lots of happy Quitanos were already cheering as the EmCee introduced the performers, an eleven piece band all togged out in  natty matching yellow suits.  

Bang!  Cumbia beats filled the evening air as the band jumping into their first number and we were off.  With spins and moves that would make James Brown proud, the guys worked the crowd with a killer horn section.  In minutes the crowd was dancing and cheering and clapping.  I was right there with them.  One advantage of being a tall gringo is that I stand a full head above any Quito crowd, so I had an unobstructed view.  The next number was a song that everyone knew, including the hand gestures and response calls.  I gave it my best shot and my neighbors helped me out with genuine delight that the gringo was willing to try.  Fun, fun, fun!!

I danced along with the Cumbia until my feet finally started protesting that they had had enough.  Reluctantly, I dragged the tired dogs back in the direction of the hostel.  Stopping for a sanduche outside the bullring, I mingled with the bull fight fans, a totally different energy than the concert folks.  Eventually I retreated to the rooftop terrace for a well deserved cigar.  There were fireworks shooting into the skys above El Centro, the sounds of the bullfight crowd from across the street, and the mixture of music from every corner of the city.  It was "Ole!! Ole!!"  Bang-bang-bang-bang and random beats.  Craziness.  My last night in Quito was a celebration worthy of a send-off, even if it had not a thing to do with me.  Fantastic city, fantastic time, fantastic day.  

And now it is time to head towards Cuenca and Señor Mark's Casa.  In case you are wondering, there are no photos for this blog entry because a wise traveler does not venture into the party night of Quito and carry anything in his pockets that he might miss later.