According to Lonely Planet, “Half the fun of Guaranda is getting there.” It was certainly an adventure from the very beginning…
This weekend was Carnaval, when some of the biggest parties take place all around Ecuador. Four of my friends and I decided to take a trip into the central highlands (originally, there were going to six of us, but sadly one of my friends spent the weekend sick in Quito). We spent time in a small town called San Miguel and Guaranda, a small city that is most famous for its Carnaval celebrations.
We should have known what a ridiculous weekend we were about to have from the start. We tried to buy bus tickets a couple of days in advance, but the bus companies insisted that we had to buy them the day of our trip. When Saturday rolled around, we made sure to be at the bus terminal by 7 am. Even arriving early, we encountered massive crowds. Of course, people refused to wait in lines and continued to push their way to the front. Realizing that we would have to do the same, we split up until my friend finally managed to secure five tickets, but only after being shouted at for not respecting the (non-existent) line or the country of Ecuador. Overwhelmed and suffering from claustrophobia, we made it to the bus and collapsed onto our seats, finally leaving Quito around 9 am. Traffic was terrible, but the scenery was incredible and it seemed like we passed through every season. We got to San Miguel in the evening, where we were immediately doused with water. San Miguel was absolutely beautiful and we watched a parade of many different dance troupes that night.
Sunday was the main event in Guaranda. On the 30-minute bus ride between the two cities, we were introduced to a Carnaval song that we would hear non-stop for the rest of the holiday. Seriously. People played it everywhere, on repeat, at all hours. If you´re curious, you can listen to it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuBnUsZ8OJ4 Guaranda’s Carnaval was definitely an experience! The parade began around noon (though it was scheduled to start at 11), but people had already begun drinking early that morning, mostly a special homemade liquor called pajaro azul. People of all ages also got into the Carnaval spirit by spraying carioca, a type of foam, and throwing water balloons and flour at any and all passersby. The parade was quite impressive, but the real party started when it ended. Everyone flooded into the main square for live music and dancing. We met many more WorldTeach and Peace Corps volunteers—together they have named the group World Peace Teach Corps. By the end of the day, we were covered from head to toe in carioca and flour. Additionally, a baby puked on one of my friends, and I sat in gum. At least we avoided being egged!
We had a more low key day on Monday when we chose to visit another nearby town called Salinas, which is known for its cooperative-run cheese and chocolate factories. The fastest way to get there is to take white pick-up trucks, so we hopped in the first one we could find. It was definitely worth the trip, though we had a disastrous ride back when there wasn’t enough room for all of us in the truck and my three friends who had to sit in the bed of the truck got seven buckets of water dumped on them. And it was not a sunny or warm day. Overall, we had a fantastic Carnaval, but at that point we were more than ready for it to end and to get back to Quito!
