sv evi

In Ecuador, Carnaval is celebrated by spraying each other with foam, similar to shaving cream in consistency, which comes in all colors and by getting each other wet. In some towns they put raw eggs on each other, and flour; in another town they smear mud on each other on the banks of the river.

It used to be that foreigners were the main targets for Cuencanos to get wet, but the city outlawed the practice of soaking strangers a few years back. However, expat friends have been hit by water balloons walking to work, and nearly had buckets of water dumped on them from balconies. Now, generally people celebrate with their families and get each other wet.

At Tomu and Jade’s preschool they celebrated by throwing confetti (picadillo) on each other & putting curly paper streamers (serpentina) around each others’ necks.

Everyone has Monday & Tuesday off from work, and almost everything is closed.

My friend Lorena invited us over for lunch on the Saturday of Carnaval. We had amazing food: sancocho (pork short ribs), potatoes with a peanut butter sauce, grilled chicken, hominy, a pea/corn salad, a green salad that I brought, fresh blackberry juice, rice, and I’m probably forgetting something. Her 2 kids, their partners, and her 3 grandkids were all there as well. It was her son Carlos’ birthday, so later we had cake, coffee, jello, and canelazos (a typical Ecuadorian alcoholic drink, like a hot toddy with cinnamon).

The kids sprayed each other with cariocas (colored foam), and Riki and I were there to observe until Lorena began to spray us as well! She didn’t take it easy on us, either. 🙂 The foam stings if it gets in your eyes, which happened to Tomu. We actually didn’t get each other wet (outside with the hose) because it was pouring down rain all afternoon. I was relieved because I didn’t have another change of clothes.

We had a lovely time with Lorena—we felt like family, included in the family gathering. That was actually the first time we’ve been invited to lunch at an Ecuadorian’s house. Lunch is the big meal of the day here.

Lorena’s daughter, Maria Lorena, works for the government, and she told us that on Friday all of her employees were waiting for her when she walked out to her car, and they soaked her with the hose. Then she reciprocated, of course.

On Tuesday of Carnaval, Fabiola came and took Tomu and Scarlett to the park with her kids Favio & Jacob, to “play Carnaval”. Her kids had water guns, but they ended up just doing the foam because Tomu & Scarlett didn’t have water guns.