Carnaval
So we walked into a warzone.
Willingly.
Cascada Peguche near Otavalo is a beautiful place, with a beautiful waterfall feeding a speedy little river. When we were in Quito last week the staff at the hostel said “don’t go to Peguche for Carnaval, it’s brutal, people are savages, don’t go!”.
So needless to say we went. Carnaval in Ecuador is celebrated a bit differently than in other countries. There is still dancing and partying and the festival in Atuntaqui over the weekend was about half of the real fun. Most of the real action is quite literally a nation-wide water fight over Monday and Tuesday. Or should we say MASSIVE MOFO OF A WATER WAR. Also with spray foam. Buckets. More spray foam. Food colouring. Coloured powder bag bombs. Eggs. Flour even. If you venture outdoors you are a target, the only way to stay clear of it is to not leave your house. Little kids shooting you with water guns from upper floor windows like snipers (honestly they’re that good). Pickup trucks driving around with huge water basins in the back being bucketed out onto people by older kids and teens. Water balloons from rooftops. Even kindly old ladies selling eggs and coloured powders to mess people up. Roll up your car windows. There is no escape.
Everyone gets into it. From little kids up to the elders of the elders. Everyone is on board and no one takes offence, because they’re all there to get in on the game and almost everyone is carrying a bucket. Anyone will spray anyone with foam. You will get wet.
We took a cab as close to Peguche as we could and along the way saw so many foam and water covered people on the roads. When we finally got out, knowing full well we were clean and dry targets we headed for the nearest table selling spray-foam cans for self defence. In the process of buying two of the tallest cans they had….BOOM. Right in the head. Kid had good aim.
From there it was a gauntlet like we’d never seen. Walking along and getting a mountain of water dumped on you by a passing truck, buckets thrown at you from kids on the side of the road, anyone with a foam can randomly spraying you in the face at close range. Some spray battles between two people turned into a whole crowd, everyone spraying in any given direction. The entire walk to the water falls was like this. Food vendors wisely put any covers they could in front of their grills and pots, and cooked wearing rain ponchos.
From far off we could see the base of the falls, and it looked almost like explosions were churning the water there like a cauldron. Water was being thrown up in the air everywhere but would couldn’t see where it was coming from over all the people. There is a small bridge leading to the waterfall, and running parallel to the path is a small stream, along this stream was an entire horde of bucket wielding revellers hosing down anyone who crossed their path. Which was everyone. We rarely even dared to take out our phones for pictures, it was just asking for trouble. Malena ran across this little bridge and all the kids yelled “WAIT! Hit the gringo Instead! Hit the gringo instead!” and of course right then Roger fell and immediately had a tidal wave dumped on him.
Then we made it to the waterfall itself. We witnessed the cauldron in all it’s glory. It was people. And buckets. So many buckets. A huge crowd had gathered in the water of the river at the base of the waterfall and were doling out unimaginable amounts of water on anyone within range. It was unreal. So many people going past and joining in or just running through it. Roger was silly enough to cross the fast flowing water to the other side and only fell down a few times. It was great to wash all the foam off but got a few bruises in the process. We climbed up to the top of the waterfall and there was even more people with more buckets at the top hosing down anyone nearby.
The trip back involved more foam, more buckets, and no respite. It was amazing. Entire groups of kids would gang up on Roger and spray foam him until he was a giant marshmallow. Grandparents would hand their grandkids fresh cans of foam once theirs ran dry.
Eventually the sun went away and the temperature dropped, we found ourselves huddling in an upstairs bar near the concert stage and swapped into some dry clothes which felt great. A waterproof backpack is a beautiful thing. The view of the crowd covered in foam and water dancing up a storm was amazing. We were done with the ordeal ourselves but knowing we still had a long way to go before we were safe from foam we headed back out and tried to stay warm.
We found ourselves some colada morada to wash down empanadas and managed to snag a cab back to Otavalo. The back seat was covered in plastic, very wise.
Otavalo was a ghost town, figured everyone was at Peguche still getting completely messed up and soaked even as it got colder and coder, all to the beat of the band.
Carnaval is hardcore. There is no escape, so don’t forget your bucket.
Thomas came home
Thomas is the previous property owner’s dog. He’s such a goof but apparently very smart. We were chilling in the kitchen, both of us on our laptops working when we heard a knock on the door. As usual we thought it was another person looking for gas tanks sold by previous owners. So Roger went to open the door and suddenly Thomas the happy dog waltzed in.
He wanders around for a bit, and looking like he needs a little help, we think he just came in to poo and pee in his old back yard. Cats are more than a little freaked out but curious and puzzled as to why there is a dog in their territory. Thomas sniffs around but then starts barking at us with a “come on follow me” look and heads back towards the door. We open the door and he waltzes out. He continues to bark and lead the way so we decide to follow him. He leads us all the way back to his house and starts barking at the door. So we knock on the door and eventually they answer and he just walks right in like it’s nothing odd.
We all just had a good laugh and pretty amazed at how smart this dog is.
Container Arrival
So it finally happened! We got our container! So stuff is here. It’s a little surreal to think it’s traveled so far from Toronto to Cotacachi, by truck, train and boat. Then truck again. We managed with so little this last while it’s a strange feeling to suddenly have so much. Little things like the good soundbar, a tv, and having a fridge again. It’s still sinking in.
First order of business was to assemble the gazebo and bbq. Cooking on that little two-element countertop stove and having no cozy place to sit outside was getting tired.
Once the flurry of unloading was done and the crew left with the truck, the cats came out and started to explore, sniffing everything.
All three furballs love climbing and hiding among the boxes and Max wasted no time sleeping on “his” camping chairs again. Back home he’d spend an entire day snoozing on one out on the balcony and now he has them back. Roger’s had those chairs for almost 20 years, but Max claimed them ages ago for himself. Athena immediately climbed to the top of the couches again to hide in her favourite perch. More blankets for the cold nights are always welcome too.
Now to sort everything out as we go, and try to minimize the boxes, get things moved indoors and secure. A lot of these are going to remain unpacked until the construction is finished and we have more rooms to spread everything out into their proper places.
With one more massive hurdle passed, we had pancakes with maple syrup to celebrate.