Ecuador – Good Friday
Taking breakfast on my own as Mrs Y had woken with a headache, I bumped in to a family from New Jersey who’d just arrived and were reading themselves to enjoy Quito. This is one of the joys of traveling, meeting fellow travellers and swapping stories.
Good Friday is the BIG day in Quito’s Holy week celebrations. Today is the grand procession.
Procesion Jesus Del Gran Poder declares posters and banners hung everywhere.
Close to 3,000 people take part in this 2.5 hour, 4.5 mile walk around the cities streets. With 2,500 purple robed Cucuruchos, 200 Veronicas and a host of guys either nailed to crosses, wearing cactus’, dragging ankle chains, the spectacle is truly jaw dropping.
The spectacle is purely a demonstration of their faith.
As we walked down the alleyway, we could hear sawing and hammering and we exited the alley we found the source of the noise, people preparing their crosses for the procession.
With many of Quito’s streets closed for the procession, we picked our way along the route and took up what we thought was a good vantage point. Already lined with many, many people the air of excitement was truly tangible. Vendors were selling all kinds of religious trinkets, bracelets, pictures of Jesus, wooden crosses, plastic chairs, stools, drinks, sun hats, sun glasses, the Quito people will sell anything they can carry.
After about an hour or so we could hear distant music and the bustle of the approaching procession. Within a minute or two a host of purple robed, pointy hatted people, cucuruchos, came in to view interspersed with marching jazz bands playing a familiar but unknown tune, a tune that everyone marched to. In between the bands and cucuruchos were cross carrying men, some dressed as Jesus, some accompanied by roman soldiers. The crosses varied in size from what looked like manageable timber beams to some that looked like telegraph poles. Huge unwieldy and obviously very painful to carry. Some bare torso’d guys had cactus tied to their backs, some wore huge chains around their ankles. The display of faith and penitence was huge and very moving to witness.
After an hour, emotionally drained, we headed away from the procession and found coffee and cake in San Ignacious. While we sat and enjoyed the tail end of the procession passing the cafe, street cleaners were right behind them cleaning away the debris and rubbish left by the crowds. Jet-washers sprayed and doused too, catching passersby in it’s clouds of spray.
Walking through Quito the streets were buzzing and the air was alive with people chattering about the procession.
Making it to the Plaza del Independencia we once again caught up with the procession, seeing the last 20 minutes of the tail vanishing up along the square. The participants were looking tired and the guys on the crosses looked bruised and battered. We sat with a coffee and enjoyed the bustle in the square.
After a short siesta back in the hotel, packing our bags ready to move on, we once again headed back out in to Quito looking for food and refreshment. As we reached the end of the hotel alleyway, we again bumped in to the procession that was ending right outside our door. Bruised, bloodied and tired participants we dumping crosses, casting off their costumes and congratulating their groups in making it around the 4.5 hour route. It was again an emotional sight. Young guys in their 20’s declaring their faith to the world.
Our last evening was sat once again in the Plaza enjoying a beer and local nibbles from one of the cafes under the arches of the Cathedral.
Quito had won us over. From being intimidated by it’s hugeness and unfriendliness, it turned out to be a great a bustling city and a great place to explore.
mrandmrsyoung 