Traditions include giving the deceased water and food (and guaguas de pan and colada morada) for their journey in the afterlife, adorning the gravesite with flowers and wreaths and trinkets, and cleaning the gravesite. It was really touching, actually.
It's nice to think that the indigenous community in Ecuador doesn't fear death, but rather celebrates it. There is no taboo around cemeteries or death or the afterlife like there is in the USA.
After the cemetery, we wandered around town and found the carnival celebrating the day. There were HUNDREDS of vendors selling things like flowers, the traditional masapan trinkets, food, everything. Not to mention the carnival rides and ferris wheel. There was also a traditional dance show, which I took a video of but can't seem to upload it...
After our return to Quito, we all met up at Crepes and Waffles (the USA really needs this Colombian chain restaurant. SO delicious) for a surprise birthday party for our friend Tori.
They brought her a mini waffle, only after presenting her ID to prove that it actually WAS her birthday. Haha.
Today we go to a small town in the highlands called Quilotoa, known for it's really great landscapes. Stay tuned!
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