Winding it up...(Part 2)

Sunday, November 2nd, was a more relaxing day.  Lance and I took the morning off and then headed out to the art festival for another look in the afternoon.  The crowds were much bigger than on the previous two days.  That night we went to the guitar concert which was held in a building in El Centro that teaches guitar lessons.  The original performers had to cancel for some reason, but the director of the center performed in their place.  The concert was short and sweet, and the venue was filled to capacity.

Monday was an official holiday to celebrate the Independence of Ecuador from Spain.  There were two parades held that day...close to the same time.  The "Morlaquia" Parade was suppose to begin at 9:00 A.M., but it started later.  That's not unusual...things often begin later than scheduled.  When the crowd starts getting restless they will start to whistle.  That's a clue that they are tired of waiting and want things to get underway.  On the other side of town was the Military Parade which was to begin at 10:30 A.M.  We attended the earlier parade, which was delightful, but I saw pictures from another blog of the Military Parade and it looked equally interesting.  Next year we'll have to be sure to attend that event.  Below are just a few of the pictures I took of the parade.  The route went from San Blas to Parque Calderon.  There were lots of floats...many with produce on them; beauty queens; dancers; and bands.  It was a lot fun and the crowd really enjoyed the show.

 This woman is weaving hats on the float.

 These people are giving free samples of milk to the crowd.  

Most cars cut a small peep hole in the material that covers the windshield so the drivers can see where they are going.

 Cheerleaders performed on the street...doing all kinds of stunts with no mats.  Yikes!

This nice lady and her husband stood next to us.  They cheered "Bravo" for every single group in the parade.  When I stepped off the curb to take a picture someone jumped into my spot.  She was kind enough to shoo the guy away and made sure I had my spot back.  Gracias Señora!

It had been overcast, but as soon as the sun came out, up came the umbrella and newspaper to protect their heads from the intense heat.  This is a common sight.  People will often walk with blankets, sweaters, or other things on their head to protect themselves form the suns rays.  

Ecuador's version of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Below are a few pictures of the Military Parade that I copied from Dano's Blog...Ahhh Cuenca.  He is one of the most entertaining writers online and Lance and I have followed his blog for years.  I always enjoy hearing his take on things.  Plus...he takes great pictures.

In the afternoon we headed to another part of El Centro to see the XV Wooden Cars National Race.  It went a huge distance from Benign Maloto to Parque El Paraiso.   This involved a lot of standing and waiting for the race to begin.  

 It was finally time for the racers to line up.

A good sized crowd began to form along the route.  Two young men from the Church of Latter Day Saints joined the crowd.

 These police officers led the way.  One took off first to get the crowd off the street and onto the sidewalks...the other led the way for the race.

And finally they were off!  An ambulance followed behind the racers to attend to anyone that might get injured along the way.  

After the race we took one last walk through the art exhibits.  The crowds were the biggest we had seen all weekend.  Many things were sold and it would be my guess that it was a very successful weekend for most of the participants.

This man is making snow cones the old fashioned way.   

There is always lots of fruits to buy from the venders.  

When we returned to our home, we once again saw a crowd gathered in Parque Calderon.  This time there was also a huge police presence.  President Rafael Correa had come to give a speech.  He spoke inside one of the municipal buildings, but it was televised outside on a big screen.  Many people where there to listen and watch.  Sorry...no pictures of this last event.

All in all, a great weekend in Cuenca, Ecuador!