Halloween in Ecuador

Halloween has always been very special to David and me. Our second date, long ago, was going to a great party in Majeska Canyon at Paul and Ellen's house and much to my surprise, David came to my cabana on the cliff of 9th Street, dressed as superman. I will never forget the bright red tights and the buffed out  S-symboled chest and cape of my interesting new friend. We had a fantastic time and were fortunate to somehow safely drive ourselves home.

Here in Ecuador, Halloween is alive and well also. Early in the day, just like during the previous days, the harsh whine of the grinders taking away the fiberglass damaged by the saltwater was continuous, and Felipe and Dania, our tenacious workers remained late, as they do everyday, to wash the fiberglass dust away. David, who just recently got a haircut and I am sure plans on joining the Ecuadorian military soon, has worked with astounding patience on removing the prop for days, with Galo Ortiz, the director of the marina, looking on with interest, but unfortunately was not successful in achieving his goal. Next stop for the shaft and prop body is a machine shop on Tuesday, after the holidays are over.

In the late morning, the mall was ready for Halloween, an American tradition adopted by the coastal towns of La Libertad and Salinas, probably because they are very trendy and touristy during the high season, and beach oriented, while the people from the highlands, many bus hours away, are preparing for El Dia de Los Muertos, which has inspired a four-day holiday in Ecuador. We wish we could witness the traditional ceremonies, but there is much work to do here on Sidewinder before we head up to the mountains around Quito. Every store in the mall had Halloween decorations and the staff even wore witches' hats. We escaped from the mall rather quickly after shopping a little, came back to Sidewinder and worked on projects the rest of the day, and finally readied ourselves for a possible late night with our new local friend, Alex and his girlfriend, Daniella. What a wonderful evening we had with them!  Beautiful, energetic Daniella teaches English at the university in Otavalo, about a two hour bus ride from Quito ( which is 10 hours from here) and both she and Alex are talented musicians who play and sing with soaring souls.
After our traditional Ecuadorian barbeque dinner, we strolled the crowded malecon of Salinas, with many costumed Halloween partiers, ate ice cream, listened and swayed to Andean music, and embraced the special time with our new friends. When we returned to Alex's home, they serenaded us with their own traditional musica romantica, and we finally left, riding our bikes near midnight through the streets of La Libertad, not too far from the marina, giggling because we were sure this is not recommended in the guidebooks, and were swiftly locked inside the gate by the security guards, safe, sound, and very blessed. Halloween in Ecuador, 2009, will always be another special adventure to always remember.