Mitad del Mundo and Changing of the Guards

Estimados Amigos y Familia,
It has been another good and full week! This past weekend we went to a quinceanera Mass at the church in our neighborhood. It was beautiful and like a mini-wedding. There were roses on every pew and she was escorted by her brother (I think), two friends, her parents and many other relatives. In fact, I think we were the only non-related people there. :) We were a little underdressed in our jeans, compared to the beautiful pink dress she was wearing with roses all around it! Father gave a great sermon about how her family was presenting her as a woman to God and now she would have more responsibility in school, her home-life and her faith. It was a beautiful ceremony and we were so excited to get to partake in this part of the culture! One thing that was really unique was the removing of her slippers and replacing them with high heels (that Father blessed with a rose) representing the transition from childhood to womanhood.
The next day we went to Mass at the Cathedral in Quito. It is known for its paintings and historical tombs. We saw where Mariscal Sucre (the leading man in Quito’s independence) and Pres. Gabriel Garcia Moreno were buried. Moreno’s story was a bit more descriptive and interesting. He was slashed with a machete (yes our book on Ecuador, thank you Cindy, used the word slashed) outside the President’s Palace and then carried dying into the Cathedral across the plaza. We checked out the burial sites and paintings of many events in Jesus’ life, including a Nativity painting complete with llamas after Mass. There was a children’s choir who sang and it was phenomenal. Especially in that larger church, their joyous voices just resonated throughout the place, giving glory to God.
Then we took a bus ride outside the city to El Mitad Del Mundo (The Middle of the World). We started at the Museum Intinan which was complete with Indigenous artifacts, solar instruments used by the ancient peoples and experiments proving the location of the equator. We balanced an egg on a nail, which is supposedly easier because there’s less gravity on the equator, watched water drain with a clockwise vortex south of the equatorial line and counterclockwise north, and took pictures standing on the equator! (According to our book, not all of these experiments are completely legit, but we still enjoyed them.) Next we ventured down a dusty trail to the actual Mitad Del Mundo Monument, a huge cement pillar with a globe on top. It was not as impressive as the live music, souvenir shops, planetarium, mini-museums, and view from on top. We spend the rest of the day here sightseeing and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Did I mention its lovely spring temperatures everyday? I have been getting a little pink, because the sun is so strong here! I guess we are about 3000m up (the elevation is a bit higher than KS).
Monday we took the day off from school (I know it sounds like sightseeing is all we do!) to retrieve our passports from the immigration office (we just really wanted them back!) It worked out beautifully because the changing of the guards happens on Monday, so we decided to catch that while we were there. What we didn’t realize was the students from a school in Guayaquil (who just celebrated their independence day) were there also for the festivities. We got in on not only the regular ceremony, but an actual audience with President Correa himself! It was awesome to hear the military band, see the armed guards, secret service agents, horseback cavalry and all the people gathered in the plaza to show their national pride and applaud the students and their President.
Our water line broke the other day and I was concerned it wasn’t going to be fixed. We had to go two days without showering (it felt like forever!) but then it was back on and I was so glad, I took a 20 minute shower! haha I am so thankful to have running water and a warm place to live. It makes my heart go out to all our homeless neighbors and people in the city. The poverty is severe here, and people are living in not great conditions. It scares me that at school, sometimes the kids drink the water from the faucet, I’m worried they’ll get sick. Not even the sisters drink the water in our house. It has begun the rainy season, and rains at least once a day. This makes it a little tough when the kids are at school and have to stay inside for their hour of recess. Since they spend the rest of their day inside its difficult to keep them entertained. Rosita, one of my students escapes multiple times a day. Other staff are constantly returning her to the classroom saying they found her in the boys bathroom, outside, kitchen, any number of places really. She’s quite ornery, but keeps us laughing. Some of the kids are just not very mature. They have been biting each other lately which scares me.
Well, I should probably stop rambling on and let you get back to your day. Hope all is well.
Love you,
April