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Friday, April 3,
2015
Good Friday is always a day full of photo opportunities and I
didn’t even have to leave my barrio to get it all started. By 9am a procession from the local parish was
coming straight down my front street.
I showered and shaved and quickly made it to El Centro before 10am and cruised around
until I found the main procession coming up Bolivar from San Blas. The parade was much, much shorter than in
previous years and it was going to wind its way up to Tarqui and then back down
Gran Colombia to end at Santo Domingo church, right across from fellow
Canadians Michael and Susan. I had
checked with them earlier and they invited me up to their apartment to get some
higher level shots.
I couldn’t figure out where some strange noises were emanating
from near the front of the main procession.
Finally I spotted a boy and girl who each had a board with 8 “drawer
pulls” attached, and they would simply twist these boards back and forth to
make the pulls slap against the boards.
A pretty ingenious way to make noise… It was odd that the main procession had no live Jesus and Romans this year....
On the way I ran across a third procession from the parish of San Francisco. Each procession has their vehicles, sound
systems, singers and priests. Most of
the folks carrying around the heavy statues on platforms are all dressed in
colorful robes. Luckily it was a cool
morning because it has been hot in previous years and you had to feel sorry for
these people who carry these heavy loads and walk for 2 hours. They have posts that they place under the
carrying bars to relieve the pressure on these poor folks as they stop at each
of the Stations of the Cross.
Most stores were shuttered and the bus service was atrocious. I waited for a #50 bus that never came so I
walked several blocks to an intersection where I could watch for 2 buses that
would bring me near home. I finally
caught the #3 to Monay Shopping Mall where most stores were open.
I have been here for 3.5 years and have never tried the
raved-about Fanesca soup during Holy Week.
Here is a description from Wikipedia: Fanesca is a soup traditionally prepared and eaten by
households and communities in Ecuador during Holy Week.
The components of Fanesca and its method of preparation vary regionally, or even from one
family to another. It is typically prepared and served only in the week before Easter (Holy Week). It is a rich soup, with
the primary ingredientsbeing figleaf gourd (sambo), pumpkin (zapallo), and twelve different
kinds of beans and grains including chochos (lupines), habas (fava beans),
lentils, peas, corn and others, together with bacalao (salt cod)
cooked in milk, due to the Catholic religious prohibition against red meat during Holy Week. It is also generally
garnished with hard boiled eggs,
friedplantains, herbs, parsley, and sometimes empanadas.
The twelve beans represent the twelve apostles of Jesus, and the bacalao is symbolic
of Jesus himself.
Fanesca is usually consumed at midday, which
is generally the principal meal of the day within Ecuadorian culture. The
making and eating of fanesca is considered a social or family activity.
I broke down and decided to order a Fanesca meal from a local
restaurant a block away. Maybe this is a
delicacy to some people but, typical of Ecuadorian food, it is really pretty
bland and tasteless. It came with a
tapioca-style dessert, which I gave away to the young man at the next table. What can I say, I have yet to have a native
Ecuadorian dish that excites me. The
closest would be Chancho, roast pork…
In my travels downtown I bought some crazy glue off of a street
vendor because the faux leather covering on my camera keeps coming detached and
the other usual glues here, almost all silicone-based have not done the
job. This glue was runnier than I
remembered and before long I had almost glued my camera to my leg…. Giving new
meaning to hip-shot…..
I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's excitement, Cheers, Al
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| #01 Early commotion across the street |
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| #02 Doing the Stations Of The Cross |
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| #03 Jesus hasn't got his cross yet |
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| #04 Off to the next Station |
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| #05 Jesus is looking quite contrite |
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| #06 A good crowd attending this ceremony |
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| #07 The pan flute players were by the big cathedral |
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| #08 Why they wear North American Indian style costumes, nobody knows |
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| #09 Inside Santo Domingo church |
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| #10 Main procession on Bolivar |
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| #11 One of the priests on this procession |
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| #12 Most of the icons came from Santo Domingo parish |
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| #13 They need lots of people to carry those heavy statues |
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| #14 Nice silk costumes |
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| #15 Many groups required |
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| #16 The head priest in Cuenca |
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| #17 I love this statue |
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| #18 Heavy work for the bearers with over 2 hours of walking |
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| #19 San Alfonso with the blue spire |
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| #20 Nearing the end |
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| #21 The last statue of the Crucifixion |
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| #22 Very impressive statue |
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| #23 My best shot of the day, very representative of Good Friday |
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| #24 Going by the main Immaculate Conception cathedral |
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| #25 Innovative noisemakers... |
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| #26 Back to the front of the procession |
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| #27 It is a slow process on a cool day |
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| #28 Note the bare feet.. |
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| #29 Indigenous garb is common |
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| #30 Another procession from the side |
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| #31 Again Jesus has not got his cross yet |
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| #32 Barrabas is part of this group |
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| #33 Crossing behind the main cathedral, have to wait... |
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| #34 The main procession crosses in front |
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| #35 The San Francisco procession will just have to wait a bit |
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| #36 Upper view of San Francisco procession from the balcony |
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| #37 This is Mike & Susan's everyday view |
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| #38 Jesus has his cross now. |
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| #39 This bunch continues down Padre Aguirre |
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| #40 Singers with keyboard and speakers are trailing |
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| #41 Love the spire(s) of Santo Domingo |
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| #42 Some of Susan's beautiful photography work |
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| #43 The main procession is coming up Gran Colombia |
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| #44 They will wind up in Santo Domingo Square |
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| #45 A high view is a nice change, no blockages |
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| #46 These folks will be glad to put this heavy statue down |
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| #47 Lots of police logistics for these |
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| #48 The music and singer for the main procession are walking |
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| #49 A stop for another Station |
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| #50 Such an impressive statue |
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| #51 This one leans back oddly, Pieta-style maybe? |
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| #52 I feel sorry for the bearers |
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| #53 Nearing the end |
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| #54 The last statue makes the turn |
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| #55 All are back at Santo Domingo |
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| #56 Susan with friends (one from Edmonton) |
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| #57 Got to try the Fanesca meal $3.50 |
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| #58 This is it, plus the tapioca which I gave away |
