The Inka celebration of the sun spent with the Salasaca, gentle people living near the Chimborazo in the center of Ecuador. Quite stubborn people too, otherwise they wouldn't have survived 500 years of discovery by us Europeans. The celebration takes place at the solistice in the last weeks of June, when the sun is as far away from the equator as it can get. It lasts one week or more. Originally it served to please the faraway sun that it may return again.
From the diary:
Impressions of the Inti Raymi with the Salasaca, in the background taita Chimborazo. The celebration is divided: The more traditional Salasaca with decorated masks step the old dances accompanied by bass drum and Quena, a clear sounding small wooden flute, while ear-crunching simultaneously percussion and saxofones play the modern mixture of Salsa and march music (Ecu Pop) for partying.
From the diary:
"The beginning was very slow, the band played lonely for
hours no one wanted to move a single step.
After five o'clock it got a bit livelier, the spirit of chicha and cañazo inspired all. Bears, lion and Draculas in wild masks scared spectators with
boxing gloves. If you got caught by them, your
hair was "dressed" (I was still faster there and could run
away I) or your shoes were "cleaned" (that time they were faster).
With a mortgage of 50 cent you are released again and in addition you get a
being-hit-on-the-head lesson for free.
A little 4 year old indio girls named Lisbet twaddles
for solid three hours Quichua in my ears. She wants that I buy her
one ice cream after the other, all the rest is lost in translation..."
Party is over: The sun has set and the trees get harvested. At the rope the boy can let down the fruits, Cola bottles and t-Shirts from above.
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