New Years in Mira!

My new year’s experience in Mira was pretty awesome and I’m so glad that I had it. I had the opportunity to go to the coastal town of Montanita, which is really popular with Gringos, with some other WT vols. However, I heard that it was just a giant staying-up-all-night-drinking-dancing-around-fires-with-surfers-on-the-beach sort of affair. Which admittedly sounds completely and totally awesome, but I feel like I can have a crazy drinking gringo night any old time. The cultural aspect of Mira was great and I was really glad to spend it with my host family.

So here goes the recounting of my tale. Disclaimer: This one might be a long one. But I’ll try to keep it interesting.

December 31^st

The family and I wake up really early to make sure we get a good (as in not packed where you have to stand the whole time) bus to Mira. We take the 7 AM bus. I for some reason was not able to sleep the night before. Not so good as I was determined to make it till 8 AM dancing in the street as I was told I would. When we got to Mira, (The more you know moment – Mira: a small town of about 13,000 people high in the Andes about an hour north of Ibarra, called the Balcony of the Andes) we put our bags in one of the rooms, though that didn’t mean we would be sleeping there. In fact, we were planning on not sleeping as there were no beds. There was too much family, and not enough house that weekend. I tried sleeping a little until Debby came. When she finally came, the family (host sis’s and bro, Deb and I) went to the cute plaza park area, did some mingling, helped put together a little stage for some live music that night, and popped into a house during a jam session preparing for the night.

Deb and I "participating" in the Jam Session.

The rest of the day entailed eating, talking in the house and super super super intense primping sessions with the host fam girls. We were going to look good for 2009, damn it!

The results of said primping.

During primping, some monos, which literally means monkeys came into the house trying to get through the doors to stain us/terrorize us. Completely harmless and fun as the monos are people who dress up with masks, and put tar or something on their hands and threaten to stain you unless you give them money. Usually a dime or a quarter will suffice. And the only reason they got into the house was because they were good family friends of my family. I only heard super super super high screaming and the girls rushing to shut the door. I had noooo idea what was happening. As usual. Supposedly, it’s a custom that is only really in Mira and a little in Southern Colombia.

We went to the town plaza with the whole family, carretas (masks) and all, to look at the ano viejos (the dolls representing the old year and the things they don’t want to carry into the new year) around town. Many of them were simple, but many of them were these huge ordeals.

Like this one.

But I liked the smaller, more personal ones like this from the uncle of my host mom.

After walking around, the parental units went back to the house and the kids went to the plaza to listen to the live music (which seemed to be in many streets in Mira). We went to the street with the stage we set up for the band we knew. At this point, most of Mira was milling around the park listening to the live music (no one was dancing at this point) with some ladies setting up stands of boiling liquor and some sort of juice? We listened to the music out in the street and then about 10 minutes to midnight we hightailed it back to the house to indulge in our pyromaniac tendencies. We took down our Ano Viejos, put them in the street, doused them in loooots of lighter fluid, and lit those bad boys on fiiiire. Then to make it more fun, we got to hit the ano viejos as they were burning with sticks. Yeah, Ecuador is badass like that. It was midnight around that time. We didn’t really know what the exact countdown was, but we guesstimated, counted down from 10 and then kissed and hugged everyone.

The family with the burning and beaten ano viejos.

And me dancing around a fire, with a mask on. What else is new?

At that point, the kids went back to the park area and we danced in the street until 5 AM. This included moments of passing around one bottle of hervido (hot boiling juice liquor thing) with one cup, for every person to drink out of, getting potato chips, oh and more dancing. When we finally made it back to the house (which was probably 50 feet up the road), it was 5:30 AM and we were tired. But remember, there are no beds in the house. So what do we do? Go to sleep in the neighbor’s house, of course! I love Mira. And that is not sarcastic. We went to the neighbor’s house (who was not a stranger, though that could have been a really interesting story had they been) and went upstairs and jumped into bed. When we woke up at 11 AM on the 1^st, who do I see but two other random people passed out in the next bed and on the floor. Yesssss! We tip toe down in our pajamas and run into our house.

January 1st

What’s the best cure for danced out feet? A trip to a hot springs. Yes! Part of the fam jumped into the back of the truck and went on the 30 minute GORGEOUS ride to la calera. The springs is set in a gorgeous setting, but the springs were a little lacking. First off, not even HOT hot springs. Think merely lukewarm. Then, think incredibly crowded. Like I don’t know who you are but I’m touching parts of your body I probably shouldn’t in this dark murky water sort of crowded. So after all of a hot second in the hot springs and 30 minutes in the steam room (next to the woman with the molting skin), we went to just sit and stare at the la calera view.

Gorgeous, isn't it? And the mountains aren't that bad too. Haha. I made a joke!

Though it wasn’t all roses. Because being the silly person I am, I wanted to sit as close to the edge to take in the gorgeous view, the fresh air, and feel alive! But ruining my nature moment was another call of nature. I sat in nice, warm, fresh urine. Of course that’s where all the men pee!

Not happy about pee on my butt!

When we got back to Mira it was about 6 PM and we waited around until 8 PM when the host uncle could take Deb and I back (the host mom wanted to stay another night to bake bread the next day). As there were again limited seats, Deb and I scooted to the truck bed with a nice blanket for the hour drive through the mountains at night back to Ibarra. Can you say amazing? I think I’ve decided that I only ever want to travel by truckbed, in fresh air and gorgeous scenery, and with good company.

So overall, New Year was amazing. Mira is awesome. And I love Ecuador. And truckbed traveling.