"Las viudas" (widows)
Surreality began on Olon beach again with this curious tradition. As I understand it the "año viejos" are bad spirits of the year ending (2008 in this case)represented hereby masked children and on New Years Eve by the effigies. As they die sotospeak they leave their widows, also masked,who ask for money to help them live. It´s very similar to the "penny for the guy" idea on Guy Fawkes night on 5th November in Britain. The added somewhat surreal twist here is that the widows are always boys who speak in very high pitched voices!
The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A b... ... read more 
