Burning the year.
In Otavalo people wear masks on new year, and then the men put on women´s clothes. They then harass all and sundry, tourists included of course. It is the first time in my life that I´ve been menaced by something that resembles a mansize transexual rat.
They also make bonfires on every corner, where they burn last year´s troubles at 12am sharp. And let of fireworks. Here is one such bonfire that looks a bit like a chinese, or welsh, dragon. Many of the bonfires had effigies of George Bush and the then Ecuadorian president thrown onto them. Judging by the recent election result in Ecuador maybe this ritual works.
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 
