It’s All about the Kids

May 22, 2008

On the morning of December 24^th, within and just outside of Cuencan borders, excited Ecuadorians carefully dress their young ones in detailed, traditional, and colorful costumes. They want their children to look the part before they enter the historic municipality’s western edge, strut by the Church of San Sebastián, wave to their fans along Calle Bolívar, and swagger past the Church of San Blas, which sits on the opposite end of town. The Pase del Niño Viajero is a very important event in Cuenca, which belongs to the kids. It is their day; they are the stars. Fortunately, I was able to see them shine.

At 10:30 in the morning of Christmas Eve, my fellow English teacher from Loja (a small, tranquil city near Ecuador’s southern tip), Andrew, and I met our former TESOL classmate from Quito, Liz, and her visiting gringo family in the lobby of Cuenca’s Hotel Crespo. From there, Elizabeth VanDerwerker, her parents, Greg and Laura, as well as her older sister, Catherine, followed Andrew and me to Parque Calderón, where we could catch the heart of the extensive procession. A few minutes later, we arrived at the northern side of the city’s central park to see hundreds of people lining both sides of Calle Bolívar. Inserting ourselves into the crowd that was a few rows deep, the six of us found a spot on the street’s southern sidewalk.

For the next couple of hours, the VanDerwerkers, Andrew, and I watched endless floats, animals, and files of children pass by. Moreover, we stared in amazement at the elaborate, authentic costumes and beautiful dresses that the youths were donning. Whether they were guised as angels, Roman soldiers, matadors, or bandits, had drawn-on facial hair or were clean-shaven, the kids proudly stayed in character. Catherine, Andrew, and I were even lucky enough to stand in the parade’s path. Dodging protective parents, vendors, vehicles, horse crap, as well as professional and amateur photographers, the three of us took countless close-ups of the adorable participants. Eventually, the rain started to fall and our pictures began to duplicate themselves, so we hesitantly left the procession, which continued to march loudly across Cuenca late into the afternoon. I’ve never seen a parade last that long, but that’s just another reason why it’s unique.

In fact, before this year’s Pase del Niño Viajero, I heard many people say that it is probably Ecuador’s #1 holiday procession. And after seeing it with my own eyes, I’d have a hard time believing there’s a better one.

About the Author: Tyrel Nelson graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2003 with a B.A. in Journalism and Spanish Studies. From September 2005 until August 2007, he worked as an AmeriCorps Construction Assistant, leading volunteer crews and building houses on behalf of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, which is based out of Minneapolis, MN. He currently lives in Ecuador, where he has been teaching English since September 2007.