New Years Eve in Ecuador is definitely an experience! The day started at Papallecta Hot Thermal Springs. It was a very nice start to the day. There was a cold pool to dip into after spending time in the hot springs. Decided to give it a try. The first time was terrible! The second time was not as bad. We moved to a pool with even hotter water, thankfully the cold pool near the new pool wasn’t as cold as I needed to go in it several times to cool down.
On the way back to the hotel we started to see some of the men dressed in drag asking for money. They represent the widows of the men that get burned at midnight signifying the end of the old year. Interesting tradition. We also stopped for wigs and underwear. I guess you are suppose to wear yellow or red underwear. We skipped the underwear and a number of us bought wigs.
At 7 pm, the group went out in the van and drove around to see the different “widows”. It was very interesting! After driving around town, we came back to the hotel for dinner and dancing. At the hotel they don’t dress up, guess that is for the lower classes. They do burn effigies of the past year at midnight. They also shot off fireworks. Had a great evening!
