The colours of Ecuador

A party to celebrate Ecuador's National Day was held at the Ottawa City Hall yesterday evening, and I'd been invited, so joined in. Flags stood at the front. The children of the embassy were wearing the traditional dress of their country. Musicians from Ecuador were playing on pan pipes and percussion, deafening anyone trying to converse at that end of the hall, and speciality cocktail snacks were being handed out to the big crowd. The drinks table didn't only serve wine and mineral water; we had refreshing, mystery juices in jugs. After the national anthems of Canada and of Ecuador, followed by the Ambassador's speech, a full hot buffet opened, everyone lining up for Ecuadorian dishes made with corn, quinoa, beef, chicken and so on, most generous, and four pretty ladies performed a traditional dance amongst us, making the most of their full skirts––yellow blue and pink, with white ruffles. At the end of the reception each guest was given a trio of roses to take away with them, coloured like the country's flag.

At the reception I met people I know from a variety of other countries, including Iran, Korea, Mongolia, Britain. Graham from Britain asked me where I came from and when I told him N. Yorkshire, he wanted to know if I'd ever done the Lyke Wake Walk. I had ... long, long ago! It was strange, remembering that eccentricity in an South American context.