Tags
Ayahuma, Ayauma, Cayambe Ecuador, Cayambe IntiRaymi 2017, IntiRaymi, San Pedro Celebration June Solstice
Cayambe Ecuador – From one side of the country to the other and halfway back again, I’ve been in transit a lot and online a little. On June 21, I reached Cayambe Ecuador after dark and decided to stay in the city instead of my normal stopover at Hacienda Guachala.

Map from Flor de Valle “Ofelia’ bus terminal-Quito.
This alignment of choices placed me square in the middle of a June Solstice event, where the locals still honor Pachamama, known to others as our dear Mother Earth.
This event is part of a month-long celebration called the Fiestas de San Pedro* y del Sol, which bridges the Catholic religion with the ancient Indigenous customs. – *This year’s festivities will continue until July 8, but the San Pedro customs are observed throughout the country, sometimes for several more months. On June 28, I will be attending Jama’s on the coast.

San Pedro/Inti Raymi

Hostal Cayambe, between the main square and Cayambe’s most-famous Bizcochos cafe.
The night manager of Hostal Cayambe told me of a ‘children’s parade’ that would start at nine in the morning. Her description was quite modest, and the extremely-colorful parade lasted several hours!
I should have suspected that the finale would be timed for 12 o’clock, as the sun approached its northern stopping point for the year. Needing to check out before noon and leave on the 1:00 pm bus, I pondered, “Go see the last part of the parade or go to the bus terminal?” Of course you know which choice I made!
“Arrrrrriba,’ the locals said while pointing toward the edge of the city. After checking out of the hostal, I feared I had missed the noon event. Unsure where to go, I asked random people on the street. “Arrrrrriba!’ they echoed, and I continued my ascent.

This group was heading back to town… Uh-oh, was I too late?

After this group and I passed each other, the young AyaHuma turned and wished me a safe journey!
Meeting more people, I walked faster and was grateful the people at the hostal advised that I leave my bag in their office!

Insider’s sneak peek: there’s a surprise view ahead to the left of that bus!
Walking higher and higher, I pictured the groups taking turns in a token salute to the sun, perhaps bowing and then retreating to town. Sometimes not knowing what to expect provides us with the greatest surprises. Just past a cluster of blue wildflowers, a sweeping panoramic view nudged me to step to the edge, pause and admire what waited ahead.
I choked back tears to be witnessing such a beautiful tradition.
What if I’d checked out of the hostal and gone straight to the bus terminal? Pausing at various look-out points, I watched and photographed from afar and slowly approached a beautiful gathering of quiet people.
All but touching the sky, people clustered in small groups or continued their music and dancing in unobtrusive rhythms to honor Pachamama. No children ran wild; no adults were drinking; no one tried to out perform another; small groups participated in their own dance while others visited quietly while eating ice cream and treats. No church was needed there; the Great Spirit smiled on all present.
After walking the outside edge of the crowd, I approached closer, not sure if my presence was ‘proper’ etiquette or not.
There was plenty of room for one more person, and they barely noted my presence. In the center was a simple-yet-complex circle drawn with rose petals and fruit, with a colorful flag in the center and four stations around the edge to represent North, South, East and West.
A select few of the younger ones were part of the ceremony; we watched the lighting of the fire and the distribution of that fire to the four points. I marveled at the respect and responsibility of the younger generation, who accept their roles with seriousness.

Pass the matches, please!

The fire was made from dried sticks of Palo Santo / “Holy Wood.”
What affected me strongest was their respect and affection for Pachamama. Yes, it was a day of festivity, but it was also a day of seriousness. The parade and the ending ceremony represented a balance. There is a time for play and there is a time to honor our planet. The younger ones will continue that tradition.
I wondered, “How unique is this custom? Where else on the planet do communities gather to openly acknowledge the importance of our Mother Earth and pass on that respect to the next generations?”
I sent a quiet ‘Thank you,’ to the universe that a chance alignment of events delivered me to a place where I could touch the sky with kindred spirits… Like Cinderella realizing the approaching midnight hour, I bolted to retrieve my bag from the hostal and catch the bus for Quito.

How could I not stop and take photos of these great young men who wanted to practice their English?!!!

Back to the hostal, then ‘TAXI!’ to the Flor de Valle bus for Quito then on to Mindo… “Pronto, por favor!”
I boarded the bus, which rolled out of town less than one minute later! Whew! I left no slipper behind, but a part of my spirit will always linger where I touched the sky with the locals.
“Extremely colorful” indeed! I see why you love it there.
Yes, colorful and very entertaining. I worked on photos for six or seven hours! There is so much to share!
What an amazing event to have experienced! ❤
Thank you; yes, it was a beautiful experience!
Gorgeous photos and sharing!
Thank you!!!
To celebrate tonight in Barcelona.
Thanks Ian! New Moon, great moment for pondering what surprises await in this next section of the year….
This is great!
Thanks, Fletcher! Hope the summer isn’t too hot and stifling there!
Lisa, thanks for sharing this. The beautiful colors and smiling faces bring cheer to all. Keith
Si, and it was amazing how well behaved those children were! Thanks, Keith!
Funny, I just spotted you over at mine and I’m busy admiring your wonderful gathering. The children are gorgeous. 🙂 🙂 I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your last email. I couldn’t find the words, Lisa.
Hey there.. just and I was taking a walk with you and being turned down at the trolley! It’s interesting how sometimes two people are on the same page even though continents and oceans are between. No prob with the latter; I will be back on the coast next week and we’ll be doing some ‘brainstorming’ workshops for ‘folk art.’
And there are those who would proclaim this beautiful, orderly, and respectful gathering a “heathen” celebration… Churches do not elevate wonder and gratitude. People and culture does that. Why, even the flowers appeared to be dancing with joy and reverence.
You are so right, and ‘generations’ ago the ‘ayahumas’ were called ‘diablo-umas’ as they thought they represented the devil…. no no, they represent the strong leader who protects and honors.. anyone witnessing the event would definitely feel the calming energy…. yes, even the flowers played a role!
o lisa I loved the pacha mama celebration and your photos are intimate as per usual…I love your posts and feel your energy as you bolted for the bus…:) good on you…great post
oh yes, catching that bus is important, as you definitely understand.. the ‘next’ one would not get me to quito in time to catch the final bus to mindo….. it all worked out, and that final 2-hour bus ride was spent working on photos!
amazing, the photos were perfect to tell the story of the celebration. We love the traditions and the festivals here in this beautiful country, hugs amiga
Oh yes, it was a lovely experience, complete with beautiful weather.. the day before we had rain almost the entire day.. surely ecuador has more fiestas than any other country?!
What a wonderful celebration you captured! I love the smell of Palo Santo burning…
Yes, Palo Santo has an amazing and unique aroma; when I travel elsewhere, I try to always tuck a piece of the wood in my luggage, so the aroma connects me back to Ecuador.. At the ceremony, the aroma added an extra layer of ‘comfort.’
Applying customs that date back to earliest mankind, Palo Santo, was used for only the the most sacred traditions. Your great good fortune allowed you to witness one of
these ceremonies taking place and actually become part of it.
Your incredible photo journal of this event gives us all a perfect first hand account of the amazing purity and richness that it lovingly deserves. Love the traditions of these beautiful people.
Thank you for adding more about Palo Santo, which is rightfully respected by many in this country. Having such a intimate allowance into the scene was truly my great fortune – a gift that sobered and humbled me… I believe that if one’s heart is in the right ‘place’ and one doesn’t have expectations for payback, Life smiles on us – even through challenging times. Especially through challenging times. This experience was in no way ‘accidental’ – and Life was definitely smiling as I walked skyward and witnessed that amazing finale.. Thank you, Eddie. You would love these beautiful people.
From your beautiful descriptions and incredible photography there is no doubt about that.
Many friends, even Ecuadorian friends, state there is a mysterious ‘pull’ – an energy that many of us feel here.. It’s strong, and when we stray too far, we’re homesick, which is not norm either….
How fortunate you were to be a part of all that. Are you planning to go again next year?
I can’t help wondering whether the -mama at the end of Pachamama was incorporated from Spanish, or whether Pachamama, ‘Mother Earth,’ is a fully indigenous name whose ending is one of those linguistic near-universals based, in this case, on the early sound that babies make.
A friend invited me to another ceremony at another location today, and I definitely wanted to go yet need to catch up on neglected personal tasks… They told me that there’s a really special event that starts on the 28th and stretches until the 8 of July, but alas, there are also pending details waiting on the coast…. I hope that next year I can spend the entire month in Cayambe and try to absorb the much-larger picture.
I also suspect that they have smaller ceremonies – but equally touching – during the September and March equinoxes as well as the December solstice. The June one is the most important one here.
I will ask my Ecuadorian friends that speak Quichua to learn more about the origin of ‘Pachamama.’
A friend shared two links about the word “Mama” in Kichua/Quichua/Quechua:
http://kichwaecuador.blogspot.com/2011/11/vocabulario-de-la-familia.html?m=1
https://es.glosbe.com/es/qu/madre
It’s interesting that the Spanish suffix -astro sometimes conveys different meanings depending on the noun it’s attached to. For example, a padrastro is a stepfather but an hermanastro is a half-brother rather than a step-brother.
Dearest Lisa.. You were meant to witness this beautiful ceremony and touch the sky with these amazing people.. Your post touched me from beginning to end.. My eyes are moist from the sheer joy your photo’s shared..
And I felt the love here being given to our Earth Mother Pachamama, So love that name..
And yes. I so agree with you Lisa when you said “No church was needed there; the Great Spirit smiled on all present.”..
May the Great Spirit continue to smile and bless all who were present, For we all only have one Pachamama..
Love and Blessings Lisa.. So SOOOOOOOoooooo loved this post and I lingered long on each photo.. ❤ xxx 💙💜💚
Our unique Eddie 2Hawks and you would both merge into this scene with ease and would be equally accepted into their circle. Thank you for the time you spent, appreciating each photo and seeing the personalities and grace of each person. I am glad that many of the Indigenous cultures continue to honor their customs, their authentic dress and attitudes… Perhaps they will slowly influence others, who will embrace their example.
Oh I so hope so Dear Lisa.. So much love I felt in each photo.. Each person so intent on giving.. Sharing of their energies.. I felt it.. So to be witness to that must have been amazing.. ❤ and Eddie and I go way back in our blogging years before WP and he is a special friend whose heart I know would be very welcomed among them. 🙂
I was invited to another event that was held yesterday, but I had responsibilities at ‘home.’ My friend sent photos last night – it was a much-smaller gathering but equally serene and so very spiritual.. it included a water blessing….
Wonderful… 🙂 I think you were meant to be at the larger event.. And I am just a little envious lol.. 🙂 xx ❤
You are experiencing some unique moments with Pachamama as well… I’ll be sharing more stories/images of the IntiRaymi events.. soon I hope!
I hope so Lisa, for I truly enjoy them.. 🙂
Dearest Amiga, I am experiencing the feeling of excitement that I am sure you felt –
through your words. Seeing your photos and reading your captions brings me close to you. I love your sense of adventure – your life is so full in so many ways. Much Love.
Marie, Marie! You would have been sprinting up that hill as well, and I’m glad that you were able to be here via the images and story!
What an absolutely beautiful collection of photos Lisa! And what a wonderful celebration! We too should celebrate our planet. I know we have Earth Day but it is nothing like this. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos!
Yes, and scenes like that are replicated up and down the Andes… it’s sobering, humbling and inspiring…
I can only imagine Lisa!
Thank you so much for sharing – it was glorious!
Thank you for taking the time to read the story and for commenting!
Beautiful, interesting people. Great pictures. Thanks Amiga
Thank you, vibrant and lovely Queen of WP!
I loved every bit of this! Good for you, for relishing the moment…I’m afraid I’d have worried about the deadline, missed the event, and added it to my long list of missed opportunities and regrets.
yes, it was a great surprise to experience the celebration… i’ve learned that ‘work’ will always be there, and even when there’s a missed bus, something presents itself that makes me grateful for the detour… maybe you can set aside a few free hours, place yourself where you normally don’t go, and see what surprises await there!!!!
What a parade. The children certainly looked like they had the time of their life, and also respecting the June Solstice. What a lovely view after the hike to the top, and all the more lovely to hear everyone seemed to be at one with each other up there – like everyone was not only in the same space, but also connected in some way. Love the shots here. That one with the fire and hands is a great one, capturing the tradition and the human spirit coming together.
Thank you, Mabel, for taking the time to share your feedback about the images and story. It truly was an amazing and very serene experience, and there were no status boundaries – everyone was equal, no matter their lineage or dress or status in the outside world. Thanks again!
Lisa, I think the Pachamama ceremonies are humbling and transcendent. I will never forget the Inti Raymi ceremony in Machu Picchu and Cusco, Peru. Thanks for sharing this with us. So colorful, respectful, and appreciative of our Mother Earth.
Those in Peru would surely rate at the top of spiritual solstice experiences… We are lucky for so many opportunities to ‘merge’ with the locals and witness their unique traditions and rituals…
Oh Lisa how wonderful for you that you could be there for that! Your photos are fabulous and took me on the journey with you, and also had me remembering many similar festivals we attended in various Latin American countries – and always always the honouring of Pachamama. In Peru at the Candelaria festival, and in Bolivia on Christmas day for each sip of beer taken another is poured onto the ground for Pachamama. I do think that the veneer of Catholicism is just that – a veneer. The indigenous people have never really given up their spiritual practices, they just have a slightly different disguise for them; like all the Catholic saints in the Chamula church in Mexico are really Mayan gods.
Alison
We are so lucky to have experienced what sometimes seems like unlimited variations of traditional celebrations. That Bolivian tradition of the beer sounds quite amusing! It’s admirable that they are tolerant of the other influences and allow the customs to merge..
So! I wonder what’s next – waiting to be discovered ’round the corner?
What an absolutely amazing trip!!! I can’t even imagine how many memories you will have to cherish forever. Btw was it just me, or did it appear that you may have stopped in on the pagan party from Dragnet?? (Tom Hanks / Dan Akroyd – old reference but the furry leggings made me think of that and giggle). Also your pics were stunning. My fav was the one with the young men laughing. You truly captured the joy in the moment. I love seeing this all through your eyes and your camera! 🙂
How absolutely wonderful Lisa. What wonderful people and a what a beautiful custom/celebration – the honouring of Pachamama! Too bad the western world doesn’t think the same way. Your photos were just lovely. What a wonderful people you live with. 🙂
Sometimes ‘replies’ go awol and I’m sorry that happened to this one. Thanks so much for your support and for your feedback regarding the western world customs and the Indigenous ones…. Yes, they are lovely people!
No probs Lisa, I think the system must have a few bugs in it re replies!
Si – and I don’t think they care about getting rid of that infestation!
What a wonderful world!
Yes it is! Especially when one lives close to nature like you do….
Thanks, Paul!
Cute kids and so much colors. I love they celebrate earth and respect it. Lucky you got to see the celebration.
Hi!
Nice post! I’ve made post about sky and some other topics so if you have time and will please go and check it! I’m new here so it would mean a lot to me.
If you like it pls follow, I follow you! 😀
Thank you!
Thank you! I’m online only a brief time right now but I’ll be back later tonight… See you then!