Polonia Ensemble in ECUADOR 

Day 1: Guayaquil

Day 2 - 4: Puerto Rico
La Barquita
Isla de la Plata

Day 5: Middle of the Word

Day 6 - 11: Ibarra - Festival Paz y Cultura Para el Mundo
TV Day
The Charm of Cotacachi People

Day 12: Quito

Day 13 - 16: Baños adventure
Jungle at its purest!
Hike to waterfalls
Dance all night
Go jump off the bridge

06-21-2009 - Cotachaci - The Charm of Cotacachi People

    When I awoke on this typically sunny day in Ecuador, I had no idea what was in store. I had absolutely no idea that just twenty-four hours later, I would by lying in my hotel bed with a full cast on my leg, feeling one of the worst pains of my life. I’ll save the juicy details for later though, because other than the unfortunate ending, this day was a very memorable one.

    The day began as it does every day, with a delicious breakfast served to us by the exceptionally kind Indo America dance group from Ibarra, Ecuador. I quickly ate all of my eggs and tomatoes because I knew we would have a long day ahead. The first part of the day was spent on free time. Myself, and a few others spent the day enjoying the town.

    Some time in the afternoon it was time to get dressed into our costumes and head over to the theatre where we were to perform our main concert. It was a great time to see what the other groups had to offer, and we were not disappointed. My favorite group came from Columbia; they were a group of 11-13 year old kids who could dance like no other. For some reason, perhaps it is because of his charm, these young kids were infatuated with my brother Peter. It was fun to watch the interaction because my brother spoke as much Spanish and they spoke English: none.
 
    Immediately after our performance was over, we were informed that we must pack into the bus once again and make a trip to Cotacachi, a small yet prosperous Ecuadorian village that is inhabited only by Indigenous peoples. This town was exceptionally clean, with a beautiful town square and very modern, yet classical looking buildings. The Cotacachi people excel in the leather craftwork and globetrotters from around the world travel there just to purchase the beautiful leather clothing and accessories.

    As we drove up to the Cotacachi museum where we were to perform we were told that the audience had been awaiting our arrival for nearly two hours. We felt terrible, and knew that it was our time to shine. We made a pact that despite the difficult dancing conditions we would dance our hearts out.

    The room was a mini rectangular ballroom and seated along every single wall were the Cotacachi people. You could tell on their faces that they did not know what to expect. Never until this day had we had such an impromptu performance. Every single dance had to be edited to fit the small room, but we had fun with it. When I was dancing the Krakowiak, I sang to each and every person as if they were the only one in the room. We danced two dances, the Krakowiak and Rzeszow, and when we finished the Mayor of Cotacachi, his wife, and a few others graced us with the famous indigenous dance. The performers walked around in a circle while the Mayor played a giant seashell. During the dance Angela was pulled into the circle and within minutes most of us were dancing as well. Our translator told us immediately after that this special dance can last up to eight days, and it would be very disrespectful to walk away before its ending. Another interesting bit about the dance is that all women who partake in it are sure to get pregnant within a year. Lets hope not.

    We were lucky to be in Ibarra and Cotacachi during the days of one of their most important holidays that they celebrate for eight days. After our performance we walked throughout the museum to learn more about the culture of this town. A gentleman from the audience approached us and explained as well as he could, that what he saw was unlike anything he had ever seen. He loved our singing, our dancing, and he loved us. Within minutes of the conversation we were all laughing and engaging in a good old group hug. We were all invited to a celebration out on the river that is not like the celebrations we are used to. All attendants must strip from their clothing and jump into the river nude. While some of our liberal dancers thought “When in Rome,” others exclaimed “Absolutely Not!” Pani Ania decided for us and eventually we did not go.

    One of the most astonishing aspects of this culture is seen in the hands of its people. Their rugged hands expose just how hard working they all are. I am so very honored to have had a chance to see and study the culture of the Cotacachi people and I hope that one day I will have that chance.

    Now, before I forget I must explain why the next day after the visit to Cotacachi, I was stuck in bed with a full cast on my left leg. At night, after the performances and after supper, we had a small mixer with the Ecuadorian dance group where we could mingle and learn several Ecuadorian dances. I was not feeling well and decided to sit out most of the night, but as easy it is to feed me, it is equally easy to get me onto the dance floor. I ended up dancing Salsa with our kind translator Jaime. Here I am having the time of my life when in the blink of an eye I am on the floor and my knee is dislocated. It was honestly one of the worst pains I have ever felt, and I hope I never feel it again. I screamed and cried until my mom, Jaclyn, and the paramedics arrived. Those were the only people I needed to calm my nerves. I ended up in the Metropolitan hospital with a very good-looking doctor from Brazil, who took excellent care of me. The entire experience is hazy due to the unbearable pain I was feeling, but two hours later, and 5 seconds of what felt like 50 angry invisible fairies stabbing me in the knee, I was on my way back to the hotel. The rest of my trip was sure to be an experiment because my leg was stiff and every activity would surely be an obstacle.

-Justyna Koscielniak-