La Mariscal Beats

We stepped outside into the dark and foggy streets of north Quito. The clouds have descended upon the city from somewhere behind the Andes mountains. We see some headlights fragmented by the smoke-like air and hope it is a taxi. It is peculiar that my hair and jacket feel damp. It is not raining but the moisture from the clouds engulfing us creates a fresh mist that is a relief from the hot sun during the day. The taxi pulls up and we head back to La Mariscal, my home neighborhood for the next month, to begin our night out on the town. As I sit cramped four deep in the back of a three person cab my mind drifts over the experiences of my first week in Quito: the bullfight, the beautiful flamenco dancers, Fiesta de Quito, my impromptu salsa lesson, the food, and the people.

I begin to see colorful lights and people walking on the sidewalk out of the cab window and there is the faint sound of music in the distance. We are back to La Mariscal. The area is one of the most modern areas in Ecuador and is known to have some of the best nightlife in the country. It is appropriately nicknamed “Gringolandia” because it is home to many visiting Americans, Europeans, and Australians alike. My host home is smack in the middle of La Mariscal in area called Plaza la Foch. It is like having a balcony on Bourbon Street in the middle of the French Quarter. I can look down from my balcony here and see a mass of people congregating in the plaza and see the overspill into the conjoining streets most nights of the week

We climb out of the cab a few blocks from Plaza la Foch because the traffic is so backed up it would be faster just to walk the rest of the way. As we walk the guys fill me in on the stories that I missed during the three months I have not been with them. The music is getting louder. Music. Ah the Music. Music is the heart and soul of Latin America. Take music away and Latin America would come to a screeching stop. It is everywhere: the clubs, the streets, the buses, my house all day, the taxies, the café and Internet shops, and every other little shop on the street. The sounds flood the air. There is a reason why Latinos can dance the way they can. The rhythm is a part of their anatomy. From the time their ears can hear at birth they live life moving to the sounds of music. I wouldn’t be surprised if doctors and nurses set up radios in the delivery rooms and slightly moved their hips and shoulders as they delivered the babies.

Ah Music. We walk a little further up the street and I can now hear a distinguishable rhythm above the rest. We are standing in front of my favorite club. They play a good mix of Salsa and Reggeaton. I am looking forward to the dancing tonight. I feel good, I have energy, I learn something new every time. My host mother, Gloria, swears that I have Latino blood in me after watching me dance at a restaurant. While flattering, it’s hard for me to believe because she also tells me I am good at Spanish. It makes me feel good every time though.

We get into the club and disappear into the people and the smoke. This is going to be a good night.