The Queen With The Frozen Heart - My Love is Alive

Amarun took a small breath and Sisa felt herself shiver all around.

He was alive!

She held his hand and watched his face while he struggled to wake up.

Behind her she heard a sob when his eyes finally fluttered open.

Sisa turned rapidly and smiled to the Queen, then her eyes were back on Amarun.

- Where am I, he asked, why am I so hungry? And what happened to my father, and his men? And my mother... I think she was here... And Sisa... What happened?

- You have a lot of questions, Killa the moon laughed aloud.

- He was gone for a long time, Sisa defended her loved one.

- My son has gone through a lot..., the Queen cut in at the same time.

They both smiled and nodded to each other.

- You were turned into the winged snake, Iluku answered, do you remember that? It was my magic but it got all mixed up with your own magic and went wrong.

- My magic, Amarun cried, what has happened? I can't feel it!

Everyone looked around, trying to find the great bear that was always close to Amarun but it was nowhere to be found.

There was a silence, the warriors moved warily around them.

- Your magic died when you turned into the monster, Killa said kindly, just like Sisa's magic died when she revived you. The balance must be maintained and a sacrifice had to be made.

- The important thing is that you got your father free, Iluku chimed in, and your mother's heart has thawed, so the country can heal now.

Amarun took Sisa's hands into his.

- Did you sacrifice your magic for me, he asked in an awed voice.

- It was no sacrifice when I knew I could get you back, she answered blushing pink.

- Thank you, he held her hands and gazed into her eyes.

There was another silence and finally people started moving around, giving the lovers space and privacy.

The King took Iluku's hand into his hands and bowed down.

- Thank you for all that you have done for my family, my kingdom and me, he said. I can never repay it to you.

Then he bowed to the moon.

- My greatest thanks to you also, he stood awkwardly, I do not know how to show my gratitude to the moon...

- Oh, just remember to tell that it was me and not those two braggers over there, the moon shrugged his shoulders and pointed at Kuyllur and Lusiru standing quietly by the Warriors side.

The Queen blushed.

- We are among legendary people, she bowed down. I do not even know how to address you. If there is ever anything in our kingdom that you want, it is yours, just ask.

- We need nothing, kind lady, the star brothers answered smiling, the important thing is that the humans have been freed from the plague of jaguar men and can now live in peace.

- You are true heroes, the King bowed...

- Oh shut up, Killa shouted, I knew they will get all the fame and I will have to do all the hard work! It's not like this is the first time...

He sprang from the ground and started to gradually change his form and move further and further away.

- Husband, don't fret, Iluku changed into the grand white owl and flew behind the moon to the sky.

- We better leave too, Kuyllur explained nervously; hopefully stepmother can convince father that we didn't mean to take the glory away from him.

- He can be a bit vain about these things, Lusiru added.

The brothers turned into a flaming ball white fire that shot through the sky.

To be continued...

This is the thirty-seventh part of the story.

To read the first part of the story, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 1  

To read the second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 2 

To read the third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 3. 

To read the fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 4. 

To read the fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 5.

To read the fourteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 14

To read the sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 6

To read the seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 7

 To read the eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 8

To read the ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 9

To read the tenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 10

To read the eleventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 11

To read the twelth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 12

To read the thirteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 13

To read the fifteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 15

To read the sixteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 16

To read the seventeenth part, go to the The Queen With The Frozen Heart 17

To read the eighteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 18

To read the nineteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 19

To read the twentieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 20

To read the twenty first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

To read the twenty second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - To The Enchanted Night

To read the twenty third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - At The Mouth Of The Cave

To read the twenty fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Visiting Star

To read the twenty fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Time To Leave The Home

To read the twenty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Suitable Wife

To read the twenty-seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Down In The Dungeons

To read the twenty-eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Savouring The Chicha

To read the twenty-ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Flying With The Stars

To read the thirthieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Monster Awakens 

To read the thirty-first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Cup Of Chicha

To read the thirty-second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Riding The Storm 

To read the thirty-third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Magic Arises

To read the thirty-fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Lightning In My Hand

To read the thirty-fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Sacrifice

To read the thirty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Godparents

The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Is On Carnival Break 2

The Queen With The Frozen Heart is on Carnival Break.

If you wish to catch up with the story, here are the links to the post so far.

See you on Friday February 27th!

To be continued....

To read the first part of the story, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 1  

To read the second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 2 

To read the third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 3. 

To read the fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 4. 

To read the fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 5.

To read the fourteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 14

To read the sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 6

To read the seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 7

 To read the eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 8

To read the ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 9

To read the tenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 10

To read the eleventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 11

To read the twelth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 12

To read the thirteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 13

To read the fifteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 15

To read the sixteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 16

To read the seventeenth part, go to the The Queen With The Frozen Heart 17

To read the eighteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 18

To read the nineteenth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 19

To read the twentieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart 20

To read the twenty first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Night Of The Black Moon

To read the twenty second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - To The Enchanted Night

To read the twenty third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - At The Mouth Of The Cave

To read the twenty fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Visiting Star

To read the twenty fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Time To Leave The Home

To read the twenty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Suitable Wife

To read the twenty-seventh part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Down In The Dungeons

To read the twenty-eight part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Savouring The Chicha

To read the twenty-ninth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Flying With The Stars

To read the thirthieth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Monster Awakens 

To read the thirty-first part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - A Cup Of Chicha

To read the thirty-second part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - Riding The Storm 

To read the thirty-third part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Magic Arises

To read the thirty-fourth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Lightning In My Hand

To read the thirty-fifth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Sacrifice

To read the thirty-sixth part, go to The Queen With The Frozen Heart - The Godparents

Enjoy the Carnival in Ecuador

Carnival, or Carnaval in Spanish, is celebrated in all Ecuador.

It precedes Lent in Catholic calendar; therefore the date depends on the date of Easter.

Holidays in Ecuador tend to be mixtures of Catholic religious festivals with holy days within what was the ancestral Andean culture.

Held usually in February, Carnival is a big national holiday that has many religious elements as well as popular elements from of the Andean tradition.

When many think of Carnival in Ecuador, scenes of Brazil's super-famous Carnival parade probably come to mind.

Colorful costumes, huge parade floats, music and dancing, food and drink.

But Carnival here isn't quite the same.

It can be all that and even more but the most important thing about Carnival here in Ecuador is playing the Carnaval.

In all the Ecuador Carnival is a Festival in which people play with water by throwing it at each other.

In several villages people also use flour and eggs, opposed to large cities where the Carioca or Carnival foam is preferred.

History of Carnival in Ecuador

Every city of Ecuador celebrates their own festivals either in honor of a saint (Most Ecuadorians are Catholics), or the city's festivities.

There are plenty more celebrations throughout the country.

Ecuador’s cultural expressions are part of our historical past and the richness of the early Native American people, as well as their adaptation to Christianity and to the new forms of life in today's society.

The country has a wide range of popular and folkloric expressions that are clearly reflected in its traditional festivities and holidays throughout the year.

Ecuador Holidays are part of religious ceremonies mixed with Andean and Amazonic symbols, depending on the part of the country you are, and typical singularities of each village.

The Carnival celebrations have a history that stretches further than the arrival of Catholicism.

The Huarangas Indians used to celebrate the second moon of the year with a lively festivity, during which they threw flour, flowers and perfumed water.

In every celebration there are characters: from Devils to “toros de pueblo” bulls of  the village, and each occasion surrounded in an atmosphere and unique decor which symbolizes customs, traditions, and rituals of those who celebrate it.

A characteristic of the festivals is the music of the “banda de pueblo” groups that play national music.

Also, in popular celebrations, liquor, brandy or traditional drinks as chicha are always part of the party.

Huge concerts and other outdoor parties are also popular.

Misahualli, here in the Napo province, has become popular for their riverside party where the dancers are covered with little more than tiny bathing suits and carioca.

How you “play Carnaval”

Ecuador has a very unique version of Carnival, nothing that compares to other countries’ celebrations.

The Ecuadorians celebrate Carnaval, as it is called in Ecuador, by playing it.

What does playing Carnival mean?

Usually it means throwing balloons, or buckets, filled with water or bags filled with flour at each other.

You may also shoot water with water guns or throw just about anything (even eggs) that may make others look messy.

A lot of people use Carnaval foam called Carioca or water guns these days. 

Even before Carnival lots of people sell water guns in every part of the country.

The celebrations start well before Carnival time, usually already two weeks before.

The children would start even earlier if their parents just would allow them.

All through the country diablillos (little devils) play with water and throw it at passersby.

This is a game that is long awaited, especially by children and teenagers, but stately matrons join the game also during the specific Carnaval days.

Where to go during the Carnival

Many popular festivities are held in Ecuador during the Carnival time.

The popular Misahualli river party with music and dancing here in Napo province, is just one of them.

Besides it the Carnival in Ambato, called Fiesta de las Flores y de las Frutas is very popular.

As is the Carnival in Guaranda that is very famous and popular holiday destination because it honors the Carnival traditions.

Also becoming more and more popular is the Carnival is held in Puyo with its floats and activities.

Carnival is holiday throughout the country and many people leave their homes and travel to different destinations, so you better be prepared to long lines and trafic jams.

The beach is very popular destination but the Amazon region has become more and more popular with its warm climate and many rivers to play with.

Where ever you find yourself in Ecuador during the Carnival, remember to relax and have fun!