Culture

Ecuador's highland city of Ambato celebrates Feast of Fruit and Flowers

Ambato, Feb 23 (EFE).- Nearly 70,000 flowers were arranged to decorate courtyards and open spaces of museums and landmarks in Ambato to symbolize the reconstruction after a devastating earthquake that struck the city in 1949. (Camera: ELÍAS L. BENARROCH).SHOT LIST: PEOPLE ATTEND THE FEAST OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS CELEBRATIONS IN AMBATO, ECUADOR.SOUND BITES: GIOVANNY PAZMIÑO, BISHOP OF AMBATO; AND DAVID MEDINA, TOURISM EXPERT (IN SPANISH). TRANSLATION: PAZMIÑO - The cathedral or church at the time was struck (by the earthquake) and the church took the opportunity to unite all the faithful through good energy and hope, to tell them that we could not stay on the floor but we needed get up and rebuild the city and that's how the feast was born; practically at the feet of the cathedral. MEDINA - The people (of Ambato) made these structures with fruits, flowers and bread - trying to recover our city's identity through gastronomy, cultural art and, of course, one of the symbols of the reconstruction of our city like the Ambato Cathedral.