Am reactivating my travel blog for the first time since May 2012, which shows it's been way too long since my last travel escapade. Am travelling this time to Ecuador with my sister and friends.
Our journey started when Amy and Liam dropped Martha and me off at BWI, to join Rose Ruth, and Mary Lu for our AA flights to Miami and Quito at 10 a,m. After a delay in Miami, we landed in Quito at 11:30 p.m. (thank goodness Ecuador is in our time zone.) Two hours later we made it through customs and were greeted by Charito, our friend and tour guide and Venezio, the designated driver for the week. By 2:15 a.m. we fell into bed, in a very beautiful and comfy apartment. The altitude has had an effect of some of us...but at least no one passed out in the customs line....and we are still up and breathing and climbing hills (SLOWLY)!! If a doctor tells you altitude medicine is not necessary....err on the side of caution, three out of five of us needed it.
Ecuador is a very mountainous country...and the legendary streets of San Francisco pale in comparison to those of Quito. One piece of advice. If coming to Quito - Hire a driver - DO NOT rent a car. even the most adept drivers would be challenged but the narrow streets that began 800 years ago and continued for about 700 years with no urban planning. The stone streets were cobbled together for pedestrians and animals and have now become one way streets for motor vehicles.
Photos below, not in order, include five of us at the Middle of the Earth yesterday, ancient pottery in the Culture Museum, the Basillica, to which every Ecuadorean gave $1 to dedicate the city to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, The gold cathedral, which is a Jesuit monument that started as a Barogue cathedral, but took 160 years to build, so has a variety of styles with no photos allowed. There are two gigantic murals of heaven and hell. If there is a hell and the painter had some portal into the other world to know what to paint, the modern day Christian version of hell are a party compared to this depiction.
Our guide Charito tells us that years ago parents took their children to the cathedral to study the painting of hell, so they would know their destiny if they ate fish on Friday or disobeyed their parents and teachers! No pictures allowed of the paintings or gold inside, but one photo of the door of the cathedral is below.
A highlight of the day was visiting the Presidential Palace, which is open to the public for the first time in the history of the country. . A well loved president has made it accessible to all the people. The mosaic is part of a series on the history of Ecuador and includes one of the gigantic women living in the Amazon at the time of its discovery. We were able to stand in the Presidential Cabinets meeting room and see the Presidential dining hall as final touches were set on the luncheon. Probably the closest we will ever get to a seat at a Presidential luncheon. For a few moments, we thought we might see the President; however the rock star who was to perform was late....so we were off to our next stop. We did get to stand on the Presidential balcony (see photo below)
There is a photo of Charito, our friend and guide, standing next to the Presidential banner. The mosaic is part of a series of mosaics with the history of Ecuador. This one honors the Amazon women, who where found along the Amazon river.
The pottery is from the Cultural Museum and is filled with artifacts of the ancients. The pottery tells the story of the peoples lives in the here and now and other life. They ancients believed that all parts of the earth are interconnected and what we do to one person or thing we do to every person or thing. They also believe that making a pot is, as is any act of creation - a prayer.
Have discovered that laundry lines are as common here as they were in Eastern Europe! So, hopefully there will be at least on laundry line in each blog.
The Plaza de San Francisco is a result of a peasant having been tasked by the church to complete the plaza within a deadline. As he worked, he had no idea of how he would accomplish the task, The devil approached the man offering to complete the task. If he did so, the man would relinquish his soul to the devil. The agreement was made...and on the day of the deadline, as the sun set over the plaza...every stone was laid, except one! The man kept his soul and the plaza remains for the people of Quito.
