Today was a "rest day." I put that in quotes because, while we were not working, we were still running around Quito for most of the day. Javier picked us up at 10:00 this morning, and we were off. We let him choose what he thought we should see, and his choices were excellent. There was one small piece of miscommunication, so we missed going to the big market for native artisans and crafts folk.
We actually drove through Quito rather than around it. This gave us an opportunity to see the Colonial section of Quito. Lots of narrow one way streets that open into large plazas. Also lots of churches. Our first stop was El Panecillo where a large statue of the Virgen de Quito stands. One story about the Virgen is that the chains on the statue are to keep her on El Panecillo and prevent her from descending into the Old City to join the festivities on May 24th from where she might return no longer a virgin. The statue itself is made of cast aluminum. The views from the balcony at the top of the base are fantastic. Just below the Virgen is an ancient Inca temple dedicated to the sun, which we also visited. At some point after we return home I will get pictures posted. Next to the Virgen workers were constructing an ugly metal framework soldier. Javier told us it was a temporary structure for the Independence Day celebrations on the 24th.
Leaving El Panecillo, we drove back down into the city and up Pichincha (they call it a hill...sure....hill) to the west. There we visited the Templo de la Patria. This huge, modern, concrete structure houses a museum dedicated to the Battle of Pichincha in which Ecuador won its independence from Spain on May 24, 1822. There were some wonderful views from the museum, but we were not allowed to take our camera in, as it is essentially a military institution. The soldiers, however, were polite and informative. There are wonderful symbolic murals and exhibits depicting the battles of the war for independence. These exhibits were designed with care and were quite easy to understand. Workers were sprucing up the grounds and the museum for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, when the President of Ecuador will be visiting the Templo. There is a mausoleum in the museum, which was cordoned off. We asked Javier about it after we returned to the car. He said it is the tomb of Don Calderon, the child hero. He joined the army at 16 and at 17 was the standard bearer in the Battle of Pichincha. The legend says that he received more and more wounds, until he was carrying the standard in his teeth.
Then it was off to the Mitad del Mundo--the middle of the world. The Equator crosses Ecuador and Quito. There is a monument that is now surrounded by La Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. It could easily have been a tourist trap. Instead it was well thought out and designed with care. It was built as a small town around a plaza, with the monument to the west of it. There are restaurants, shops, and even a small church. We met Marco and his wife Dolly there for lunch, which we had in one of the restaurants. I had trout, which Dolly said Ecuador was known for. I also tried a local drink called chicha, which is made from fermented corn. The version they served us was made from parched corn that was ground along with cloves and then fermented with sugar cane juice. It was very good, but I only had one. Otherwise they would have had to carry me to the Equator.
We took the obligatory pictures of us straddling the Equator and then went up into the monument. You take an elevator up to the Observation Deck, which has wonderful views, although not quite as dramatic as the ones from El Panecillo. You descend by a staircase which winds through several levels of exhibits on the various ethnic groups in Ecuador. Again, the exhibits were well thought out and nicely designed. During our time in the museum we learned that on Tuesday we had met two separate groups of indigenous people in the Pilahuin area.
Because we missed the craft market, we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Ciudad shopping for souvenirs and handcrafts. Marco told us that the prices were higher here, but still good. Frankly, we were astounded at how little many of the sweaters and shawls cost, even the ones made of llama and alpaca wool. I spent less than $50 and will be taking home several Christmas gifts as well as crafts to give folks when I see them next. One of the things I bought for myself was a beautiful, red, alpaca wool poncho. When I started to try it on, the woman in the shop had to tell me three times that I was putting it on inside out. I'd wanted to look at it because of the beautiful design, and I'd only seen the INSIDE!! It will be perfect to wear at dance camps when it gets chilly in the evenings.
We finally left the Midad del Mundo so that Javier could drive us back to the hotel and go home to his wife. We couldn't quite decide where to eat and decided to take a look at the little pizza parlor just down the street from the hotel. It turned out that they had an upstairs dining room with a pretty complete menu of Italian dishes. I was translating the pizza menu for Ruth-Ann, with only minimal help from Veroncia, when the waiter returned to the table and said they had menus in English, which he handed to us. I still managed to order my entire meal in Spanish.
When we got into the elevator to return to our rooms after dinner, two men got on with us. They started speaking in French, and I had to stifle a laugh. Ruth-Ann asked me what was wrong, and I told her I'd tell her when we got to the rooms. One of the men got off on the second floor, and we got off on the fourth. As we left the elevator, Veronic said "Buenos noches" to the other man. After the elevator doors closed I said to her, "You realize that you said 'Buenos noches' to a Frenchman." She said, "Of course." Then I had to explain to them why I started to laugh in the elevator. I understood every word of the men's conversation, and I haven't spoken French in years. Ruth-Ann said it was because that part of my mind was functioning doing all the translating in Spanish.
It's late, and I have to finish packing. We are taking the 5:00 a.m. shuttle to the airport. Tomorrow night I will be sleeping in my own bed.
Peace,
Jeffri
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