Museo Guyasamin

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We took a very long walk today to a Museum we can see from our apartment. It was a pleasant walk along a divided avenida with condominiums and restaurants on both sides. This is in an area called Bella Vista and the views from the condos are wonderful. It is located up hill from where we live (of course) but our destination covered a goodly number of up and down hills as the streets navigate around steep ravines. We finally quit when we realized we had another couple kilometers straight uphill to go and that allowed us to make contact with our 1st woman taxi driver. She said there are only a few and it is a very recent development.

Oswaldo Guayasamin is both a famous and infamous artist from Ecuador. The museum is his collection of his own art and some of his contemporaries. An indefatigable fighter for the rights of indigenous peoples everywhere, he painted the misery of life as he called it. His paintings are bold, dark or brightly colored, powerful and definitely not to be ignored. They are mostly about the struggle of the poor against the odds of a corrupt world favoring the rich. You can read more about him at these links:


• http://www.guayasamin.org/
• wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswaldo_Guayasamín


An outspoken socialist and pacifist, he was close friends with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez and even Mao. At one time he exhibited a mural showing the USA with a Nazi helmet on and the letters CIA on it. Needless to say he was not befriended by our government and they tried to have the offending parts of the mural inked out. Possibly the beginning of the tense relationship by this socialist government and the big one "en el norte". Some Photos we were allowed to take are attached to this blog. There are many more on line.

About the future here. Well, contrary to everything we decided before we left, we are headed for the Amazon basin on Monday. It could really be once in a lifetime. Just 4 days but enough to give us a sense of the place and the people. Staying at the Sani Lodge which you can find at this link http://www.sanilodge.com. More about that when we get back from there . We still have a few things to do here before we leave.

And, by the way, it really is nice to hear comments and stuff from all of you out there in our odd worldwide collection of friends. Keep em coming.....even the medical advice.

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Comments

[Ricardo]

¡Viva Oswaldo Guayasamin!

[Mikatyadventures]

Of course
We thought you might like this fellow, especially his politics!!!!

[Janet]

hi
Really enjoying your diary. I remember visiting various markets and always enjoyed them - except for the smell of the meat department!

[Mikatyadventures]

Carne
But that is what meat actually smells like when you are not in Safeway.....

[Jim]

My friend Glenn
My friend Glenn (retired attorney, Fresno) spent a year in Cuenca with his then high school aged son. When they returned Glenn brought with him a lovely wife Alicia exactly half his age. Glenn is interested in your exploits and is able to access the blog. Keep 'em coming.

[Lesley & John]

Amazon
You will love the Amazon, especially after the Andes, it's like being able to breathe again! Have a great trip. We are off to France for a week, hoping the weather will be less humid, London unbearable, but then we are lightweights compared to you Arizonans!

[Harry]

Discovery
Very good. Am enjoying Quito, through your eyes and ears. Keep it up. Thanks

[Ken Browning]

Transportation
If you lived there full time,would you own a car or use only taxis and public transport?

[Mikatyadventures]

Buen pregunta amigos
Si vivamos en la ciudad usamos taxi, autobus y pies. Caminando es bueno para su espiro y salud. SI vivamos en suburbio y viaje otras paises mucho, usamos una carro para larga distancia y viajes. Taxis y autobus para locales. Compremos una Toyota 4 runner para montanas y caminos malos. Mi Espanol es mejor, si?

[JoAnn Webster]

Amazing adventure you are having. Will look forward to hearing about the lodge.