middle of the earth chapter four

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from the things ricardo tells me, just like mumbai and to some extent new york city, quito has it's manicured gardens, doormen, swank cafés, but there are parts of the city where none of this exists. it's where the doormen might live. ricardo tells me it would be dangerous for me to walk around there at night. my skin color, hair color, eye color---or to put it more simply, my race make me a target to some people. i feel this whole issue is loaded with racist thinking. perhaps i feel uncomfortable with the white privilege i've inherited. what responsibilities do i have or what injustice do i avoid looking at? questions, questions.

i spend much of yesterday, friday the 20th, just learning how to navigate quito. mariscal sucre is walkable from where i'm staying, avenida gonzalez suarez, land of the manicured gardens, and i figure out how to get there and back thanks to an oval black glass high rise; it serves as my north star. traffic is heavy and i've grown more aggressive with every step. it's smart to watch the locals and see how they behave. i need to remind myself "you're a rude, pushy new yorker!" and not be timid. several times i see incan women sitting on the sidewalks selling fruits and nuts. what's striking is that there's a baby in a sling on her back. i walk past and feel sad for her. she isn't begging, she sells things and comes back with money to buy food for her child and herself. but what a different world we live in.

traveling brings up a multitude of questions but doesn't offer answers right away.

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Photos

the north star
this beautiful building served as my landmark for walking home from mariscal sucre

like no other store in the world
does this small clothing store have anything at all to do with macy's?
clever advertising

a little beautiful...
and a little scary---like the trees that came to life unexpectedly in "the wizard of oz"

part tree, part human
there's something tortured and brave about this

Comments

[Robin Robinson]

brave lee, the explorer
Sooooo excited to know that you're blogging your adventures in Ecuador!! Nice to know they have a "Macis" there, and I love the photographs of the trees. I'm glad you have a place to stay and hope that you are staying safe! Looking forward to more tales of your adventure! Bon Voyage!! : )

[leechew]

thanks robina!
hi robin, thanks for reading my blog and making a very supportive comment! it does require bravery but it is exciting and thrilling to explore this amazing planet we're on and i am being safe but i want to dive in rather than relax by the pool. then again, ask me again in thirty years and maybe that will have flip-flopped! xoxo