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Published: September 1st 2005
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Psychadelic scuplture
An odd scuplure in Mariscal Sucre, balancing precariously on a bent post. Although I´m not usually a big fan of urban settings, Mike took me on a walking tour from Mariscal Sucre to Old Quito. It was like walking backwards in time as the architecture progressively changes from modern, to republican, and spanish Colonial. We started off going through a park with a market replete with all the typical tourist merchandise, probably mass-produced and overpriced. I´m going to see what is available where before buying stuff, although I already got myself a shoulder bag for walking around town. Mike helped haggle the price down for me (He just really likes to haggle).
Even in the park, the extreme dichotomy in affluence was apparent: well-dressed business people walking past drunk people sleeping on the grass. A large tree, with the lower trunk painted white to protect it from sunburn, had the words “mille ninos sin affection”: “one thousand neglected children”. The air was so dirty, I could taste it, and buses slowed down so passengers can jump on and off without it having to stop. Most of the “contemporary” buildings where probably built in the 60s or 70s: very rectangular. As we walked south, we started seeing more buildings with colonial relief and
Andes around Quito
A view of the mountains surrounding the city. Landing the plane over these was interesting, to say the least. sculptures on them.
People walking the street were trying to sell the usual tourist shlock: textiles, cheap sunglasses and watches, etc. There was even a guy with raw snails for sale - apparently they can cure anything. Several people were carrying baskets of dry ice, with what looked like an ice cream cone lying on its side, directly on the dry ice. Mike said it was most likely merangue, and not ice cream. Gross.
We arrived at what used to be the Quito central plaza. I´m not sure which of the Inka or Spanish influences (probably Spanish) is responsible, but many towns and cities in the area have a plaza, or public square at their centre. This particular one was flanked on four sides by government-type buildings: government building, the old presidential palace, a civic building, and something else (I can´t remember). I did the tourist thing, and took a photo of the palace guards in French-style (republic-era) uniforms. Now I understand why Japanese families enjoy posing with the Mounties in Ottawa! I didn´t pose with them, but other people where all over that. They weren´t as stone-faced as the british guards, either, and constantly glanced around at
Memorial
One of the many statues in the city, this tall one commemorates those who died during one of the revolutionary wars for independence. the people walking by.
A lot of the buildings in this style have very plain, white walls, but the doors are very ornate and often surrounded by artwork. In the square, there was a hunger strike for Ecuadorian working class people (the poorest always seem to suffer the most from institutional corruption). A police officer (or maybe one of the private security guards that are everywhere) shouted “Patriata est merde!” (sp.?): ¨Patriotism is s**t!” over his shoulder while walking away from the parliament building.
We then ended up at another popular tourist destination: The San Francisco plaza, a few blocks south of the old Quito central plaza. The San Franciso plaza is dominated by another Colonial, very ornately decorated church, with several booths selling Catholic-related paraphernalia. The Quito virgin, a large statue on the top of a nearby mountain peak, is visible from the plaza, as it is from most areas around here - it´s nearly ubiquitous! We had a drink and some ice cream (mmm… blackberry) at the café there, along with every other foreign tourists. I know it´s totally snobbish to think this, but I kinda wanted to get away from the other tourists, and just
Memorial - base
The base of the memorial statue, explaining what it´s for surround myself with Ecuadorians. Even if all the Ecuadorians wanted was to shine my shoes or sell me something.
Mike had to visit the Museo de Ciudad, located in a colonial hospital from the same era as the one he´s excavating in Riobamba. Apparently, the two hospitals had quite a colourfoul administrative rivalry. Mike talked his way into us getting a semi-personal overview of the hospital, before I went off on my own, while he talked archaeology with the staff. The museum is located in an old hospital that was built in 1565, and operated as a hospital, under the supervision of various religious and political administrations, until 1974: 400 years! After being closed for 20 years, the government turned it into the museum it is today.
We weren´t allowed to take pictures, except for the courtyards, but there was some nice displays of artefacts from Ecuador´s history, including a neat 18th-century hide-a-bed, made from a quilt drawn tight across a frame that folded into a big chest. Probably not as comfortable as a futon, but probably pretty cool for that time period.
By this time, we were getting as tired of walking as you are of
Government Building
A government building on one side of the old Quito central plaza. reading this, so we grabbed a cab home for siesta. I managed to get through my whole workout today before having a short nap, so it looks like the conditioning will continue for at least a little while.
We head to Lima tomorrow night (we originally thought it was today, until double-checking the dates on the tickets). We fly to Cuzco the following morning. I´ll update you there, probably.
In case you´re wondering, you can´t swing a stray dog in this area without hitting an internet café, so internet is looking really accessible here. Now, I´m off for drinks with Mike´s friends who are back from Otavalo, and then dinner. Hasta luego!
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Shannon
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Agreeing on the dog!
Hi Jon- am keeping up on your travels through this journal- thanks for posting! France used to have a 'window tax' if they were large or ornate- maybe something similar happened there? Glad you are well- hugs, S