Blogs from Ecuador, South America - page 652

We´re all checked out of our hostal in Quito, waiting to go to the airport to fly to Peru. This morning, we visited the "Capilla del hombre" (The chapel of man), a gallery and entire space deisgned by native Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamin (there is also an official website). The paintings were very blocky and obviously inspired by Picasso, and a couple of others. He´s quite the national figure and, although the gallery opened a few years after he died (2002), several important local and international figures were at the inauguration, including the president of UNESCO, Fidel Castro, and former French President François Mitterrand. Guayasamin designed the entire building, and the artwork, murals and sculptures inside. Very impressive! He also travelled the world during his life, and most of his art reflects the sufferring and oppression ... read more

#3- The Galapagos Islands- Thursday, September 1, 2005 Welcome to my new journal. This is my first entry for travelblog.org however it is my third journal entry since I began travelling in South America on August 4th. In the future I may add my 2 old entries to the travelblog in order to have a complete set. The Galapagos Islands…where do I start? How can I explain in words what must be experienced to be believed? It is truly a world of its own. It is so different from anything else that it will be difficult to describe. Here goes nothing… I organised my tour from Quito with a friend I met in the hostel El Centro del Mundo. Andrew and I walked the streets of the Mariscal Sucre area of Quito (a.k.a. Gringo Central) in ... read more

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, ... read more

After trying to get cheaper flights, we finally booked one to head to Cuzco via Lima. There, Mike and I have a whirlwind tour of the area planned: 1 day at Macchu Picchu, another day at an Inka fortress, and I think we head to Lima on the next day. Mike wants to spend a day in Lima checking out some colonial hospitals. I wish I had more time to see more in the area, but the realization that the entire Cuzco area, loet alone Peru, could be a trip in and of itself. I will have to satisfy myself with seeing the major landmarks. It looks like I won{t be able to spend the time I wanted visiting Pisac and the sacred valley, but I will have to content myself with seeing it from the ... read more

To everyone in New Orleans I hope you are safe and finally off the highway. My hope and concerns are with everyone and with the city. Please give me an update when you can. I'll write about Ecuador soon. -Aaron... read more