We did not make it to Artisana today because all the roads are closed due to protests by indigenous folks over gas prices and food prices.
We got a phone call about 8 am telling us that our guide Eddie would be here at 9 am and we would do a Quito tour.
First thing was dropping off our laundry. We had quite a bit from the boat trip, and it cost only $12 to do it all.
Then Eddie drove us up to the highest point in Quito – the Virgen de el Panecillo (Virgin of Quito in English), which is a huge sculpture made of aluminum that sits in the heart of Quito. It is the 135 feet tall, including the base, and is the highest statue in Ecuador, and one of the highest in South America (its taller than the Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro). It also is the tallest aluminum statue in the world. It is a replica of a 48-inch-tall wooden sculpture created by Bernardo de Legarda in 1734. The original is in the monastery we visited. The statue is made of 7,4000 pieces of aluminum, which was disassembled in Spain and assembled again on top of the base. It was finished on March 28, 1975.
From the hill of El Panecillo, we could see nearly all of Quito. Quito is very narrow, 26 miles and six miles at the widest. It sits between the western and eastern ranges of the Andes. There are 2.5 million souls.
The weather worked with us, as it was raining when we took off from the hotel but had cleared by the time we go to the top of El Panecillo so I’ve included some photos.
From there, we drove down to the old town that is filled with colonial churches, historic streets, and some of the city’s most important buildings like the presidential palace.
Eddie was concerned that Plaza de la Independencia (Plaza Grande) was closed because of the protests by indigenous folks over gas and food prices. The city of Quito is under curfew, and you wouldn’t believe the military/police presence. There are three kinds of law enforcement that you can distinguish by the uniform: there is the tourist police who wear yellow and orange vests (they are not allowed to carry guns); there is the local police who wear gray camouflage, and they can carry pistols; then there is the military which is dress in green camouflage and they carry AK-17s. There were even what I would call riot police in Plaza San Francisco with shields and everything. And there six helicopters constantly circling the plaza.
Because of the protests, a lot of places are not open and, much to our advantage, there are few tourists! We wandered around all morning without seeing many tourists but the plazas, which normally are bustling with people, were pretty empty.
Anywho, we parked and walked through La Ronda, which is an addition to Quito’s UNESCO-listed historical district. I believe Eddy said it was the oldest district in the old town. Its origins date back to the time of the Incas, but it underwent a major transformation after the Spanish conquest I the 16th century as residential and commercial construction began – largely in the Andalusian style common in Spain. In the late 19th-century, La Ronda got the reputation of being a bohemian barrio, and over the following few decades, it became home to painters, poets, political activists and even priests. It has been rejuvenated with lantern-lit streets and floral balconies, making it one of the crown jewels of Quiteno culture. There’s a series of doorways that open upon to a courtyard on which there are multiple art galleries, museums, craft shops and elegant restaurants.
From there, we went to Plaza de la Indpenedencia on which the presidential palace, the buildings housing the administrative offices for Quito and the Catedral Metropolitana or Metropolitan Cathedral, which is the highest-ranking Catholic building in the city.
Most of the buildings are Baroque but there are a couple of churches that are more Medieval architecture.
We stopped in one of the small cafes to enjoy the people-watching and have a beverage. I got a wonderful cappuccino, and Beth had mango frappe.
From there, we went over to Plaza San Francisco, which is attached to the San Francisco religious complex built by Franciscan monks in 1537 and said to be Latin America’s oldest church.
Built over a period of 150 years (1534-1680) and founded by Franciscan missionary Jodoco Ricke, the complex was the first Catholic church in Quito. At over eight acres, it is the biggest of its kind in the Americas, encompassing one main church and two chapels, seven courtyards and patios, vegetable gardens, catacombs and even a football pith and old brewery.
We were allowed in only one of the courtyards (where we saw parrots!) and the main church. We also climbed up to the towers to get another overview of Quito. The towers have been reconstructed after they collapsed in a 1638 earthquake.
We then passed through Bodegas Plaza San Jose, which was a pretty drab plaza compared with the others. It was the site, however, of some violent protests last week in which protesters threw rocks at law enforcement.
We slowly ambled back to a pharmacy to get toothpaste then on to the car. On the way to pick up the laundry, we made plans for tomorrow and, hopefully, we can do Atisana which Eddie raved about in terms of wildlife. We might get a chance to see an Andean condor!
Eddie dropped us off at the hotel around 1:30 pm. The park directly across the street from the hotel is a “hot spot” for protesters, and there is a huge law enforcement presence.
It’s 3 pm, and there is a small contingent of protesters moving through the park but it isn’t threatening or anything. But we’ll check with the concierge before leaving later this afternoon to visit the market directly across from the hotel in the other direction and eating at the Magic Bean that Eddie highly recommended.
After our nap, we took off to the market and the Magic Bean. We browsed the market – can’t buy anything yet as our backpack and small suitcase is full. We will buy some things at the market in Guamote during the last segment of the trip. Eddie said it has the best indigenous market in all of Ecuador so we can buy an oversized bag, stuff it and check our luggage on the trip home.
We never found the Magic Bean but we ended up in Plaza Foche, and a young lady convinced us to eat at Miskay that serves Ecuadorian food. Mis comes from a Quiteno word that means food. Kay means culture. So Miskay is food culture. I had a pork tenderloin in a delicious milk/peanut sauce and Beth had what they called trout but it really was salmon.
Took a cab back to the hotel, and it’s 6:45 pm. I’m working on the blog, Beth is reading, and we’re going to try to stay awake until at least 9 pm.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings.
A NOTE: Beth met a woman in line for the bathroom at the Quito airport who has a close friend named Joanne who teaches math at Winona State University. It's a small world - although I don't know a Joanne from math. In fact, I don't know anyone from the math department! :)
AND, we're just now starting to feel like we're on solid ground. I was taking a shower last night, and it felt like I was rock'n'rollin' - just like being on the boat!
Virgen de el Panecillo,
South Quito from El Panecillo.
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