Monday was my last day in Quito. In the morning, I traveled to a place high above the city via a cable-car. Daniel's mom took me to the Teleferiqo. We boarded a lift and traveled to a spot 4,000+ meters above sea level. I was at a higher elevation there than I was back in Cusco. It was very windy and cold up there, but the view was pretty nice. It was a little overcast, but we could still see the northern, central, and southern parts of the city.
Some job! Not for those with fear of heights.
Basilic del Voto Nacional
Inside the clock tower.
After seeing the city of Quito from above, we descended and met up with Carlos at his office. From there, we three traveled to the Basilica located in the Historic Center. When we arrived we purchased tickets to ascend one of the towers of the church.
Walking from tower to tower across a bridge
constructed on top of the Basilica.
After our visit, Daniel's parents made a stop by a place to buy some breads and pastries. Among the new breads I tried, was a quesadilla. Nothing like the quesadillas that I am accustomed to from the Mexican pantry, but this type of food was sweet and had a very different texture and pentagonal shape.
Before heading to the airport, I also had lunch at their house. I tried a new soup- plátano verde e yuca, green plantain and manioc. It was tasty!
Sunday began with Mass. Daniel and I walked to the church nearby his apartment. It was a nice service and I got the message of the Priest's homily! Upon returning to the apartment, we had breakfast and waited for Angiel (Daniel's wife) and Alejandra to return from her swim lesson. Once everyone was ready, we headed to the middle of the world!!
First we visited La Mitad del Mundo Monumento. We entered a park that was big and designed for the tourists. People were there from different countries and different events were taking place. We took a brief train ride that went around the park, and then we entered in the tower that contained information on the different peoples of Ecuador and the regions they live in. It was like a small museum.
Angiel, myself, Alejandra, and Daniel
At the top of the tower you could clearly the divide of the two hemispheres, where the equator passes through.
After descending the tower, Angiel and I watched some dance groups perform, while Daniel and Alejandra went to the playground. Alejandra was a little restless, ha.
Intiñan Solar Museum
After visiting the big tourist attraction, we went to another place close by, what Daniel said was the "true" center of the world. This place wasn't as big nor as touristy. The name of the site was the Intiñan Museum and I enjoyed the more than the monument. We had a tour in Spanish around the grounds, and were told a lot of fascinating information about the indigenous people of the land. We learned about the shrunken-heads and how they came about, why they were used, and some scary information about the important people/leaders that died. There was a tradition of burying one's possessions with them, so that they would have those items with them in the after life. But apparently those items included loved ones for persons who had a high status within the community. For example, if the king were to die in that time, his wife and children would be given a drink that put then to sleep. When they woke up, they would be underground! [ahhhh!]
A sun clock. Unfortunately it was overcast that day.
The coolest part of the tour, for me, were the demonstrations in how the Northern and Southern Hemispheres have different pulls and gravitational forces affecting them. I volunteered to be a participant, and got to experience first hand how my strength differed in the two hemispheres. (Copy FBook description). One thing very cool to see there, was how water flows differently. There was a bucket under a sink, and they began by pouring the water through the sink on the line marked as the center of the Earth (equator). We then saw the water fall directly down, straight out of the sink in to the bucket. Then the guide took the sink and bucket over in to the Southern Hemisphere, just a few yards away, and did the same demonstration. Rather than falling straight down out of the sink, the water swirled clockwise. Following this, we crossed over in to the Northern Hemisphere and saw that the water friend counter-clockwise. TOO COOL!!! Finally, there was a challenge for the guests, which was to balance an egg on top of a nailhead situated on the equator.
I was able to accomplish the challenge, and received a diploma afterwards!
As we were leaving the museum, we watched a dance from a guy dressed in the colorful costume of what is worn during a certain celebration/time of year.
We stopped by another volcano-formed crater afterwards to take a look.
Final trip of the day was a family trip to La Virgen del Panecillo.
There is a large statue of the Virgen Mary located on a hill near downtown Quito. I did not know of this monument before going, but it reminded me of my visit to Rio de Janeiro and going to see the Christ the Redeemer statue that stands atop of Mount Corcovado. Inside the base of the monument were various accounts and descriptions of apparitions of Mary throughout history. There were also displays about how different countries celebrate different religious holidays of the Catholic Church.
My second day in Ecuador was eventful. We began the morning at
Alejandra's swim class. She has already learned how to swim at 4 years old,
and doesn't need the floaties!
Me, Daniel's mom, Alejandra, and Daniel
After the swim lesson, Daniel, his mom, daughter, and I traveled to Parque Cóndor, to visit the bird center and watch a show. As the name of the park indicates, the center has condors. I didn't realize beforehand, but they are the world's largest flying birds. There were many owls, hawks, and falcons there as well. I believe all the birds there were birds of prey/raptors.
We
arrived just after the start of the show, but were able to see most of the
program. The handler brought out a few different birds and presented us information
about them (lifestyles, habitats, food, habits, colors, etc.). The
presentation was in Spanish, so I missed some of the technical words, but I got
the gist of it all. I especially liked the part near the end when the brother and sister bald
eagles were shown.!
Wearing the appropriate shirt for the day, ha.
After visiting the park, we stopped by a nice spot that had a good view of the San Pablo Lake.
Goofing-off w/
Alejandra.
Checking-out the merchandise.
From there, we headed to a well-known outdoor market in the Plaza de
Los Ponchos the nearby city of Otavalo. There I did some shopping and negotiated with
the sellers to get a better price (w/ Daniel and his mom's help). I left with a few nice hand-crafted souvenirs and an Ecuador national soccer team jersey!
I saw this lady in one of the main squares of the city. She has the typical dress of
what the indigenous people wear. They are hard workers.
-Fritada, mote, maíz tostado, queso, empanada de viento, maduro, tortillas de papa, papas, ají. - Pork, toasted corn, cheese, empanada with cheese, potato tortillas, boiled potatoes, chili sauce
After shopping, it was lunch time! We went to Fritada Amazona,
where they have very typical/indigenous food of Ecuador and the Andean people.
We enjoyed a tasty lunch while watching one of the World Cup matches on the
television there.
Next on the schedule was a visit to a beautiful lagoon, called
the Laguna de Cuicocha. The water was crystal clear. The setting was really
nice and I learned that the lagoon had been formed by a volcano. The crater has filled with water over time from rain and
runoff water from the surrounding mountains. During the boat tour, we passed around the
island set in the lagoon, and the guide told us about the lagoon's beginnings and history. The most interesting thing I heard from him, was that there were no fish in the
water! This was surprising to me. After the cruise, we collected our complementary cup of hot cinnamon water... which was really good!! I will have to
remember to make some back home next winter.
On the boat cruise.
As the sun began to set, we made another trip to a natural water
formation. Daniel took us to the Cascada de Peguche. Cascada in
Spanish means "cascade." So there were a number of cascades (small waterfalls)
there in the park. It was a nice walk and as we approached the big fall, we were dampened by the spray.
On the way home, we stopped by a restaurant that served bizcocho, a type of buttery cookie that goes well with hot beverages. I myself didn't care so much for it, but it was a popular food in that town. Nearly every restaurant displayed it on their signs.
Above Quito
