Joe and I in El Ejido, the main public park in Quito, Ecuador
Okay, folks, we're a go for the epic Ecuador post I've been promising. I've found that it's been nearly impossible for me to synthesize my actual thoughts about the trip, so I'm starting with a bit of a slideshow-style post, with more pictures and less words. After things settle down a bit more, I hope to be able to put words into my currently vague and scattered feelings about my summer vacation.
Most of these pictures were actually taken by Joe and/or his advisor. We didn't bring my nice DSLR, for fear of damage or theft, so these are mostly all snapped with a cheap point-and-shoot that Joe bought after his original camera did get stolen. Some of these were also actually taken before I arrived, but they are all sights that I saw and places that I went; we just decided it was pointless to re-take pictures that Joe already had. Also, we were epically bad at actually taking pictures of us. The one above is the only usable photo of both of us. Long story short, there was no taking of outfit photos on this trip. And I was just fine with that.
Anyway, enjoy!
Top to bottom: views of Cuenca, Ecuador from some Incan ruins just outside the city; tile rooftops in Cuenca and a strange bird statue that I quite admired; the massive "new" cathedral in Cuenca, which also happened to be one of the views out of our hostel.
We took an extremely long bus ride from Cuenca to Quito about halfway through the trip. Since both are in the high sierra area of the Andes, the bus ride involved many a winding S-curve road (and therefore, much Dramamine for me), and breathtakingly beautiful views of the region. Remember what I said before about the high altitude being cleansing and mind-clearing? Yeah, that's what this is like. Whole towns (albeit tiny ones) are nestled in the highlands at 13,000 feet, and the harshness of the climate and landscape only makes for an even more surreal experience when passing through from the inside of an over-crowded bus.
Here's where we digress from my and Joe's experiences. I didn't actually make it up to the Quilotoa crater lake, though I was witness to two massive and absolutely picturesque volcanoes as we ventured through the country, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Joe took these pictures of the crater lake and its surrounding tourist area earlier in his trip, but I couldn't help but share them with you anyway. To me, they are positively breathtaking, and I can't wait to go back to Ecuador and see it for myself.
Quinoa! As I've mentioned before, I've spent a lot of time in South America, particularly Bolivia, and have been well-aware of the origins and traditions of this favorite grain of mine. But up until this trip, I'd never seen it growing. Unlike wheat, or rice, or, truly, any other simple grain I've seen, quinoa fields are beautiful, colorful, vibrant plots of land, a veritable rainbow of food. Harvesting happens after all the plants have reached a certain color, and up until then, the fields are a striking contrast against their highland backdrop. (The last picture above is actually of lupin, which there was also plenty of.)
I also had no idea what quinoa looked like up close. Incredible. I'm still sort of in the dark on how it is harvested, but seeing the plants in person totally changed how I feel about this tasty little grain. I wonder if we can grow it in the garden next year... (Also, an interesting side note: not once, in my 12 days or Joe's 52 days, did either of us get the chance to actually eat quinoa. I know it's mostly a home-cooking staple, but I was amazed to find that not one of the traditional Ecuadorian restaurants that either of us went to had it on the menu.)
Top to bottom: views of Quito, the capitol of Ecuador, from a vantage point just above the city; me in the plaza of San Francisco; one of the many gorgeous churches in the colonial architectural style. Most of the buildings in the old parts of both Cuenca and Quito were dominated by this kind of architecture. In the U.S., we're used to "old" meaning late 1800s (or, in some parts of the Northeast, late 1700s), but in huge parts of Latin America, "old" buildings truly date back to the late 1500s or early 1600s. Some of these are buildings that were constructed just after the end of the conquest, and have as varied and fascinating a history as any of the greats in Europe.
One of my favorite things about visiting a new place is the art, signage, and graffiti that sprinkles the area. I love it when bloggers do full posts dedicated to the street art in a particular city, and although we didn't get enough pictures to warrant a whole post, these are a few of the images that were particularly compelling to me. (The painting in the second-to-last photo was in the museum in Cuenca. I loved how it chronicles the life of man.)
The basilica in Quito, literally towering over the city.
Title song: Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On" (You guys. We were in an archeological museum in Cuenca, looking at pots and sculptures that were thousands of years old, and suddenly, with no notice at all, an instrumental version of "My heart will go on" blasted from the speakers in the museum. Instrumental. Played entirely with pan-pipes (to keep with the Andean theme?). Followed by a stirring rendition of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". It was truly, and utterly, fantastic.)
