QUITO: PART II: HISTORIC QUITO'S CHURCHES

As I mentioned in my previous post, my son, Marc and I, met at the airport in Quito, and spent most of the next two days in the historic district of Quito.  The historic district is about ten miles long and three miles wide.  UNICEF had designated Quito as the first site in the world for such historic preservation, and the district has forty churches within its perimeter.

While eating breakfast at Casa El Eden, some of the other travelers had mentioned that El Presidente Correa would be making a speech from the terrace of the Presidential Palace.  Mario, the owner of Casa El Eden had informed us the night before that Monday was the last day of Quito's festivities surrounding Quito's Independence Day from Spain, so our first stop of the day was to return to Plaza Independencia from the evening before and mill with the crowd waiting to see and hear El Presidente.

The flags fluttered under the warm sun.

El Presidente Correa in the center below

Notice the soldiers in the clock tower below, as if they were mechanical soldiers in a glockenspiel ready to move in and out like toy soldiers at the sound of the clock as it strikes on the hour.

The soldiers and military band performed and marched continuously along, around, and through the plaza. 

A Few Churches of Quito

I have visited a great many churches this past year of 2015 from Rome, Venice, Florence, Lima, and Quito.  I had visited the Quito historic area almost five years ago, and there is no doubt that the assembly of churches in Quito are magnificent. On this visit, I did not take as many church photos with the belief that I would be duplicating many of my shots from my 2011 trip.  Now that I'm home, I can't find the photos from my earlier visit anywhere on my computer. To complicate matters further, the most beautiful church, La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus was open for viewing. However, preparations were being made for a conference that evening in the church, and security would not allow me to take any pictures of the interior.  I also was unable to take photos of the interior of Iglesia de Santo Domingo; because while I viewed the interior, a mass was taking place, and it would have been inappropriate for me during a service to be snapping pictures.

As an introduction of historical background I will discuss the La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, even if I don't have any photos of it. The church was founded by the Jesuits, and seven  tons of gold embellished the church's interior. Gold was used to honor the preeminence of God, and the preeminent temporal power of Spain in the fifteenth and much of the sixteenth century. Quito had once been the northern capital of Inca domains, and after the Spaniards had conquered the Incas, it continued to hold sway in the north as part of the Spanish Vice-royalty,  Meanwhile, Lima, was the primer and central capital of the Spanish empire in South America, just as it had been under the Incas.

Surprisingly, the churches in Quito are far more impressive and numerous than those in Lima, considering how much larger Lima is, and the fact it was the major capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty. Buenos Aries' larger and older churches also lack the opulence found in some of Quito's churches.  The Spaniards never found the large amounts of gold at the levels they were seeking. The indigenous would often send the conquistadors on long distant flights of fancy in search of gold and mythical cities of gold.  Yet, from what I have seen in some of these churches in Quito, the Spaniards certainly were finding gold sufficient to adorn some of their largest churches in this part of South America.

The exterior of La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus leaves much to be desired from the perspective that it can use a good cleaning. One would never guess that the most lavish church in South America extends just beyond its doors. The intricate gold altar, reflects Moorish geometrical figures, Italian Renaissance style, and European baroque architecture, with inlays of indigenous nature and animal motifs, often created by local Quechua (indigenous) artists.  Not only the Spaniards and the Quechua, but also the Italian, Moorish, Flemish, and Dutch artists, artisans, architects, and engineers produced in the churches a baroque style unique to Quito.


I have interior photos of only three churches in Quito's historic area.  

This is an exterior shot of Iglesia de San Francisco.

This next photo is the interior of Iglesia de San Francisco. Considering that the altar and interior of La Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus was finished in the most gold at seven tons, Iglesia de San Fransisco looks like it wasn't far behind.

The photos below are from the Metropolita Cathedral de Quito:

A  beautiful pulpit in the photo below

Below is the ceiling in the cathedral looking from the altar toward the rear of the church at the splendid pipes of the pipe organ.

Basilica de Bota de Quito

The basilica has a majestic Gothic exterior.  De Bota de Quito was built in the nineteenth century, and was not completed until almost the end of the last century.

 The central altar is a contrast from the earlier large churches of Quito adorned in their gold and intricate sculptures and filament work.  As shown below, the interior is more reminiscent of the Gothic structures in France and much of Northern Europe--elegantly designed with their vaulted ceilings, but stark in their interior simplicity. 

The stain glass windows below are beautiful, and add color and vibrancy 

to the gray stone interior.

The Stations of the Cross can be found in practically any Roman Catholic church, and in some of the older denominational Protestant Churches.  There are fourteen stations for the devotee to stop, pray, and meditate upon each of the incidences that took place in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.  The stations here were angled from the pillars rather than flushed parallel to the pillars, which was an artistic touch that I have not previously encountered.  I assume the pillars were staggerdly indented with the intent to accommodate the stations for such an effect, in which all the stations could be viewed down the line simultaneously.

The grandeur of the vaulted ceilings belie the simple church altar and its surroundings of flags and drapery.  

A magnificent structure reminiscent of the Washington Cathedral in Washington, D.C.  The lights from the church towers can be viewed from the core of central Quito at night.

All You Need Is Ecuador

Written for http://expatisland.net/all-you-need-is-ecuador/

 January 14, 2015 by Jim Mola Leave a Comment

Ecuador has been highlighted by “International Living” and other world-wide publications as one of the ten best countries in the world for retirement. The Ecuadorian government recently launched a marketing campaign focused on attracting tourists to Ecuador called, “All You Need is Ecuador”. I think as you read today’s post, you will agree that at least when it comes to the natural beauty and nature’s incredible variation in Ecuador, much substantiation is given to the claim that “All You Need is Ecuador”.

What is it that makes Ecuador an attractive destination for many tourists and for expats looking for a new home away from home? Today’s post will focus on one such feature of allurement; the astounding physical features and bio-diversity of this small South American country, which is only the size of states like New Jersey or Nevada in the United States. Expats and tourists alike are mesmerized by much of the utter beauty of what for many folks seems like the closest thing to a Garden of Eden.

Coastal Region:

Ecuador Coastal Region

The coastal areas of Ecuador are the country’s most fertile areas for cultivation. These lowlands along the Pacific coast are extensively dotted with plantation farms of bananas, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and chocolates—all of which Ecuador along with being the world’s largest producer and exporter of bananas is also the seventh largest producer of chocolate. A French exhibition in 2013 ranked Ecuadorian chocolate as the world’s best. Rice and cotton production and exports are very high as well. Lumber is another industry where mangroves growing along the coastal banks of the Pacific; and Eucalyptus trees, which are plentiful along the coast and the mountain valleys; are found throughout the country, and provide major sources of timber for exportation.

The Pacific coast of South America is teaming with fresh fish and shellfish. It has been the least exploited coastal area in the world, with some of the least contaminated fish in the world. Fresh seafood in the coastal areas of Ecuador is among the world’s best. Shrimp farms are bountiful, and often compete for coastal space with the mangroves. The area has been relatively free of commercial fishing trawlers, and many of the Ecuadorian fishermen continue to fish with nets the way fishermen did back in the days of Jesus. Ecuadorian fishermen troll the seas in small boats with nets. Once the nets are full, the fishermen pull the nets aboard and dump the contents of the nets into the boats. Other fishermen wade in the Pacific along the shore, and stretch out their nets, as they accumulate their catch, and bring them to shore to be sorted.

Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city with a population of approximately 2,387,000 (2015 estimate). Guayaquil is also Ecuador’s largest manufacturing center as well as Ecuador’s largest port city. The city is located on the Guayas River about 30 to 40 miles from the Gulf of Guayas. Interestingly, New Orleans and Guayaquil are both located on rivers located from about the same distance to their respective gulfs. The South American Pacific coast, however, does not endure the hurricane seasons that plague the areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Guayaquil is very hot and humid—think Houston, New Orleans, or Miami. The coastal area, however, is the most vulnerable area in Ecuador for earthquakes.

The beaches of the coastal region are munificent, and for the most part undeveloped by man.  About ninety minutes north of Guayaquil is the town of Montanita, where the best surfing can be found in Ecuador. Surfers come to Montanita from all over the world. However, while Ecuador’s coastal area is blessed with warm ocean water and warm air, there are copious amounts of time during the year when the beaches are covered in clouds with minimal sunshine.  Ecuadorians and tourists who want more sunshine head for the beaches south of Guayaquil, like Playas. The coast south of Guayaquil becomes increasingly desertous, and therefore, increasingly drier and sunnier, as one travels southward into Peru.

Galapagos:

Galapagos

The Galapagos are islands off the coast of Ecuador across from the northwest corner of Ecuador about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the mainland part of the country. The islands are a UNESCO world heritage site. Needless, to say, the islands are a major tourist draw, which along with other man-made factors, are threats to the preservation of the islands despite their protective status with UNESCO. The islands are famous for their huge land tortoises and the blue-footed boobies, and for the birthplace of Darwin’s theory of evolution, as a result of their tremendous variations in fauna and animal life,

LaSierra, “The Highlands” Region:

The Andes Mountains run north and south through the central part of Ecuador, as the flat lands of the coast give way to the increasing elevations of the mountainous region of the country. Snow-capped mountain peaks and volcanoes in the Andes of the northern region of Ecuador include Mount Chimaborazo, which is 6,268 meters high (20,560 feet above sea level). Mount Chimaborazo is the most distant point of the earth surface. The Avenue of the Volcanoes in northern Ecuador is one of Ecuador’s most popular tourist destinations. The northern part of the Andes in Ecuador is also densely covered in cloud forests.

Quito, the nation’s capital and second largest city, is located in the Andes of northern Ecuador, and has a population of 1,271,000 (2014). The city is the officially highest capital city in the world, and sits at an elevation of 2,800 meters or 9,350 feet above sea level. Quito is located in the river basin of Guayllabamba on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano. The Andes in northern Ecuador are the second most prone-area for earthquakes in Ecuador. Quito is also the closest capital city to the Equator, where many tourists are attracted to the spot where they can literally stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere. Needless to say, Ecuador derives its name from the fact that the Equator passes through the country.

Ecuador Highlands

The Andes in Southern Ecuador are free of volcanoes, and are also dotted with river valleys of people who live in the basin areas of the mountains. Cuenca, meaning basin in English, is Ecuador’s third largest city with a population of approximately 332,000 city population and 603,000 canton (county) (2014). Cuenca sits at approximately 2,560 meters (8,400 feet) above sea level. Four rivers flow through Cuenca, and the official name of Cuenca is “Santa Anna de Los Cuatro Rios”. The majestic Cajas National Park is the entrance way to the city of Cuenca, and people traveling from Guayaquil to Cuenca will pass through the awesome beauty of the Cajas in their three-and-a-half hour trip. The seven hour motor adventure from Cuenca to Quito is even more breath-taking, as one views the magnificence of the mountains from below, and the panoramic vistas from above at even higher elevations. As one travels further south near the border of Peru, the Andes becomes less green and increasingly marked by jagged cliffs. Of the four zones of which Ecuador is divided for purposes of earthquake vulnerability, Cuenca and the southern Andes in Ecuador rank third.

The valley people of the Andes, farm an incredible number of varieties of potatoes, the most varieties found anywhere in the world; the high quality avocados; the delicious yucca, known as cassavas in other parts of the world; maize grown primarily for human and cattle subsistence; and the nutrient-rich quinoa, as well as other root and garden plants are all grown in the mountain valleys. Coffee is also grown in the Loja valley of the Southern Andes. Most of the coffee is exported. Brazilians and Colombians are the major coffee producers, exporters, and java drinkers in South America. Ecuadorians are generally not coffee drinkers. Tea is the national hot drink beverage of choice.

Snow does not visit the valley people of the Ecuadorian Andes, which may seem surprising to people living in the northern latitudes of the Rockies, Smoky Mountains, or Swiss Alps. However, because of Ecuador’s proximity to the Equator, the Andes valleys have a relatively consistent spring-like climate the year-round, if the definition of “spring-like” is defined with the spring weather associated with the northern United States. The Andes are also the home of the photographic llamas and alpacas, which are primarily found in Ecuador and northern Peru.

The rivers of the Andes are generally narrow and treacherous due to the many rapids and to the steep declination in the eastward flow to the Amazon River on the east side of the Andes. While the rivers on the west side of the Andes flow westerly to the Pacific Ocean. The Andes, therefore, serve as the continental divide for South America.

La Oriente (The East), La Amazonia

La Amazonia

When I first came to Ecuador, I wondered why a part of Ecuador was called, The Orient. I wondered what this region had in common with the Far East. Well, actually not a thing, other than direction. It simply means, “The East”, in other words, the area of Ecuador which lies east of the Andes. This area is part of the mammoth tropical rainforests of the Amazon, which extends into Ecuador. Like all tropical rainforests, the climate is very hot and humid, with dense vegetation. Only three percent of the population lives in El Oriente. Most of the area has been set aside for massive national parks, as well as lands for the indigenous, some of whom still live in remote isolation, and live as their ancestors did in Neolithic times. 

Recently, the Ecuadorian government’s approval to increase mining activities and oil drilling in El Oriente has environmental activists claiming that such government actions are a threat both to the eco-system of the Amazons and to the indigenous ways of life as well. The government retorts that both the environment and the indigenous cultures are being protected. Of the four zones in which Ecuador is divided, the Amazonas are the least vulnerable to earthquakes.

Ecuador: A Virtual Garden of Eden:

As you can see, the incredible number of bio-spheres in one small country is astounding in itself, making Ecuador the 17th mega-diverse country in the world. When one considers that many of the higher-ranked countries like the United States are immensely larger than Ecuador, Ecuador’s bio-diversity is truly amazing. Such ecological variations result in major diversity in animal and in fauna groups as well. Ecuador has 1,600 bird species, of which thirty-eight species are endemic to the Galapagos alone. All together, fifteen percent of the world’s bird population lives in Ecuador. The country also contains over 6,000 species of butterflies. Ecuador is very popular among bird and butterfly fanciers. There are 106 species of reptiles that are native to Ecuador, and 138 species of amphibians. Over 16,000 species of plants are found in Ecuador as well. New species of animals and fauna continue to be discovered on an almost annual basis in Ecuador. The beauty of this small South American country certainly is not the main reason why many expats may settle in Ecuador, although it often-times is the primary reason why many tourists visit the country. Nevertheless, the awe-inspiring landscape of Ecuador certainly figures as one of the reasons why a number of expats are motivated to make Ecuador their home.

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Filed Under: Blog, Jim Mola Tagged With: Ecuador, International Living, Retire Abroad

 

About Jim Mola

 

It was in December of 2009 as I turned to Yahoo during one Christmas vacation morning that I saw the list for the ten best cities in which to retire. Cuenca, Ecuador, unknown to me, was listed as number one. Only Cuenca of the top ten cities did I not find anything negative in terms of my choice as to where I would dream of living. I began my research of Cuenca, and fell in love with it before I even made my exploratory journey of one month to this South Andean city in July/August of 2010. My greatest fear was that there was no way Cuenca could live up to my expectations. However, when the month came to completion, I did not want to leave. I retired in January of 2011, and moved to Cuenca the following March.
Prior to my retirement and my resettlement to Cuenca, my career was in education as a college professor, school administrator, and a teacher of history and the social sciences. I lived most of my life in the Chicago area. I have also traveled and studied extensively throughout Asia; which included the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong when still a British colony, Japan, Thailand, and India.

DOING CRAZY IN ECUADOR

Well just another convoluted day in my life in Ecuador. I leave for Brazil in two weeks for a month and then on to Buenos Aries for one week before returning to Ecuador. I am in another one of those stages were little is going right, or filled with hurdles to get anything accomplished. I'll skip the myriad of small things that have occupied untold aimless hours, and just mention the two major things.

My insurance agent stood me up four times. She is notorious in the Gringo community for not keeping appointments.  I accessed Miami to deal with Bupa Health Insurance directly, and renew my policy. I followed the rep's instructions, and when I called later they claimed they never got my scan,  which provided them with my credit card number to pay my premium.  My policy expired, and they said I would have to deal with my local agent to renew the policy. Great, that response is called going into the deepest depths of hell, and replay karma one more time.  I hope the same won't also be true with the credit card number floating around out there somewhere.  I've just been through that scenario the last three months and all the fall-out that goes with it.

Then I was told through a Spanish-speaking interpreter who talked to the Brazilian embassy on the telephone, that I had to go to Quito to get my visa at the Brazilian Embassy. I then discovered a few days later that there were listed two consulates at totally different addresses on Google for a Brazilian consulate in Cuenca. The phone numbers did not work at either one of them. I assumed, therefore, that is why I was told I had to go to Quito, because they must have closed the consulate in Cuneca. After all, the economy in Brazil isn't exactly humming right now, and the closure may have been part of an economic austerity program.  I arrived in Quito yesterday. Thirty-five minutes to fly from Cuenca to Quito and then ninety minutes to take a bus from the new airport to downtown Quito.

Today I went to the embassy, had to run around to a bank a few blocks from the embassy to pay my fee for the visa. Sounded easy enough, but the bank consisted of two windows in a small enclosure stuck between two tiendas (stores).  After asking about six people and walking in circles, the last person I asked was able to point it out to me. I'm looking for a bank among all these skyscrapers--something large with its name emblazoned on it.  The check-loaning places back home were larger.   I returned to the embassy with my receipt, only to be told I would have to come back on Monday to pickup my visa for Brazil and have my passport returned to me. What!  I said I'm from Cuenca.  The Internet page says if I show up in person with all the documentation, I could receive my visa within three days. The two ladies exclaimed, "Cuenca"! Why didn't you get your visa at the consulate in Cuenca? Grrr... Of course, neither knew who told my translator that I would have to procure my visa in Quito.  Much discussion pursued among the three of us, attempting understanding between our mixed Spanish and English as to how my Passport would be sent to me. Finally, we determined that I would have to pickup the passport and my visa at the consulate in Cuenca on Monday or Tuesday of next week. My main concern was that my passport and visa was not going through the Ecuadorian mail delivery system, or I would never see my passport again. I would be stranded in Ecuador for the rest of my life, which wouldn't be a bad thing, but I do want to do some traveling. Yea, I'm also concerned when I go to the address for the consulate that the ladies gave me, that the consulate will in fact be there.

So I am actually in a very good mood, even after getting up yesterday at 6:00 a.m. to get my yellow fever shot before traveling to Quito, and 7:30 a.m. today to arrive at the Brazilian embassy by 9:00 a.m. I've had only ten hours of sleep over the last two nights.  My blood, however, has been replaced with gallons of coffee. Of course, the Internet address for the embassy was wrong, and I was going in the opposite direction. The security guard at the building gave me the new address. I could ask some stupid question like why don't embassy officials update their Google web sites, and remove the old ones that no longer apply? In Ecuador, I'm just suppose to know those things by osmosis. It was a long ride to the other end of Avenida Amazonas, but the cab fare was half of what the first cabbie charged me and three times further.  Taxis in Quito are suppose to have meters, but half of the taxis I rode did not have meters.  The cabbies without meters were very fair except for this one and before I had an idea of what was a reasonable rate in Quito.

So here I am at the airport waiting for five hours--three more to go--to catch my flight back to Cuenca. What lesson was I suppose to learn from the last two days experience? Is there any lesson involved? Is it just one of those things that happens? Whatever, I am sitting here with only nine minutes left before my battery runs out, and there are no plug-ins for my laptop. Lots of money spent needlessly that could have gone toward my trip to Brazil, but at least the Ecuadorian economy prospers. I'm in good humor, actually kind of enjoying it all. Can't say once my computer shuts down, and I have nothing to do but study Spanish, if I'll feel the same way. Needless to say, the plane will be at least an half an hour late from take off. They always are. Just though they don't cancel the flight, which can easily happen. I managed to bounce emails back-and-forth with my daughter-in-law, Maria, and razz her a little about the weather and more snow back in South Bend. Now let me sign off and send this before the computer power shuts down. Come to think of it, some of you just got a preview to my next blog post. Chao for now.

Postscript

The new Quito Airport is nice.  I was not in the International wing.  The food court is very nice.  However, the prices are outrageous like all airports.  The waiting areas to catch intra-country flights could have been made larger.  When my power dissipated, I thought I found Nirvana on a sweeping terrace aligning the food court where one could sit and eat and enjoy the mountains lying pass the parking areas.  There were plug-ins!  The problem was none of them were connected.  No juice, if you know what I mean. 

The most surreal part of the day was ahead of me--exquisitely Ecuatoriano.  The departure flight, of course, was fifty minutes late.  One does not go down an enclosed flank that leads into the air plane.  Instead we walk out to a bus shuttle, which then takes us to where the airplane is located.   It was packed for the short ride.  As we escaped from the packed shuttle, made our way up the stairs, and boarded the plane; suddenly one of the first passengers to board shouted, "No Cuenca--Guayaquil".  We were boarding the wrong plane.  We had to turn around and inform everyone down the line to reverse themselves and get back on the shuttle-bus.

Once aboard the bus again, I didn't know if the driver was going to take us to another plane, or return us to the departure concourse.  Surprisingly, and this is one of the many things I genuinely love about the Ecuatoriano people.  No one got upset, no one shouted, no one appeared angry, no one immediately got on their cell phones to contact their attorney to see how they could sue the airlines.  Instead the passengers were in a humorous mood.  People were laughing at various comments and jokes passengers were making in Spanish.  I only understood two of the comments.  One fellow said, "Do they know were our plane is?"  Another said, "I hope they take us to Miami instead of Guayaquil", which got a big laugh.  Ecuadorians love shopping in Miami.  Finally, the bus driver located the correct plane.  We boarded, were all seated, and sat on the tarmac for fifteen minutes more before clearance and eventual take-off.

From the point of departure, nothing out of the ordinary happened.  I arrived home at 8:30 p.m.  Unpacked.  Read my Facebook site and discovered to my horror that I had written and posted the above before the postscript on a friend's site I happened to be reading at the time I was in the airport instead of on my site.  When I saw what I had done, I posted the following comment:

"Good God, Lori, I've been home an hour, unpacked, and then looked for my post, and couldn't find it anywhere until I saw your comment.  I had no idea I posted it while I was on your Facebook site.  Is there any hope for me?!?  Don't answer that, PLEASE!"

Tomorrow, Bupa with which to deal.  I have no idea of an alternative health insurance that offers me what this policy does.  I also need to find someone that can fix my Canon printer, which conveniently broke down two days before I left for Quito.  Whatever the problem; it requires, according to the manual, due to the alternating green and orange lights flashing, outside intervention.  There is no way the printer will get shipped back to the manufacturer.  I may be doing crazy, but I'm not completely over the edge yet.