Busy Saturday in Quito - 28 February

During the evening briefing the night before, Patricio had told us that he had a very fun and full day planned for us on our last full day in Quito, if we were all up for it of course. Only one of the activities he had in mind was on our original itinerary which  called for a morning of free time, but he wanted us to see, experience and learn even more about his city. I, for one was very excited by this offer, because I was eager to get as much out of my remaining time in Ecuador as possible. I know that there is always so much more to learn,

Patricio scheduled the day to start a bit later than usual in hopes that people would be well rested. Unfortunately, the abrupt return to high elevation from sea level was a trial for many. Conversation at breakfast centered around how poorly everyone had slept. Once again, my mind must have worked well over matter because I had no trouble sleeping at all. My latest room was so quiet and comfortable. Wisely, I kept my mouth shut and just enjoyed the delicious tropical juice, fruit and drinkable yogurt.

We left the hotel shortly after breakfast, but this time instead of hopping on a little white bus, Patricio helped us hail several taxis to take us to Plaza de San Francisco where we had begun our Colonial Quito tour exactly two weeks ago. From there we walked a short distance down a side street to a jewel of a museum, Casa del Alabado (House of Praise). The NY Times has called this one of the 10 best museums in the world. That is quite a statement, and we were expecting greatness.

 

Casa del Alabado Main Entrance. It is called "House of Praise" because it is on the main street leading up to the oldest church in Quito.

 

Our very knowledgeable guide, Balen, explaining a portion of the collection,

 

Loved this Shaman figurine and..

 

 

This Frigate Bird whistling bottle...

 

 

The hidden interior courtyard glimpsed while moving from gallery to gallery..

 

 

Fertility rites were huge in these early cultures. Loved this couple...

 

 

The relaxing main entry courtyard provides a perfect respite from the hustle and bustle outside.

 

The museum collection centers on Pre-Incan and Pre-Colombian artifacts reflecting the rich culture of the indigenous people who first settled the Quito region. The objects are displayed according to the three levels of belief of these people, and the lighting and arrangements are haunting beautiful and evocative. We were guided through the museum by a lovely young archaeologist who shared her wealth of knowledge with us. We were very impressed with the museum and the incredible culture it has preserved. Following our tour, we all made purchases in the charming shop before meeting with another young woman in the courtyard who displayed two lovely vessels, each  over 1000 years old, that whistle just through movement. It was all fascinating!

 

This wonderful Owl is one of the oldest artifacts in the collection...

 

This whistling Duck pitcher is over 1000 years old.

Patricio led us from the museum through more of Colonial Quito, down those wonderful little streets full of tiny shops selling random assortments of merchandise or specializing in just one thing such as chicken feet or eggs (which were selling 11 eggs for $1!). Despite the warnings that tourists should stay away from those side streets because of extreme pickpocket danger, we were grateful to Patricio for taking us there. Most of us practiced the usual and sensible precautions to keep our valuables safe and not call attention to ourselves as tourists, but not all of us! Fortunately, we were all left alone to enjoy the scene.

 

Does he look like a typical tourist or what?!? Fortunately, he had his wallet in a special pocket in his pick-pocket proof pants, or so he proudly told me.

 

Children playing in the street outside their parents' shop selling a myriad of unusual objects, among them Saint figurines and their special outfits. Love those!

 

This is a great little random shop in a beautiful Colonial era building.

 

 

Looking from Colonial Quito up to the famous winged Madonna that overlooks Quito.

 

One of the things that OAT prides itself on as a travel adventure company is exposing its clients to the real life of the places they visit. Patricio definitely takes that to heart, and he did an excellent job of showing us his Quito and his Ecuador. As a final bit of reality, he had us take two regular city busses back to the hotel. The fare for the entire trip was a mere 25 cents each! The busses were crowded but totally fine, and I felt just as comfortable on them as I do on a Septa bus. Not everyone shared my feelings, but then again, aside from myself, only Marlene ever takes public transportation!

 

Lunch was on our own, so Pete, Lynn, Marlene, Ken, Marty and I all went to a little pizzeria attached to the hotel. The establishment featured a wood-burning oven front and center, so we knew the pizza would be good. My Pizza Margerita and Ice Cold Pilsener hit the spot. Patricio had told us to meet outside the side lobby by 2 for our afternoon activity, a bus trip out to the Equator, which is located 26 km from the center of Quito.

Gallo was our driver once again, and he masterfully steered us through a huge traffic jam surrounding a match by one of Quito's three professional soccer teams and past the growing suburban sprawl surrounding the city. We stopped for delicious homemade fruit gelato at Los Helados Pomaguis. I devoured my Guanabana and Mora cone! We passed the ultra-modern headquarters of UNASUR, the UN of South America, which sits basically right on the Equator before pulling up to our destination Musee Inti-Nan, Path of the Sun.

 

This Abuela knew how to make Helado! It was delicious!

 

 

The ultra-modern UNASUR headquarters in the San Antonio quarter of suburban Quito.

 

 

Welcome to the Musee!

 

 

Exactly where we found ourselves...wow!

 

 

Dos Chicas shaking hands from North (Bianca) to South (Marty) - Hey, shouldn't that be the other way around?

 

Toeing the Equatorial Line then...

 

Standing right on it!

 

 

Explaining some of the weird physics in this zone.

 

 

Otavalo Diabla Dancer..

 

The cool and cloudy morning had turned to a lovely sunny afternoon which made standing in the northern and southern hemispheres simultaneously even more fun. We were shown all of the weird physics surrounding this line on the globe by a young guide and had ample opportunities for photos.
We danced with a lively Otavalo Diabla (Devil) Dancer and shopped in a small market selling traditional woven goods. The museum was fun, unpretentious and located right on the Equator unlike the far more elaborate monolith that most tourists visit  just slightly to the south. We all really enjoyed our afternoon in El Mitad del Mundo, "The Middle of the Earth".

Gallo deftly drove us back in Quito as the sun began to set. Fortunately, at one point, Jim could see from his window that the huge volcano, snow capped19,000 ft. Cayambe, was visible above the clouds. That is a very rare sighting, so Patricio told Gallo to deviate from the regular route and drive us up to a beautiful overlook in an upscale residential neighborhood so we could all see it and take photos. That was a treat. The views were exceptional! On the way back we passed Plaza Abraham Lincoln and the lovely avenue leading up to the residence of the US Ambassador.

 

Fantastic view of Cayambe in the far distance. Zoom in and you can see the snow. The monastery down below dates from the 15th century.

 

 

 

Another look out to Cayambe in the distance. Two luxury hotels next to the overlook share these views. Wouldn't they be the perfect place to stay?!

 

Despite our detour, we arrived at the Musee Mendalee right on time.  We would be having our farewell dinner in one of the exhibition rooms. This museum is very hands-on and showcases all of the traditional crafts of the Quechua and Otavalo indigenous people. It is quite well done, and I am sure it is a huge hit with families and school groups. In a sprawling city of 2.2 million people, 75% of whom are mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indigenous blood), such places are important for the preservation of their traditional cultures.

We toured the museum before sitting down to dinner at a very long table set with a traditional woven cloth and pottery from the museum. We were given a set menu that we had ordered previously, and my seafood selections were very tasty. Many toasts were shared, and the entire evening was an authentic way to end our wonderful  Ecuadorian adventure. We had a final souvenir/gift purchasing opportunity in the shop before returning to the hotel. All of the group, except for me, were leaving on flights literally at the crack of dawn, and they wanted to finish packing and get some rest. We said our fond farewells touched with a hint of sadness in the lobby and then were a group no longer.

Muchas Gracias to Patricio for leading us deftly, teaching us so much, keeping us a cohesive unit and sharing with us his culture, his city and his country!

 

The façade of the Musee Mendalee just before dark finally descended on our last full day in Quito, the surprisingly interesting city of a really amazing country!