October 3
2018
Ron and I got
up at 1:00 a.m. to catch a red eye flight to Quito
Ecuador.
We were using our mileage plan so the tickets are almost free but the schedule
is never ideal with free tickets. A red eye is not my idea of a good way to
start a trip. We had planned to sleep between Portland
and Chicago but
two and a half hours of turbulence prevented that. We also were looking forward
to breakfast in Chicago
and but changing terminals that involved a bus ride prevented that from
happening. Next we landed in Panama City Panama. We had
a bad breakfast on the plane and fortunately our connecting gate was right
across from our arrival gate in Panama
City. We made our connection to Quito. We arrived in the late afternoon and
Ann met us at the airport. Jeff was in Washington
for training.
Our friends
Ann Melville and Jeff Smith are currently living in Quito where Jeff works for the State
department and they invited us down for a visit. We first met them when Ron and
Jeff were working in Tbilisi
Georgia in 2009-11.
We have stayed in touch and twice visited them in Myanmar when they were posted
there.
This trip was
different; we decided to leave our computers at home and use my tablet and his
phone for internet access. Consequently this blog will be less detailed as I
only took cryptic notes during our travels. However Ron took lots of photos of
our wonderful trip.
Quito is a city of 1.6 million and is
located at 9,300 ft above sea level. Jeff and
Ann’s apartment is in a seven or eight story building high above the
city. They reside on the sixth floor and have a gorgeous view of the
surrounding mountains and the city. Every room has a view that is mesmerizing.
They have two bedrooms and an office with three and half bathrooms. It is
spacious and beautifully furnished which is standard for state department
employees. Ann and Jeff have been posted in China,
Republic of Georgia,
Hungary, Myanmar and now Ecuador. Next will be Mozambique. Their
home reflects their love of travel and appreciation for textiles, crafts and
artwork from places they have visited or lived. Both Ann and Jeff had traveled
before Jeff started with the state department about 10 years ago. Jeff actually
worked in Antarctica for a period of time. We
were lucky enough to see some of his photos of his time there.
We thoroughly
enjoyed out time with them as the four of us have much in common in terms of
our values and approach to life. Ann prepared fabulous meals during our entire
stay. Not willing to stand by, we insisted on helping and Ann willingly agreed.
Oct 4
Our first day
Ann took us on a walking tour, all downhill. Quito is built in a basin. We noticed the
altitude and had to take our time. We experienced mild effects of the thin air
but nothing serious. Ron had taken a prescription to lessen the effects but I
didn’t because of my glaucoma. I was thankful that the impact was quite mild
overall. Quito
struck us as a modern, prosperous city with malls, high end stores like
Tiffany’s and Ferragamo and incredibly good roads. Ann cautioned us to never
ride the city buses. They are crowded and pick pockets abound. Ann has had five
friends who had their phones and or wallets stolen while on the buses Taxis are
cheap so we heeded her words. Ron and I have traveled to over sixty countries
and been in large cities like Bangkok with 14
million folks and the only time someone tried to steal my purse was in downtown
Portland at
dusk in front of a Catholic girls’ school. A two man team tried to steal Ron’s
wallet in Addis Ababa but we had read about this technique in our tour book so
he was alert when it happened and whacked both assailants with his baton (his
collapsed umbrella) when they tried to trip and distract him. They ran away
quickly. We take precautions and are vigilant when we are out and about. It can
happen anywhere.
We visited
the fresh market on our tour and walked through a nearby park and got a feel
for new town with Ann. To avoid the strenuous up hill climb back to the
apartment we hailed a cab.
Ecuador, one of the great success stories of Latin America, has invested in new roads, hospitals,
schools, and social programs. Ecuador
has vast oil and mineral wealth which have played a pivotal role in the
country’s new prosperity.
October 5
Ron and I ventured off on our own. Ann had
just returned the night before we arrived from three months in the US where she
oversaw repairs on her family home in PA. We knew she had a lot of catching up
to do in Quito
so we told her to stay home and we would go exploring old town.
We grabbed a
taxi and we took a two hour self guided tour and saw neighborhoods, cathedrals and
churches. We went into the Iglesia de la
Compania de Jesus, (construction began1605 and was completed about 150 yrs
later) Quito’s
most ornate church from the baroque period. Well, let’s just say it was over
the top with enough gold leaf to sink a ship. No photos were allowed.
Afterwards we
visited a small museum, the home of Maria Augusta Urrutia. The home is splendid
example of a 19th century home. Maria was one of the city’s best-loved
philanthropists. After the death of her husband she dedicated herself to
helping the poor. The home’s furnishings, stained glass windows and European
artwork were clear indications of her wealth.
We also
visited the Basilica del Voto Nacional, a massive Gothic church built over
several decades starting in 1926. Rather than using gargoyles on the exterior
they used indigenous animals and birds such as the tortoise, penguins, and
iguanas.
Oct 6
Today is
Saturday and a big day in Otavalo, a town about 90 minutes from Quito. Otavalo has hosted
one of the most important markets in the Andes
for hundreds of years. Ann wanted us to see the animal market first before
heading across the street to see the crafts market. We got up real early and
made peanut butter toast sandwiches for the trip to get an early start. I think
we left around 6:30. Ann graciously drove us there in their car. When we
entered the animal market we had to squeeze through a gauntlet of vendors
selling chickens, ducks and rabbits. It was totally claustrophobic and fun.
So
many sellers and buyers wore traditional dress which is always a thrill to see.
We were astounded at how short some of the locals were, under five feet tall. I
felt sure some were just over three feet.
Women wore
either stiff felt hats or a headdress that was tied in a wide variety of ways.
Some were simply folded and placed on their heads. The women wore tightly
pleated skirts with countless pleats and
sometimes the skirts were highly decorated with jewels or colorful embroidery.
Others wore a plain wrap skirt of black, blue, green or purple with a thin band
of embroidery at the hem. Underneath they wore a white underskirt. Their white
blouses were highly embroidered and their belts were woven with very bright
yarn. The traditional dress for men was white drawstring, mid calf pants with a
dark blue wool poncho and a black hat.
Both men and women work simple black
cloth sandals. Both sexes wear their hair in braids, men wear a single braid
and women two braids.
After seeing
chickens in every stage of development, guinea pigs which are eaten here, rabbits,
and ducks we wandered over to the cattle market.
Afterwards we crossed the
street and entered the fabulous crafts market. Here we found jewelry made from
silver, beads and the like. The textiles are so beautiful with the array of
bright colors. There were tablecloths, blankets, cloth woven belts, ponchos,
embroidered blouses and so much more. Ann got a couple of new tablecloths and I
got a few gifts like scarves and some stone disc carvings. Ann took us to a great restaurant on the edge
of the market where we had lunch. On the way back to the car we stopped and
watched two groups of dancers performing in a covered market place.
On the way
home she took us to a hacienda that has been refurbished and it now serves as
high end guest house. We were allowed to roam the grounds and go into a few of
the buildings. It was a real treat as the artwork, textiles and décor had been
carefully selected. It made me wonder if the owner travels around the globe
colleting items to decorate his prize home. All in all it was a great side
trip, allowing us to see more of the area high in the Andes
and get a feel for the indigenous cultures. We rested when we got home and
after dinner Ann left for the airport to pick up Jeff who was returning from
DC.
Oct 7
Today we
struck out on our own again and this time we hired a driver/car to take us to
the equator, about 45 minutes from Quito.
This place now has developed into a
commercial venture with two vendors. We chose the smaller venue to avoid crowds
of tourists. We were given a tour which was informative and I got a small
weaving from a man who had a loom set up in the gift shop.
We ate a small,
quick lunch at the café there then headed to a collapsed volcano, Volcan
Pululahua. When the volcano collapsed it left a crater 400 meters deep and 5 km
across. The flat fertile bottom is ideal for farming. At the bottom there were
small farms. I would think it is kind of scary to be farming in the bottom of a
volcano. Our Driver and his "business partner Veronica
We returned
to Quito and
had the driver drop us off at Museo Guayasamin and Capilla del Hombre. This was
my favorite experience of the trip. A short distance from Ann and Jeff’s,
perched on top of a hill in Bellavista neighborhood is a complex of two sites:
the Chapel of Man and the home of Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-1999)., one of South
American’s most important artists of the modern era. His home was a huge
building filled with his collections and artwork. We visited his studio where they
played a video of him painting a portrait of a composer who was a friend of
his. He completed the portrait in a couple of hours and it was magical watching
how the painting was done. Next door was a monument he had built to show his
works ’that depict the suffering of Latin American’s indigenous poor, coupled
with a humanist’s undying hope for a better future. The artist integrated pre
Columbian symbols with echoes of Van Gough, El Greco, and Picasso among others’
in paintings that are moving and impressive. We had a 60 minute tour by a
wonderful woman who was extremely knowledgeable of his work and how he used
these symbols, motifs and themes repeatedly in his work. We were so taken with
is work and how he used it in his mission to make others aware of the plight of
the poor.
Our last day in 
Our plane
left for 
Once we
reached the park not far out of 
Ron had
brought some of Sonia’s (his mom) ashes so he left some by a tree near the
lake. Sonia is now spread in several countries we have visited. 
We started
the day with a free guided 2.5 hr walking tour of the town. We started in Park
Calderon, a lovely park right in the center of town and the guide spoke in
Spanish and English. We started at the church next to the park, the Cathedral
of Immaculate Conception. 
Behind the museum was
an archeological park with extensive ruins of buildings thought to be part of the
old Incan city of 
A significant number of people here are less than five feet tall; some are around four feet and some I feel sure are less than four feet. Around 800 AD cultures here became integrated. In 
Afterwards we walked across the river to new town. We tried to go to the university archeological museum but it was closed so we just poked around looking at shops. I passed a high end hotel and spied a great poncho in the gift shop and tried on several. I was told the material was alpaca but the price was $36…it that really possible? Not sure but it is a lovely chartreuse poncho with a trim of bright Ecuadorian colors so I got it.
