UFF!!! Finally made it, breathless but made it.
Yeah we´re at 9,000 ft asl.
Breathless but it is very much worth it.
Let´s talk about the Colonnial part.
There are many narrow streets with gorgeous old houses everywhere, actually going there without a camera could be considered a sin. And going with, means bring a large memory card for your camera.
There are many GORGEOUS churches once you visit one you that´s the most beautiful ( only to find one even better on the next one and so on so forth.
Quito as we mantioned before is the capital of Ecuador therefore the Government Palace (president´s house/office) is there toi visit too.
There are many historical sites to visit on every street on every corner a new surprise will await you.
Among the beautiful churches there are for example: SANTO DOMINGO ( Saint Dominic)
Let´s remember that the actual full name of the city is SAN FRANCISCO DE QUITO.
This church was built right at the mountain slope, ( when you walk in you can indeed see and feel as you walk through the central aisle)
Nope, I´m not spoiling the surprise here.
Yes, you will learn about Francisco Cantuña the builder of this church who supposedly made a pact with the devil to help him finish the church in time.
The legend says that once Cantuña saw that the little devils sent by Lucifer to accomplish the task where about to finish and wanting to save his soul he hid one stone under his poncho.
When the church was finished the devil came to collect Francisco Cantuña´s soul. Only to learn that the church was not totally built one stone at the atrium was missing....
Our promanade will take us next to IGLESIA DE LA COMPAÑÍA DE JESUS.
but before let´s admire a little bit more of SAN FRANCISCO´s inside.
Inthe late 70s and 80s there was a Mexican sitcom named EL CHAVO DEL OCHO
it was a comedy about a poor orphan boy who lived in a little group of houses that shared a common inner yard.
This man dressed as El Chavo (in Mexico Chavo stands for "kid"). Let us get a photo along with him.
But ALAS for some reason they do not allow cameras on the inside of this church..
Idiotic? yeah, I agree but that is the way it is.
The inside is gorgeous, I´ve been there many times still don´t understand why they do not allow caemras on the inside of this place.
So, shall we continue walking? well you can climg to the dome of this church and once on the top you may take some pictures. Of the outside
On our way to Plaza de Independencia. We pass by
IGLESIA DEL SAGRARIO. (by-passed by many) but what a jewel this is...
Where there was a Yoko Ono exhibit.
In short:
There was a revolt on that day, the people in Quito were protesting for the incarceration of the leaders of last year´s attempt of independence, and planned to attack on three fronts. The General Headquarters, the quarters of Santa Fé and El Presidio.
And as a payback for threvolt the leaders of the revolt were murdered in the prison cells.
Finally at PLAZA MAYOR.
Right in the middle of this Plaza there is a magnificent monument with a magnificent Column .
The plaque above is in the before mentioned in the middle of the Plaza, it is located on the west side of the column.
And on it, you can clearly read that the "heroes" of august 10th 1809 were pledging fealty to The King of Spain (Fernando VII ) This is written in the final two lines of the first paragraph..
A little below the central part of the plaque they continue saying that "el presidente" will pledge at the cathedral solemn oath of obedience and loyalty to his magesty the king of Spain.
Independence??
The basilica is conformed by a central nave, two smaller naves and 24 lateral chapels dedicated to the provinces of the country. The building consists of two main sections, a main nave dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, consecration made on March 25, 1874 under the government of President Gabriel Garcia Moreno, and a smaller one located immediately after the first, also with a plant of Latin cross and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Mary, consecration made on April 8, 1892 under the government of Luis Cordero Crespo.
Although decorative details are still lacking, it can be said that the structure, as we know it today, was completed in 1924, when the masses began to be officiated in the central nave and to ring the bells of the towers. Certain popular beliefs that the day on which the basilica is finished it will be the end the world or, in its case, the Ecuador would disappear as a free and sovereign State. ( trying to imitate La sagrada Familia In Barcelona? )
Gettin´ across to the belltower
So, Where am I?
Way up there!!!!
345 ft high!!
The Basilica of the National Vow is the most important work of the Neo-Gothic architecture of Ecuador and one of the most representative of the American continent, it is then the largest in the new world.
Off we go now ( on this particular tour) To the MITAD DEL MUNDO
(There two pints to visit there at Mitad del Mundo) THE INTIÑAN MUSEUM this place has the particularity of being located in the actual equatorial line.
There are a series of experiments that can be done when visiting this place.
There is also an anthropological exhibit of the peoples of the jungle.
Such as the headshrinking tradition by the SHUAR people, TZANTZA ( some author spell this with an "S")
1.-
2.- Then they remove the skull
The head is boiled and it reduces its size.
4.-
They seal the mouth in order to prevent the spirit to come out.
5.- They stuff the empty head with a stone
Now let´s visit the actual EQUATORIAL LINE!!!
Coriolis effect.
Here, we are invited to learn about the coriolis effect
The Coriolis force is a fictitious force that appears when a body is moving with respect to a rotating system and its movement is described in that referential. The Coriolis force is different from the centrifugal force. The Coriolis force is always perpendicular to the direction of the axis of rotation of the system and to the direction of movement of the body seen from the system in rotation. The Coriolis force has two components:
a tangential component, due to the radial component of body movement, and
a radial component, due to the tangential component of body movement.
Now to the famous MITAD DEL MUNDO MONUMENT ( located approximately 250 yards south from the actual equatorial line)
See you soon!
Eddie
