(Monday-Friday, 6-10 July 2009)
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=quito,+ecuador&sll=2.032045,-77.332764&sspn=2.689711,5.603027&ie=UTF8&ll=-0.2108,-78.654556&spn=2.691385,5.603027&z=8
Quito is not a beautiful city at first sight. Neither at second, or perhaps even last sight. But it somehow gets under your skin. And that’s why, once again on this trip, I ended up staying longer than initially planned.
First, there is the historical centre, Unesco’s World Heritage Site and subject to a major restoration project in 2006. It’s probably the most beautiful piece of colonial architecture I’ve seen. It may not rival the splendour of, say, Colombia’s Cartagena, but I think the difference here is how well integrated the old town seems to be with the rest of the city. I mean, it doesn’t feel like a museum piece – it feels like people actually live here, and walk through, in and out of it, in the context of their daily lives and activities…
Then, there is a certain cosmopolitan feel to the city. It’s true that the architectural beauty seems to be limited to the old town – apart from a few wide and pleasant modern avenues here and there, and the large park “La Carolina” which is a great spot for late afternoon jogging, most of the buildings that “climb up” the hills remind you of the architectural disasters of the Central American capitals. But all that is somehow put behind by the cultural vibe of the city – street theatre happening every day, a large Latin American cinema festival starting on my arrival, interesting museums that offer free (!) one-to-one tours by art history students who tell you all about the “Escuela Quiteña” of painting of the post-Spanish conquest period, or the work of the indigenous movement (check out Camilo Egas’s work – great stuff!!).
Google map: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=pt-PT&geocode=&q=quito,+ecuador&sll=2.032045,-77.332764&sspn=2.689711,5.603027&ie=UTF8&ll=-0.2108,-78.654556&spn=2.691385,5.603027&z=8
Quito is not a beautiful city at first sight. Neither at second, or perhaps even last sight. But it somehow gets under your skin. And that’s why, once again on this trip, I ended up staying longer than initially planned.
First, there is the historical centre, Unesco’s World Heritage Site and subject to a major restoration project in 2006. It’s probably the most beautiful piece of colonial architecture I’ve seen. It may not rival the splendour of, say, Colombia’s Cartagena, but I think the difference here is how well integrated the old town seems to be with the rest of the city. I mean, it doesn’t feel like a museum piece – it feels like people actually live here, and walk through, in and out of it, in the context of their daily lives and activities…
Then, there is a certain cosmopolitan feel to the city. It’s true that the architectural beauty seems to be limited to the old town – apart from a few wide and pleasant modern avenues here and there, and the large park “La Carolina” which is a great spot for late afternoon jogging, most of the buildings that “climb up” the hills remind you of the architectural disasters of the Central American capitals. But all that is somehow put behind by the cultural vibe of the city – street theatre happening every day, a large Latin American cinema festival starting on my arrival, interesting museums that offer free (!) one-to-one tours by art history students who tell you all about the “Escuela Quiteña” of painting of the post-Spanish conquest period, or the work of the indigenous movement (check out Camilo Egas’s work – great stuff!!).
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So, I have kept myself busy the last few days… The day before yesterday I attended an improvisation show by a Colombian theatre group. Yesterday I went to the opening of Cero Latitud, Quito’s Latin American cinema festival I refered to already. There, I saw the performance of a famous Argentinean singer (sorry, forgot his name!) and watched “Sleep dealer”, an interesting movie (more for the story than anything else…) by a Mexican director.
Colombian theatre. Argentinean music. Mexican cinema. In Quito, Ecuador. That’s the thing about Latin America, which I had already witnessed in Colombia, where people so easily listen to Colombian music as to Cuban or Nicaraguan tunes: there is one language across a whole continent (OK, forget Brazil for a minute), which makes it so easy to share and cross-fertilise cultural activities. Would it be the same if they’d speak Spanish in Ecuador, French in Colombia, German in Chile and English in Argentina? Definitely not…
"Says the popular U2 song that “we’re one but not the same”; I think a subtly different truth applies to the Latin American countries: "they are not the same but are somehow one too". I mean, there is so much diversity around here, but at the same time there is definitely some unity amidst such cultural diversity. And that’s great – as European, I feel envy of that!
Colombian theatre. Argentinean music. Mexican cinema. In Quito, Ecuador. That’s the thing about Latin America, which I had already witnessed in Colombia, where people so easily listen to Colombian music as to Cuban or Nicaraguan tunes: there is one language across a whole continent (OK, forget Brazil for a minute), which makes it so easy to share and cross-fertilise cultural activities. Would it be the same if they’d speak Spanish in Ecuador, French in Colombia, German in Chile and English in Argentina? Definitely not…
"Says the popular U2 song that “we’re one but not the same”; I think a subtly different truth applies to the Latin American countries: "they are not the same but are somehow one too". I mean, there is so much diversity around here, but at the same time there is definitely some unity amidst such cultural diversity. And that’s great – as European, I feel envy of that!
Quito's old town - all of the above...
View of Quito, from the East to the West: end of day coffee-break at the Itchimbia park
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Another coffee-break (no, coffee is not that good around here!), now at the Guayasamín Museum. Do you know anything about Guayasamín's work? He's a great 20th century Ecuadorian artist - if you don't know much about him, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you research about his work!!
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