Friday-- first quiteño day

Quito's historic center is a jumbled mass of hills, most with stunning churches or colonial buildings barely clutching onto the steep slopes. I arrived by bus and was stunned by this maze, that drivers lurch through undaunted and vendors haunt at every corner. Old men occupy all the benches of the squares. Kids run after pigeons at the Plaza de la Independenzia. It's an amazing haven-- especially compared to some of the other parts of Quito-- and the largest remaining colonial center in Latin America.

Friday-- Quito in a few snaps

View from the top of the Basilicia (after three outside ladders and a passage through the attic above the actual church. Definitely my most exciting visit of any religious site).

Family love.

Adorable boy who was walking his dog Toby in front of the Basilica.

I admit to panting on the walk up this road....

Overheard in Quito, I

"Nos vemos en la Amazonia"
- Teen on cellphone in Quito street. ("We'll see each other in the Amazon")

Lost in translation, I

At the fruteria (fruit stand)
Me, in a morning, coffeeless haze: Plata, por favor.

Platano= banana
Plata= money

FAIL.

The count

TWENTY FIVE, cents a bus ride in Quito. Bumps guaranteed, seats not so much.

EIGHTEEN EIGHTY-TWO: date of completion of the Basilica del vote nacional. It is partly built of volcanic rock and boasts stone statues of turtles and monkey instead of gargoyles. Ecuadoran pride.

FIVE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE, approximate number of internet cafes in Quito.

Overheard in Quito, II

Conversation with my Spanish teacher:

Me: The weather here is crazy, it changes every second.
Teacher: Yes, its like women!

Vocabulario

CHEVERE- A must if you aim to survive in Ecuador. Literally "great", it is crammed into every sentence. Also, CHEVEROSO and CHEVERISSIMO.

GRINGOLANDIA- Affectionate (?) nickname for Mariscal, the tourist hangout. Befittingly, both my host family and school are located in Gringolandia...

CORREISTA- A supporter of Rafael Correa, the president.

The Wisdom's on the Wall

Despite their visual pollution, the majority of graffiti I've seen in Quito has been rather feminist, inspirational or just weird.

"What would democracy be like without money?"

"Te quiero mi nina bonita"/ "I like/love/want you beautiful girl". Taken from a song.

"The feminist revolution is underway." OH YES!

"Women, organized, will never be prostituted" (please someone offer a better translation!!)

"The conscience of the people doesn't change the conscience of the state."

Andes, for real

This blog finally lives up its name-- I actually feasted my eyes upon the Andes this weekend. With Ecuadorian friends of a friend, we drove up to 4000 metres to camp, walk and fish (well, some of us.) It was like a passage to another world. Part of my amazement may be attributed to my slight dizziness at being so high up, but the incredible stretches of deserted tundra-- save for some wild horses and llamas-- or the peaks towering over us definitely account for most of it. About fifteen of us spent the night in a straw hut, without electricity, cellphone coverage or neighbors. Blissful.