When we were been driven from the airport to the hotel in Quito, Rodney gave us a stern talking to about how to walk around Quito. No wallets or purses, no passports. No backpacks. We were to bring some money and a credit card, tucked unobtrusively into a pocket. We received none of that kind of warning in Lima or Cusco. I wonder why Quito is different.
So Rodney and our driver (name escapes me) picked us up at the hotel, and we headed for the Virgin Mary statue on a hill high above most of Cusco (the city is quite spread out). Also known as the Dancing Virgin (you'll see it in one of my photos), at 135 feet it is higher than the far more famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
(Christ the Redeemer statue is easily "far more famous" because I had never even heard of the Quito Virgin Mary.)
It's also the biggest aluminum statue in the world, which has got to be worth something when ranking statues while sitting at a bar drinking beer with friends.
Virgin Mary
Virgin Mary, Glen, Carol. The
Virgin Mary statue is the one
that's above us, in case
anyone is unclear.
Quito in the haze from the statue.
They say this looks like she's
dancing, but given the way
she is clutching her stomach
I think it is indigestion.
But I've been wrong before.
Another view from the hill.
When we first ascended up the roads and got out at the Virgin Mary, two tourist policewomen went up to Rodney and started talking with him at length. We all thought we were being told to put our masks on (even though Ecuador doesn't have the insane outdoor masking rule that Peru has).
As it turns out, the policewomen were warning us about the latest thievery scam. Crooks throw something on your back shoulder, offer to help clean off the bird poop, and reach into your pocket while you are distracted. That was good to know.
No one tried it on us, probably because they've heard about the Dynamic Duo's heroic rescue of my pickpocketed iPhone in Barcelona, when Carol and I teamed up as crime fighters to get my phone back.
Then we descended into the old main part of Quito, where we walked around, admiring the colonial structures, the squares, the churches, and enjoying the downtown, except for when the crazy lady started berating poor Rodney.
All of the dogs we saw looked well
fed and had very calm dispositions.
Are they strays, or do they just roam
around during the day and return
home at night? Not sure.
Statue at the center of Plaza Grande.
Condor, national symbol of Ecuador.
Lion, national symbol of Spain.
The President's Palace.
One of the seven crosses on
the Street of Seven Crosses.
It's called that because there
are seven crosses spread out along
the street. (Editor's Note: Wow,
you never hesitate to point
out the obvious. Blogger:
Obviously.)
This barbershop is located
in the basement of the
President's Palace. Anyone
can get their haircut here,
as long as they don't blow
up the palace.
The crosses are decorated
because it was Semana Santa
(Holy Week).
The top of the Golden Church.
Part of the doorway. No photos allowed
inside the church. The Golden Church
is quite remarkable inside, but you'll
have to take my word for it.
Photo of the door, allowed.
Photos inside the church, not allowed.
Turtles, fish, and other sea
creatures on the door.
The church at Plaza de San Francisco,
right across from our hotel.
I had some questions for these guys, but
I decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
The lower half of the photo shows our
hotel's terrace, where a few hours later we
had lunch. High on the hill behind
it is the Virgin Mary statue.
Mary calls this a creepy photo.
I'm not sure if she's referring
to the penitent in purple
or the American in red.
Or both?
Very peaceful cloisters at the
Iglesias de San Francisco.
Absolutely beautiful.
Winged cherub. Also a bit
high on the creepiness scale.
Altar.
After that, we took a quick break and headed to the Equator, where we could stand astride both hemispheres.
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