Have you seen Quito at night?

This Friday and Saturday (January 7 and 8) were days of exploration for our IES Abroad group!

Friday we spent the afternoon and evening checking out parts of the Historic Downtown area. We visited primarily churches (in Spanish, “iglesia”) and schools where students studied to be priests.

First we went to la iglesia de Santo Domingo, which is also a museum. The museum had an attempted robbery the week before, so we did not get to see much else other than what was on the walls; we did get to go into the library to see all of the old theological and philosophical books they have. The fun part of this church was that we got to see Quito from the roof and climb up one of the domes to really see all of Quito. It was absolutely beautiful! Second, we went to la Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. This church is an important place for Catholics and their traditions. It was stunningly beautiful because everything on the inside was symmetrical and painted with a gold shimmer. My jaw was open the entire time! Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures. So that is a place you will just have to come see for yourself!

The third religious building we visited was the school of Santo Augustine where someone can study to be a priest. This was probably the most fun and spectacular part of our night! We had the unique opportunity of climbing up to the highest part of the bell tower and view Quito at night. The climb was a bit on the scary side with shaky ladders and dark rooms, but it was completely worth it. I hadn’t even reached the top yet when our guide started yelling, “Vamos chicos! Apúrate!” to tell us to start coming back down because it was time to leave. However I was determined, after putting my life at risk going up so many ladders, to reach the top. Unfortunately I did not get to spend much time up there, but I could not take my eyes off the city all lit up the entire time I was at the top. In my picture you can see La Valencia behind me which looks like another magnificent church. We finished the night with a delicious dinner at the hotel I stayed in the first night.

Saturday we took a bus trip to visit some fabulous places in Ecuador. We boarded the bus at 7am and did not get home until almost 8pm, so it was a long day. We drove past the mountain Cayambe, which is actually a volcano and one of the four peaks that eternally has snow on it in Ecuador. What a contrast to be in sunny and warm weather and look up to see snow! We stopped at a Wood Workshop and watched how the workers transformed a block of wood into an amazing statue. They chisel the figurine out of wood, cover it in plaster, paint it, and then add liquid gold to give it that extra sparkle. You would never guess these statues are made of wood when you see them!

Then we got to shop in the famous Otavalo indigenous market, Imbabura. We only had an hour and half, so I’ll have to go back some time. My friend Sally and I made our way through all the maze of little booths, bargaining our way to a successful shopping day! I bought some really neat pieces of artwork made of corn and aluminum (originally two for $36, bought for $26), a pair of pants (I paid $5 instead of $8), an incense tiki for my roommate, two scarves for $5, and an alpaca sweater (I proudly brought the price down from $22 to only $10). I would say I did a good job of negotiating those prices!

After lunch we ventured to la Laguna Cuicocha, a serene lagoon. The lagoon is actually a volcanic crater with the volcano underneath it. You can see bubbles coming up from holes on the lake floor. We took a little boat ride around the islands in the lagoon and then tried a traditional cinnamon drink. It felt so nice to breathe the fresh air there instead of being on that bus!

We also hiked to la Cascada de Peguche: a waterfall. It was a fun little hike up to the waterfall, and then we also climbed up to the top of it and explored a little bit up there. The mist coming off of the waterfall was unbelievably refreshing. The waterfall just reminded me of the power and mighty within the rainforest, and now I am anxious to travel to the Amazon! We finished the day with a night of dancing at a club in Quito in the zone La Mariscal, or more commonly known as Gringolandia.

Just these little glimpses of Ecuador make me excited about planning more trips and seeing more of the wonders that this country has to offer! Buen viaje amigos!