Day 1-City Tour

Guest Writer- Megan K.

All together in Quito

    The day after we arrived in Quito we were all welcomed with a planned tour! That morning we all piled on a charter bus; driven by a friend of the bride and groom named Paul (who was so accommodating and kind). We were then given a brief overview of where we were heading by the bride herself, followed by introductions from everyone by passing a toilet paper roll (which come to find out is like gold in South American). We had the pleasure and privilege to meet people in Justin and Shannon's lives who have supported them, grown with them, taught with them, and love them. The group of individuals we met and spent time with on our trip not only brought smiles to our faces, laughter to our lips, and encouragement and support into every day while traveling, they also made such an impact on our lives during this incredible experience that we will never forget!

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

        Our first taste of old city Quito was a tour of Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus (The society of Jesus Church). Built by Jesuit priests between 1605 and 1765, the beauty of the architecture on the outside of the structure paled in comparison to the art and craftsmanship found inside the archway doors. No pictures were allowed inside so you need to take this one on faith, but the ornate detail was breathtaking. (Editor's note: Or through the contraband photo taken by an unnamed guest below...) Gold leaf covers nearly every square inch of the worship hall. Detailed wood carvings created by artists from the Quito school are scattered throughout. There was so much to see, the nearly hour long tour was simply not long enough to take it all in. For a whole 2 dollars more we were able to walk up to the roof of the facility and see the view from atop the 26 meter high steeple...worth all 200 hundred pennies. We could have spent all day at the church and not have had enough time to fully appreciate the art that went into its creation. The tour was a crash course in the rich culture of Ecuadorian architecture as well as the history of religious persecution in the region.

View inside the Iglesia

        From the church we took a tour of the Virgin of Quito statue. A 147 foot high aluminum statue of a winged virgin standing atop a globe stepping on a snake. It is said that this massive statue is the only one of its kind to represent Madonna with wings like an angel. The statue looks over a beautiful panoramic view of the city below. We were treated to lunch at Pim's Restaurant just below the statue, but not too low to enjoy the beautiful view of the city.

Panecillo

           Following lunch we traveled to the home and gallery of famous Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamin. The grounds include Guayasamin's home and art studio as well the Chapel of Man, an art gallery finished in 2002, three years after his death. The art studio within his home displayed many of his original works, most of which depict the cruelty of the treatment of the indigenous people of Latin America. The art reflected his intolerance for the injustice and suffering in our world . His personal residence was also an impressive collection of pre-Columbian and Colonial art and artifacts from around the world.

Touring the City

        This first day of touring the City of Quito was jam packed with culture, but it was an eye opening experience to the richness and the history of the region. Thank you for the incredible experience and the warmest welcome and introduction to your beautiful home Justin and Shannon!