Ecuador – Quito again

I came back to Quito yesterday so that I would be here tonight to catch the bus into the Amazon.  Since I’ve already spent about 4 days in Quito, today I spent going to see the last few things I wanted to see in the northern part of the city.

One of Ecuador’s most famous artists of the 20th century was Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-1999).  At the end of his life he decided to bequeath all of his art, his collection of pre-Columbian and Colonial art, and his house to Ecuador.  Being a devout agnostic, he built the Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Man) which is really a gallery for his mammoth sized paintings.  His art focussed for the most part on the sufferings of the indigenous peoples in Latin America.  In general I’m not a huge fan of contemporary painting, but I really enjoyed his works.  They were very powerful and emotional using striking lines and bold colours.   Luckily I was able to take a guided tour of both the Capilla del Hombre and his house in English.

Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Man)

Guayasamin’s house

Dining room of his house filled with many works from his collection

One of many unfinished canvases in his studio.  This was part of his series called “Faces of America”

Close to the museum is the Parque Carolina which is one of the biggest green spaces in the city.  In the park is the Botanical Garden which is pegged as one of the top things to see in the city.  I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed as I was hoping to get an understanding of the plants I’m likely to see in the Amazon and this wasn’t actually explained very well.  However,  it was a lovely green spot and they did have a wonderful green house full of orchids.

Later this evening I’m going to get on the night bus that will take me to Lago Agrio which is the meeting point for my trip into the Amazon.  As I’ll be in the middle of the jungle I won’t have internet access for the next few days.  I’ll post pictures and details when I return on Monday.

Fitbit Stats (so far):

Steps: 15,650, Distance: 10.85 km, Floors: 40