Last to First

I'd been playing with this idea, of starting the Ecuador trip blog with the last day, and working my way backward to the first. I asked a girl friend this evening, and her reply was that, since everyone already knew I was back safely, this would be rather interesting. So while I'll save final reflections and such for the end (or after the beginning, as it were), here we go.

My last day in Quito was with my good friend Juan Carlos. We've been friends for four years now, since we met on my first trip to Ecuador in 2008, when he was our local guide and arranger for our time in Cuenca and the south (that was a work trip). I saw him most days during this trip, and I'd left the last day for him, as he wanted to plan an excursion, something interesting and fun to hold me over until my return. As usual, he succeeded. The plan: an insider's day in Quito.

Turns out that on Sundays, a considerable section of the city of Quito -- which is ginormous, by the way, an incredible north-south axis in the volcano valley that takes more than 2 hours to travel across -- is closed to vehicular traffic and open to bikes, skates, and pedestrians. It's really quite fantastic. So for the first half of the day, we'd take advantage of this and do some riding.

 We rode around downtown for a while, alternating on the one bike, until we found a rental place. Then we headed toward the historic center. We stopped at Ejido Park on the way, which has a huge indigenous artisan and painter market on the weekends, and tons of trails and family activities. It was packed.

And there's some kind of game underway here. It's like Italy's bocce and France's petanque, but I couldn't really figure it out. This gentleman clearly was the boss of this circuit. These five little red balls didn't seem to move while we watched, but the large silver ones did.

 Juan Carlos took the rental bike and I rode his fabulous old bike. While the rental was easier to steer, it was harder on my knees, and given how well those are doing these days.... His bike is a lovely classic and really helped me get my biking confidence back.

We decided to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art. This is in the historic center. Up to this point, the riding had been easy and fun. But here we hit the hills. Did I mention that Quito is already at 9200 feet altitude? By this time I was acclimated to that, but even being acclimated, climbing is hard, be it stairs or a hill. And it's not the legs, it's the lungs. I took the first one fine -- I even rode while many of the locals walked their bikes. The second was harder. The third, I gave up, and the oncoming taxi didn't help. I'm not riding the Tour de France (although it was fun to be on these inclines over 10% and think about that) so I didn't even try the fourth. Of course, Juan Carlos is just sitting at the top waiting for me. Even with walking, it took a few minutes to recover. And I tried not to think about having to descend all those hills too. I liked the cobbles a lot better (and those made me think of Paris-Roubaix, of course). 

The museum is really lovely. It was once a hospital for very contagious diseases. Interestingly, the city museum also was once a hospital....

 And there are some great exhibits. Apparently his cousin had one here which closed the day I arrived, sadly. But this one was very cool, and looking at new technologies for the future. I think both of these are inventions coming from Mexico. Above, this robot cleans contaminated water supplies and in the process, creates plants using the clean water which in turn generate electricity with their respiration. Super-chévere, as they say in Ecuador. Below is the design of a car which really is all-terrain, including on railroad tracks. The videos are amazing.

We then had to return the bike. Well, not really, but the hours of no traffic were rapidly coming to a close, so that made the most sense. But before we brought his bike back, we needed food. It was now about 2:30 in the afternoon, and seafood was on the schedule. So we hit this amazing little place which was jammed with Sunday families. And my meal was big enough for two! Arroz mixto -- rice with mixed shellfish. So tasty. I hope he had a good meal the next day....

 On the way back to his place to return the bike, I took this image. This sculpture is in front of the Agriculture building. It so reminds me -- at least the black and rivets -- of an Alexander Calder, but I can find no evidence that he made it, or who the real artist is either.

 Then we stopped at Carolina Park. It's a monstrous park in the center of the city. (Honestly, Quito has more huge incredible parks than any place I've ever seen, and I just love this aspect of the city.) Here are acres and acres of open space for soccer games, family picnics, playing catch, .... 

 flying kites.....

riding bikes -- including a fabricated course with hills, ramps and places for tricks -- wandering,  etc. There is even a small river with paddle boats!!

 And this is the peace bell. There is a matching one in New York at the United Nations. It was created from currencies of the world, melted together after WWII.

Of course, you can just sit and watch people in the park, read a book, or take a nap too. What a glorious afternoon.

  

Needless to say, I wasn't feeling at all like dinner after I couldn't even finish half of my lunch. But I had promised to help with a translation of his abbreviated C.V., so that was next. By the time we'd finished that, it was almost 8 and time for me to return to the hotel and start to think about packing up. I was not nearly ready to return to Washington and work, but I was out of time. However, it had been a fabulous vacation, I'd seen many friends (and made new ones), and Juan Carlos provided a lovely day to help seal in that vacation feeling and carry me home. Mil gracias, mi amigo.