Bucket List Checkmark

Our Tuesday morning began at Galeria Latina, mostly for some shopping opportunities.  The had a wide variety of handicrafts from scarves, to jewelry, to paintings, and pottery.  The artists were not solely Ecuadorian, but also from other "Latin America" countries.  As many of you may recall, I rarely buy souvenirs.  Although the items were beautiful, I talked myself out of buying anything, much to the chagrin of many of the husbands on the tour.

From there we were off to Old Town Quito which was given UNESCO Status in 1978. We again visited the Basílica del Voto Nacional (The Basilica of the National Vow), with its lovely Gothic style architecture. On this occasion we were able to enter the church (the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas). and view the interior and the courtyard outside as well. 

It was built as a monument to honor Ecuador's consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and was inspired by European cathedrals. All of the stone, over 7,000 tons, was locally sourced which is why there is a bit of a pink cast to much of the exterior. The church represented "Ecuador’s commitment to peace and spiritual protection in the late 19th century. As a monument of national faith, the basilica embodies the spirit of devotion and unity among Ecuadorians, highlighting the country’s deep-rooted connection to Catholicism." (source) In a distinct blending of styles, the church does not have typical European gargoyles, but figures shaped like animals native to Ecuador, such as iguanas, Andean condors, and Galápagos tortoises.

Although the idea to build the church originated in 188,3 and it was designated a Basilica in December 1985, by Pope John Paul II, it remains unfinished. As such, a legend now says that the world will end if the basilica is ever completed. 

Note the large heart-shaped window
above the 2 middle doors

Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

From the basilica we meandered around the Plaza Grande (officially the Plaza de la Independencia).  The main feature is their large monument to the Independence Heroes of August 1809, at the center of the square.  Topped with a statue of Liberty, in the middle a condor with open wings (the national bird of Ecuador), and at the base, a lion, representing Spain.

The First Cry for Freedom: A Story of Ecuadorian Independence

The plaza is flanked by many historical buildings, one of which is the Presidential Palace (Palacio de Carondelet), and we noticed a lot of security guards around who had not been present the night before. Antonio told us he believed the Secretary of State was having some meetings there that day, and we did see some people escorted out of the building into waiting cars. 

Next stop: Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. The entire façade is carved volcanic stone (Ecuadorian andesite) in a stunning Quitoan-Colonial Baroque style. Jesuit architects began work in 1605 and didn't finish until 160 years later, but the effort was well worth the wait. "Today the church is widely regarded as the finest church in Quito and one of the most ornate religious buildings in Ecuador...The predominant architectural style is Baroque, and the church has no shortage of the exuberance, fine detail, and grandeur associated with that particular style." (source)  The original blueprints for construction came from Europe and were a copy of a Jesuit church near St. Peters in Rome.  

The interior is gilded in gold, and is unlike any other church I've ever seen. Over time this church has also been nicknamed the "Temple of Solomon of South America" because of all that gilding. Many years of restoration have happened since an earthquake (in the rainforest) in 1987 caused a large crack in the wall.  They began reinforcing all of the church's walls and in 1995 began refurbishing the interior, which took another 12 years.  The restoration cost millions of dollars and used about 52 kilos (115 pounds) of Ecuadorian gold in their process of refreshing the myriad of gold leaf the church contains.

A lovely lunch at Patio Andeluz was enjoyed by our group and we were treated to traditional espumilla for dessert.  It's a type of meringue and is a popular street food here in Ecuador, often seen served on an ice cream cone. 

Soon we were back on the bus to head to the Middle of the World. Mitad Del Mundo is a city marking 0° latitude in Ecuador and commemorates the 18th century Franco-Spanish Geodesic Mission which fixed its approximate location. The location of the equator here is the reason for the country's name (the entire country used to be called Quito).  Construction on the current monument to the equator began in 1979 and replaced a smaller version built in the 1930's.  Antonio did an excellent explanation of which "equator line" is correct.  And, if you were like me and didn't even know there was controversy...well, there is discrepancy (the Wikipedia page covers it here).  As Antonio pointed out, to the credit of the gentlemen on the first expedition, people in 1736 weren't even certain if the world was round or flat!  Plus, it took them 6 years to calculate the information of where the equatorial line and center point were located, and now we know they were off by only 240 metres (790 ft). Impressive!  Also, for anyone curious what direction water spins down the drain at the equator...wrong location for that question.  Plus, the force of the Coriolis effect isn't as strong at the equator as it at the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and overall, a drain is too small of a scale of motion to be affected by such a large-scale force.  The best way to see the difference is in the way tornadoes or hurricanes spin in nature at the various hemispheres.  That's all the science lessons I'll give today.

Standing in both hemispheres

Once upon a time, I created a bucket list.  Honestly, it was just a list of a bunch of places I wanted to visit or things I wanted to do in those places...but it was REALLY long.  Nearly every country in the world is a place I want to go!  Now, lest you think I consult this list when I'm trip planning, let me be clear, I do not consult this list.  In fact, I had forgotten about it, for the most part, when the whole world is on the list, the list becomes inconsequential.  But, I happened to check the short version a few weeks ago and one of the activities on my list was completed on this adventure: standing on the equator!

After a wonderful "Farewell Dinner" at our hotel we said good-bye and went our separate ways.  Well, sort of, there were about 15 or 16 of us on the same flight out of Quito in the morning, so we knew many of us would see each other again, bright and early!

Full Map of My Tour