Friday, May 31st, 2013
So as I was saying that once you talk to people, they often
treat you like a good friend or family, Edisón took us on a mini excursion
through Quito to show us around without all the tourist BS (which would have
been nice Thursday…haha). First we went to Itchimbí park, which sits on a nice
hill overlooking all of Quito. In addition to being a great view, you can catch
up on your fresh air and nature. It’s not necessarily very big, but is home to
some nice jogging paths and an expo hall that sits in front of a big lawn where
there are concerts and festivals. We stopped at un mirador to get a better peek of the city, which seems to extend
infinitely into the valley surrounded by volcanoes.
From here we went to other notable places around town,
primarily a lot of cathedrals, which are all so beautiful inside. I’m not
religious at all, but I can’t help but stand in awe of not just the
architecture but the decoration inside. It’s just so intricate that you could
stare at it forever and not see every detail. The only thing is, it still
really bothers me that not only did they force the native inhabitants to be
their construction slaves, but they didn’t even let them attend the mass in
this beautiful building they constructed unless they stayed outside on the
steps. This is why it’s always baffling to me to understand why Catholicism has
such a huge following in “Latin America” because not only did it enact a
literal and cultural genocide in favor of European, Christian norms and people,
but also it justified this in the name of God, which seems to contradict the
whole idea of what Christianity was based on. God loves you—unless you’re
brown. This isn’t to say that if you’re Catholic that you are in support of
this, but it seems like the most extreme instance of the Stockholm Syndrome to
date…
Ok, now that I’ve probably thoroughly upset some people,
back to the city tour…
We were stopped in La
plaza de San Francisco and decided we couldn’t wait any longer for a bite
to eat. It was a really touristy area, so we probably could have walked 5
blocks and gotten something just as authentic for half the price (and
seriously, you need to share plates here because they are huge). I ordered a
salad because despite how delicious locro
(cheesy potato soup) and empanadas
are, I’m sure they eventually will start to take a toll on my waistline which
already suffered the consequences of a stressful semester. Not to mention my
diet the entire month of May was mostly comprised of cheese anyways…But
speaking of cheese, it came with Edisón’s hot chocolate. At first thinking it
was perhaps the greatest, richest snack combo ever invented, I realized that it
was about to get richer as he dunked the cheese cubes into the chocolate and
slurped it all up in his spoon. OMG. It’s like an Argentine submarino on crack. YUM. I didn’t try
any, but I’m putting it on my snack radar. Meanwhile I sipped on my mate de coca, which I think is even
earthier than la yerba mate. Really,
it’s like dirtleaf tea. And I mean that in the most loving way possible,
because its effects and supporting culture are magical.
As if lunch wasn’t great enough, we went to La Ronda, the classic colonial style
street in Quito which was restored and
preserved. The houses in this area have a cute little open area plaza in the
middle, surrounded by the rest of the house. I think I need a house like
this…But more than architecture, we were there to study another Ecuadorian
classic: el canelazo. While I’m still
not sure of what the alcohol inside is, I do know that it’s ridiculously
strong. Mixed with hot naranjilla
juice (think oranges, but a little bit more tart) and cinnamon, it warms the
body in more ways than one. Being a baby when it comes to alcohol, I was a bit
nervous and didn’t want to make that “ewww gross!” face that seizes up every
time I even smell vodka. But in all honesty, I think canelazo is delicious. It slides down your throat, warming as it
goes y te pones muy hhhappy, as
Edisón said. While some others in the group were having a few doubts about it,
I was sipping mine down pretty fast—but I had to keep in mind the high alcohol
content. I can see how that would get pretty dangerous…But for now, I’ll just
be hhhhappy.
With floating heads and warm hearts, we had to bid Edisón
farewell. Who knows if I’ll ever get to see him again…I wish him the best in
his plight to get to Portugal and am so glad to have met such a kind, funny quiteño. ¡Siempre estás bienvenido a los EEUU!
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