I’m thinking the best way to capture this day is through sharing highlights through the pictures I took on this, our first day in the capital of Ecuador.
From El Panecillo, we made our way to an adorable street where we toured a cacao factory. The collage above highlights our visit there, as well as a traditional toy shop, which was just a few steps away on the same street in Colonial Quito. We learned that 95 percent of the chocolate in Ecuador is exported and we even learned how chocolate is made in varying degrees of “dark.” Although we tasted 100% dark chocolate, I relied on the expertise of our tour guide, Andres, who informed me that 70% is his favorite. I stocked up on 70 percent chocolate bars for souvenirs, but my souvenier supply has dwindled (or as some might say, “burned a hole” in my backpack.) Sorry kids! I figured since I am in Ecuador, I could just buy some more!
After the chocolate factory and the toy shop, we toured a monastery for the Franciscan order, who were the first of the Spanish conquistadors to invade the city. 33 monks live in this monastery today, and there is also a baroque cathedral there, where we quietly observed an ongoing mass from the choir loft. Pretty cool!
Our last stop of the day was the former home of an Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín. His home houses a collection of his own work as well as other artists by whom he was inspired. At this site, we also visited La Capilla Del Hombre, (the Chapel of Man) which contained not only more of Guayasamín’s collection, but also presented his vision for giving a voice to the plight of the indigenous. We watched a fascinating documentary in which we learned that 70 million indigenous people in South America were killed. of the struggles the indigenous people in history have faced. This was a sobering yet impactful way to end our first day in Ecuador as the focus of our experience is on the indigenous people in the region.
We packed up the next day, and on the way to Otavalo, found ourselves on the literal equator! As you can imagine, this is quite a “touristy” spot. Of course, we weren’t the only group who wanted to experience what it is like having a foot in each hemisphere! Our amazing tour guide created an enriching experience for us, and using the exhibits set up in this location, he enlightened us on certain aspects of the indigenous culture (ancient burial ceremonies and indigenous rituals).
Here’s Greg and me – standing on the literal center of the world! Greg’s from Texas, and I’m from Arkansas. We are the only two teachers in our group who aren’t fluent Spanish speakers, a not-so-fun bond to have when in South America, but a bond none-the-less. Greg is a geography teacher and always knows “where” he is, so Spanish or no Spanish, he’s a good guy to have around.
Before GPS determined the exact latitude, a monument was built representing the location of the equator. We visited this spot as well and took a group photo (see below). I also joined my professor and our tour guide for corn and queso (it’s a thing). We topped it off with some helado (passion fruit-yum!) before boarding the bus for Otavalo. It’s truly amazing what you can do in a 15 minute stop at the equator.
Teaching the Andes 