Picture is in the Words

* This entry from 5/11 *

The first step is generally the most daunting, partly because it requires accepting the likelihood of getting lost. Recently, it was reported that a mob of angry residents lynched two suspected theives and then set a police station on fire. With Quito's reputation for theft, I'm slightly nervous. A stroll past the salsa school takes me into the unexplored blocks - past parks, DVD stores that sell bootleg videos, past peanut vendors and farmacias. At the local trole, I hop on. The city center also referred to as "Old Town" is a few kilometers from the Mariscal Sucre or "New Town" hood.

Old Town --









* this entry from 5/17*
the real picture is in the words, Basilica, Quito

Constructed in the late 1800's, the Basilica de Voto Nacional lies in Quito’s Historic Center, standing some 115 meters above the ground with neo-gothic columns, feathered gargoyles, and embroidered towers that poke through clouds.

A stroll past stained glass and curved arches, past light decorated rooms and lonely chairs, up coiled ladders, into pyramid attics, and onto high ledges with views of the city above and below...

The graffitied walls act like a tour guide; trails of messages read like a run-on sentence, leading to the next room, up stairs and across walls. Albeit being something of a garden for photos, the real picture is in the words; the theme consistent.






























...at the moment, Crossroads Hostel, Quito
music, music, music. Enjoying music and a cup of cafe con leche. Now off to buy a bus ticket to Columbia.