Our trip began in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. Formally known as San Francisco de Quito, the city has a population of 2.8 million and is located in a valley of an active stratovolcano. We stayed in the Historic District, one of the largest and best preserved in the Americas and declared one of the first World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Quito is the capital city closest to the equator of all the capital cities.
Colorful barrio
Virgin of El Panecillo, or the Virgin of Quito
Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (Church of the Society or Jesus)
Historical Central Bank
Plaza Grande
Dinner at Hasta la Vuelta, Señor.
San Francisco Catholic Church
Plaza de San Francisco
There was amazing street art everywhere we went.
We planned our trip so we could arrive in time for Easter as our research told us about a holiday parade that was a "must-see"...we had no idea!
About 90% of Ecuador's population is Catholic; here, it's called Semana Santa (Holy Week), not Easter. The parade is actually a procession called Jesús del Gran Poder (Jesus the Almighty). It represents devotion and passion, a sense of tradition and duty, color and feasting. We didn't have any official count but it's estimated that around 250K people lined the parade route and there are approximately 3K cucuruchos and veronicas.
During Holy Week in Ecuador, a visitor may be forgiven for thinking the city streets are filled with purple-robed Klu Klux Klan. Far from such sinister motives, men who represent sinners and martyrs, known as “cucuruchos” (which means “cone”), don dark purple robes with cone hoods covering their faces. They march in the Procession of the Penitents through Quito’s ecclesiastical historic district—often barefoot, tied to thick chains, and carrying heavy crosses—as a form of redemption for their sins. Women dressed in purple robes, their faces covered with veils represent the “Veronicas.” They pay homage to the woman who wiped Jesus’ face with her veil.
To say "this is something I've never seen before" would be a gross understatement!
Another highlight in Quito was a visit to the Basílica del Voto Nacional, it is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas and, although construction began in 1887, it remains technically "unfinished". Local legend says that when the Basilica is completed, the world will come to an end 😳.
The stain glass work was amazing.
Talk about a grand entrance!
Clock tower from the outside...
...clock tower from the inside
The Pope Mobile
Just North of Quito lies the Cuidad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City), a site dedicated to the first geodesic mission to measure the size and shape of the world. A 98 ft. tall monument stands to mark the exact location of the equator. The mission took place in 1736 and modern GPS data has proven the original measurements were incorrect by 790ft.
