We had breakfast consisting of eggs and bread with coffee in the hotel restaurant and went out to explore the town. A stone angel looks over the town from the El Panecilla Hill in the south. El Panecillo (from Spanish panecillo small piece of bread, diminutive of pan bread) is a 200-metre-high hill of volcanic-origin, with loess soil, located between southern and central Quito. Its peak is at an elevation of 3,016 metres (9,895 ft) above sea level.
The original name used by the aboriginal inhabitants of Quito was Yavirac. According to Juan de Velasco, a Jesuit historian, there was a temple on top of Yavirac where the Indians worshiped the sun until it was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores. The street that leads up to El Panecillo is named after Melchor Aymerich.
In 1976, the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras was commissioned by the religious order of the Oblates to build a 45-meter-tall stone monument of a madonna which was assembled on a high pedestal on the top of Panecillo. Called "Virgin of El Panecillo", it is made of seven thousand pieces of aluminium (so not stone!). The monument was inaugurated on March 28, 1976, by the 11th archbishop of Quito, Pablo Muñoz Vega. The statue was engineered and erected by Anibal Lopez of Quito.
The virgin stands on top of a globe and is stepping on a snake, which is a classic madonna iconography. Less traditional are the wings. Locals claim that she is the only one in the world with wings like an angel.
Down below in the town we went to the Post Office to see if Jackie’s tyre had arrived. It hadn’t, but I bought some stamps. The police in the town centre were prepared for any trouble with light machine guns, plenty of CS gas grenades and a few armoured cars. The local indigenous Indians lugged huge loads about and sold fruit and clothing from the sidewalk.
Back at the hotel we changed rooms to one with a window and two nicer beds, for the same price of 600 Sucres. We then went to investigate the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús. Jesuit architects began work on the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in 1605. The church was finally completed 160 years later and is now considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Baroque architecture in South America.
Jackie attracted a lot of attention in his shorts, vest, flip-flops and arab-style headdress. He bought some wrap-around shades (sunglasses) to complete the look. I invested in a digital watch for 590 Sucres (660 = £1 Sterling).
We then met Oliver, a tipsy local with several missing front teeth and a forced braying laugh. He took us to a bar in a covered precinct and talked to us in bad English whilst trying to work a flanker on the bar bill. He ended up paying for half the beer, which was probably not his intention.
We left him and headed back to the hotel at 15:00 hrs. We stopped for a huge “churrasco” meal with steak, eggs, rice and vegetables for 400 Sucres. When served in Ecuador, churrasco is a grilled steak usually seasoned with garlic, oregano, cumin, and olive oil. It’s usually served with rice, a few slices of avocado, fries, fried plantains, and a fried egg. This is usually a large meal.
We passed through a square where they were setting up seats and instruments for some sort of show later on. Jackie took a photograph of a man in a trilby hat (typical indigenous Indian headgear) sitting by a heap of garbage at the bottom of a restaurant rubbish chute. A lady scavenged amongst the trash and the women at the pavement stalls opposite looked worried in case this strange looking gringo tried to take their photographs as well.
Jackie has had to explain to the locals that the traditional Scottish kilt is not a dress. Most of the market stalls sell nasty plastic things and nylon clothing with imitation Nike, Adidas or Puma logos.
We ran the last bit back to the hotel as the overcast heavens finally opened and thunder and lightning dramatically animated the sky. We lay in our bedroom as the rain poured down outside the window. I went on to write some postcards while Jackie went out for a walk and returned at 19:00 hrs. We then both went down to the restaurant for supper.
We chatted with the Spanish guy and were joined by a talkative Brazilian with Rasta-style hair and clothing. He jabbered away and showed us his wares, an array of jewellery made from natural products and his portfolio of designs for tattoos. He gave me a pendant made from a sliver of stone.
Later we chatted to the Swedish girls. Jackie told us of how they fumigated his bicycle at the Honduran border where he had to queue with the trucks and cars! We carried on chatting and drinking the weak pilsener beer (4% abv) until midnight.
As we went to bed rain poured down into the central courtyard filling the fountain pool there.
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