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Quito City TourDay 4 - 28th July 2013 |
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Cityscapes, Gargoyles & Dodgy Ice Creams?
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We had met three of our travelling companions at the airport (Alja, Carolyn & David) and this morning we met Fabian our tour leader and the
remainder of our merry band (Angela, David, Heather, Karim, Philippa
and Rowena) at the hotel and then headed off for a tour of Quito
Miche at a viewpoint in Guápulo looking out to the Eastern Andes...
Miche at a viewpoint in Guápulo looking out to the Eastern Andes...
Looking up at the statue of the Madonna on El Panecillo overlooking the city...
View across Quito and its flanking mountains from Itchimbía Park...
We did see a real Hummingbird at Guápulo, but this giant made from recycled bottles was the last one that we saw on the trip - however other treats awaited.
Looking down from Itchimbía towards the Basílica del Voto Nacional...
Looking down from Itchimbía towards the Basílica del Voto Nacional...
Basílica del Voto Nacional...
I liked the heart shaped window...
Amongst other creatures, Galapagos tortoise gargoyles adorned the roof-line...
Particularly flamboyant Marine Iguana gargoyles...
According
to Fabian, this lady was selling diarrhea, so as tempting as the ice
creams looked, we gave them a miss. Miche was devastated, she loves
street food...
A very
ornate table setting in a restaurant that we sidled into to use their
facilities under the guise of admiring the architecture - which was
impressive...
Miche in the same restaurant...
Approaching the Plaza de la Independencia - the flag is flying above the President's Palace...
Looking across to the Presidential Palace - Palacio de Carondelet...
Independence Monument - the wounded lion represents Spain - it's made by the French, they do quite like stirring things up by placing grand statues in other countries...
Chocolate box style guards outside the Presidential Palace...
Miche
overlooking the plaza. There was some great music being played by a
band to left of Miche, but the warnings of stragglers being picked off
by thieves in crowded areas, meant that we advanced through
the square in a Roman legion style tortoise and there wasn't the
opportunity to buy a CD (I exaggerate of course). I did take a video of
it, but Soundhound & Shazam have let me down! Anyway it was a beautiful, vibrant
plaza...
Miche and a stranger in a backstreet...
Police outside a place called 'The Happy Mondays cafe', who'd have thought it...
Casa del Alabado Museum
The museum specialises in pre-Columbian art (up to the 1500's).
A group of ten warriors - from the front...
The museum specialises in pre-Columbian art (up to the 1500's).
A group of ten warriors - from the front...
From
the side it looks like they're wearing back-to-front baseball caps and
the scene takes on a more urban feel (I know, I know, I'm a
philistine!)...
A larger, rather resplendent and fierce looking figure...
Many others though were less bellicose and portrayed family scenes and in particular topics such as childbirth and fertility...