Month: April 2007

  • EL CEMENTERIO EN TULCÁN, PROVINCIA DE CARCHI
    The Cemetery in Tulcán in the province of Carchi

    Puesto en la provincia de Carchi, Tulcán es una de las entradas al norte del país, hacia Colombia a solo 6km. Tiene un mercado atractivo en los domingos.  La populación es solo 53,000 y el pueblo está a la elevación de 3000m de altura.  Las calles estan generalmente largos y estrechos, metidos entre casas de los residentes locales.

    La mayor atracción, desde 1936, para las turistas aquí, es el cementerio jardín ornamental con una variedad de formas creativas incluyendo ángeles, animales, y figuras geométricas.  Está localizado dos bloques del Parque Ayora y vale la pena visitarlo.  El creador, Sr. José Franco, quien está enterrado en el cementerio, dejó una oda intrigante de su cementerio artístico que dice, -En Tulcán, un cementerio tan bello que se invite a morir.-  Hoy, los cinco hijos del Sr. Franco continuen en su tradición familiar de jardinería ornamental y están haciendo un grán trabajo esculturando estas formas esquisitas. (traducido de la página web de lo mejor del ecuador)

    Set in the Province of Carchi, Tulcán is the entry point to the far
    north of the country into Colombia just 6km away along with an attractive market
    on Sundays. The population is just 53,000 and the town is set at an elevation of
    3000m above sea level. The streets are generally very long and narrow and
    crammed between the homes of local residents.

    The biggest attraction dating back to 1936 for the tourists here is
    the topiary garden cemetery featuring a wide variety of imaginative forms
    and shapes including angels, animals and geometrical figures and is located 2
    blocks from the Park, Parque Ayora and is well worth a visit. The deceased
    creator Sr. José Franco who is actually laid to rest in the cemetery left an
    intriguing written ode of his topiary cemetery which states “In Tulcán, a
    cemetery so beautiful that it invites one to die”. Today the five sons of Sr.
    Franco continue on with their topiary family tradition and are doing a grand job
    in sculpturing these exquisite forms. (credit 
    description directly from the best of ecuador web page)

  • SANGAY (17,150 ft.)  as seen from EL ALTAR (17,450 ft.)


    photo credit via link

    Sangay used to erupt every ten minutes, but after an earthquake in March of 1987, it’s activities
    have slowed to only twice an hour.


    Baron Von Humboldt heard how, in a remote past,
    El Altar collapsed to a
    size smaller than Chimborazo (the largest mountain in Ecuador). The outline of Altar’s slopes suggests that this
    really did happen. Its name in Quichua “Capacurcu” means “majestic mountain.”
     

  • PUESTA DEL SOL EN EL PÁRAMO
    Sunset on the Páramo