July 18, 2007

July 3, 2007

  • Dentro de dos semanas estaré volando a mi país de corazón, y proximadamente, escribiré mi blog desde allá.  Por cinco semanas estaré visitando mis amigos, mi família, mis montañas, y la belleza increible de mi Ecuador. 

    ¡Hasta entonces!


    Within two weeks I will be flying to the home of my heart, and after that, I will be writing my blog from there.  For five weeks, I will be visiting my friends, my family, my mountains, and the incredible beauty of my Ecuador. 

    Until then!!

       

June 23, 2007

May 24, 2007

May 11, 2007

  • IGLESIA LA MERCED – Quito
    La Merced Church in Quito


    photo credit via link

    La iglesia de La Merced data del siglo XVI. Sin embargo, la estructura
    original tuvo que ser modificada y reconstruida en el siglo XVIII, ya que los
    terremotos habían causado graves daños en la edificación del templo.

    En
    La Merced, el arte se ve plasmado en los cuadros de tela al óleo del artista
    Víctor Mideros, quien resalta en ellos temas de carácter religioso. Un reloj
    inglés de luna negra, hecho en 1817 e instalado en 1820, se encuentra ubicado en
    la torre de la iglesia. Una de las infraestructuras que no ha modificado su
    fisonomía original es el claustro de La Merced, ya que conserva el
    enladrillado.

    Esta ubicada entre las calles Cuenca,Mejía, Imbabura y Chile. Se encuentra
    abierta de lunes a viernes de 6:30 a 11:30 horas y de 15:00 a 18:30 horas, los
    sábados de 9:00 a 11:00 horas y el domingo de 6:00 a 13:00 horas.     [crédito de texto: Quito.gov.ec]


    The Church of La Merced, dates back to the sixteenth century.  Still, the original structure had to be modified and reconstructed in the eighteenth centruy, since earthquakes had caused grave damanges to the temple structure.

    In La Merced, art is seen captured on the fabric squares -oil paintings by the artist Victor Mideros, who projects in them themes religious in character.  An English clock with a black face, made in 1817 and installed in 1820, can be found in the church tower.  On of the infrastructures that has not been modified from it’s original physiognomy ys the cloister of La Merced, as the brick flooring is preserved.

    It is located between the streets Cuenca, Mejía, Imbabura and Chile.  It is open Monday through Friday from 6:30am-1:30pm and 3:00pm-6:30pm, on Saturdays from 9-11am., and Sunday from 6:00 am to 1:00 pm. [loosely translated from text taken from      Quito.gov.ec]

April 23, 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)

April 14, 2007

  • 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.”
     

April 7, 2007

March 25, 2007

  • Río Nangaritza y cascada cerca de Nangaritza
    Nangaritza River and Waterfall near Nangaritza


    photo credit via link

    Nangaritza está localizado en la provincia de Zamora-Chinchipe.
    Nangaritza is located in the province of Zamora-Chinchipe.

March 17, 2007