9 Oct 2009
Capilla del Hombre
Oswaldo Guayasamin is Ecuador’s most famous artist. He was from an ordinary market family, but spent his time drawing. One of the Rockefellers bought a work in the market ,this was not a disadvantage. He spent a lot of his life outside Ecuador, much in Cuba. There are many photos of him and Fidel.
Much of his work is about the suffering of the poor of S America, particularly the indigenous peoples. The best known and most published works feature faces and hands . The faces are frequently distorted with pleading, exaggerated but haunting eyes and begging boney hands. Many also show a great tenderness despite the poverty. Every tourist shop and stall has copies of his best known works many of which are in the Capilla.
He designed and built the Capilla in the grounds of his house in Bellavista in northern Quito overlooking the city and with views over to Volcan Pichincha. He also has umpteen paintings of the volcano which dominates Quito. La Capilla is about 50x50mt on two floors, with central dome.The entrance hall is dominated by his painting , in eight panels ,of The Mutilated—in remembrance of the Spanish Civil War. Another wall is devoted to his famous drawings of the poor. Downstairs there are two sculptures paying homage to the Inca traditions and another major oeuvre the “condor and the bull”. One quote on the wall is “ No llore porque no tenÍa zapatos hasta que vi un niño que no tenÍa pie” (Hope I have my Spanish correct) Don’t cry because you hadn’t shoes when you see a child who had no feet
It was well worth the visit ,if only to see the drawings of the downtrodden—powerful,moving (Mind you the people there were well heeled!)
Capilla del Hombre
Oswaldo Guayasamin is Ecuador’s most famous artist. He was from an ordinary market family, but spent his time drawing. One of the Rockefellers bought a work in the market ,this was not a disadvantage. He spent a lot of his life outside Ecuador, much in Cuba. There are many photos of him and Fidel.
Much of his work is about the suffering of the poor of S America, particularly the indigenous peoples. The best known and most published works feature faces and hands . The faces are frequently distorted with pleading, exaggerated but haunting eyes and begging boney hands. Many also show a great tenderness despite the poverty. Every tourist shop and stall has copies of his best known works many of which are in the Capilla.
He designed and built the Capilla in the grounds of his house in Bellavista in northern Quito overlooking the city and with views over to Volcan Pichincha. He also has umpteen paintings of the volcano which dominates Quito. La Capilla is about 50x50mt on two floors, with central dome.The entrance hall is dominated by his painting , in eight panels ,of The Mutilated—in remembrance of the Spanish Civil War. Another wall is devoted to his famous drawings of the poor. Downstairs there are two sculptures paying homage to the Inca traditions and another major oeuvre the “condor and the bull”. One quote on the wall is “ No llore porque no tenÍa zapatos hasta que vi un niño que no tenÍa pie” (Hope I have my Spanish correct) Don’t cry because you hadn’t shoes when you see a child who had no feet
It was well worth the visit ,if only to see the drawings of the downtrodden—powerful,moving (Mind you the people there were well heeled!)
See
10 Oct 09
Otavalo Market
As the condor flies Otavalo is about 75 miles from Quito. I left my house at 10.00 and arrived by bus at 14.00. Barrio Villaflora to La Marin bus station, metrobus to La Ofelia bus station in the north of the city , bus to Carcelen Alto interprovincial bus station still in northern Quito then two hour bus journey to Otavalo (having paid my $0.25 bus station tax and fare of $2.00).
Journey is through the mountains with farming land in the valleys. On the way you can see several snow-clad volcanoes. In Otavalo you arrive at the normal chaotic bus station . Walk about 10 mins into the city centre, but hey! The footpaths are not all broken, they are tiled and relatively smooth, unlike Quito. You come to a street, with street furniture, benches, decorated lampposts and they are not vandalized and full of graffiti—what’s going on?
Then you come to the market. The area is probably about the size of St Stephen’s green . All the streets leading to the central market are also full of stalls. There is no traffic, no buses belching black fumes, no camionets honking, no music blaring from every second stall, on the approach streets all the stalls are numbered and constructed in a standard, regulated manner---- This can’t be Ecuador.
The stallholders, mostly women , 90% of whom are in traditional costume, from the youngest to the oldest. See photographs. Many of the men are in part of their costume—beige felt hat, blue poncho, mid calf white pants and sandals. Few have the poncho, but you do see it. Available in the stalls are; woven tapestries showing stylized Andean scenes, ponchos, knitwear of every kind, traditional costume particularly for the ladies, musical instruments many flutes and pipes of pan, one zillion copies of Guayasamin pictures, and another school of naive native art plus the cottage by the stream school, and also some very different original art. Then there are knick-knacks, belts, woven bags, woolly alpaca toys. There are one or two stalls with different, original clothing.
When you have had your fill of the craft market there is the food market with fruit & veg known and unknown and the butchers’ shops with the meat hanging outside . There is an amazing variety of grains, milled and unmilled—maize comes in so many shapes, sizes and colours and the great thing about it is that you can have maize in some form at every meal, provided of course that you have rice and potatoes on the same plate! I missed the animal market ,but just got the tail end where there were several cages of pups for sale . They looked to be a couple of weeks old at most.
Compared to Quito I felt safe in Otavalo, I still had all the vitals tightly secured. And they all went home tired but happy.
Otavalo Market
As the condor flies Otavalo is about 75 miles from Quito. I left my house at 10.00 and arrived by bus at 14.00. Barrio Villaflora to La Marin bus station, metrobus to La Ofelia bus station in the north of the city , bus to Carcelen Alto interprovincial bus station still in northern Quito then two hour bus journey to Otavalo (having paid my $0.25 bus station tax and fare of $2.00).
Journey is through the mountains with farming land in the valleys. On the way you can see several snow-clad volcanoes. In Otavalo you arrive at the normal chaotic bus station . Walk about 10 mins into the city centre, but hey! The footpaths are not all broken, they are tiled and relatively smooth, unlike Quito. You come to a street, with street furniture, benches, decorated lampposts and they are not vandalized and full of graffiti—what’s going on?
Then you come to the market. The area is probably about the size of St Stephen’s green . All the streets leading to the central market are also full of stalls. There is no traffic, no buses belching black fumes, no camionets honking, no music blaring from every second stall, on the approach streets all the stalls are numbered and constructed in a standard, regulated manner---- This can’t be Ecuador.
The stallholders, mostly women , 90% of whom are in traditional costume, from the youngest to the oldest. See photographs. Many of the men are in part of their costume—beige felt hat, blue poncho, mid calf white pants and sandals. Few have the poncho, but you do see it. Available in the stalls are; woven tapestries showing stylized Andean scenes, ponchos, knitwear of every kind, traditional costume particularly for the ladies, musical instruments many flutes and pipes of pan, one zillion copies of Guayasamin pictures, and another school of naive native art plus the cottage by the stream school, and also some very different original art. Then there are knick-knacks, belts, woven bags, woolly alpaca toys. There are one or two stalls with different, original clothing.
When you have had your fill of the craft market there is the food market with fruit & veg known and unknown and the butchers’ shops with the meat hanging outside . There is an amazing variety of grains, milled and unmilled—maize comes in so many shapes, sizes and colours and the great thing about it is that you can have maize in some form at every meal, provided of course that you have rice and potatoes on the same plate! I missed the animal market ,but just got the tail end where there were several cages of pups for sale . They looked to be a couple of weeks old at most.
Compared to Quito I felt safe in Otavalo, I still had all the vitals tightly secured. And they all went home tired but happy.
11 Oct09
Mitad del Mundo.
Ecuador gets its name from the ………….. yes you guessed it.
In 1736 Charles-Marie de La Condamine made his measurements here showing where the equatorial line was. His measurements also gave rise to the metric system. (Thank you Lonely Planet). What’s there—a dirty great monument –a line in the ground –several scientific exhibits- a lot of tourist shops,( a bit like Bunratty on the equator) –a cold wind coming down from a nearby volcano—dust in the air from the nearby quarries. There is however a great display of folkloric dance and some lovely Ecuadorian music.
Worth the visit? Just about, but takes a lot of work to get there from southern Quito, the accident on the motorway didn’t help. When the carriageway going north was blocked all traffic proceeded to the wrong side preventing anything from moving in any direction, and people got out of every car and bus to see the blood
Mitad del Mundo.
Ecuador gets its name from the ………….. yes you guessed it.
In 1736 Charles-Marie de La Condamine made his measurements here showing where the equatorial line was. His measurements also gave rise to the metric system. (Thank you Lonely Planet). What’s there—a dirty great monument –a line in the ground –several scientific exhibits- a lot of tourist shops,( a bit like Bunratty on the equator) –a cold wind coming down from a nearby volcano—dust in the air from the nearby quarries. There is however a great display of folkloric dance and some lovely Ecuadorian music.
Worth the visit? Just about, but takes a lot of work to get there from southern Quito, the accident on the motorway didn’t help. When the carriageway going north was blocked all traffic proceeded to the wrong side preventing anything from moving in any direction, and people got out of every car and bus to see the blood
Hi Joe
ReplyDeleteSo enjoyed reading your blogs and the brilliant photos bring it all to life.
Now I think it's not long before you will be sharing it with Clare
Looking forward to hearing more on your return and again thank you for sharing all this.
Charlotte