mini break

  I've been away for a few days to Quito. I travelled up on Thursday morning with Jill (she's now in the UK for 6  weeks), a right performance too including botched up time-tables, potential wrong bus stations and a delay due to an over turned lorry...however..we did finally arrive ok. Spent what little time we had left visiting the artisan market (yes I did pick up a few souvenirs!) We also visited "The Church of the Society of Jesus"-oh boy! Built by the Jesuits and then covered in gold!!!! 23carat gold. It is stunning and quite unbelievable.









 Downstairs they had a revolting funeral bier thing with a dead Jesus on which was ghastly and quite put me off my lunch but apart from that it was amazing! 


I stayed Thursday night in a hostel (on "Queen Victoria" street!) and then Friday morning met up with Amy, the new Missionary girl.

      
     We decided to be thoroughly touristy and did "La casa Cultural" with our cenco (visa/pass thing) we got in really cheap at about 35p!It had old and modern Equatorian art, ancient musical instrument all made out of bones, beaks and wood and traditional native costumes. All different but good!  In the evening it was our leaving party for another missionary and then I stayed over with friends. Was meant to return on Saturday but extended my mini hols :) 


      Saturday I went out with the "girls" Claire&Amy and we went back into Quito centre and we did the house and "Chapel of Man" of HUGELY FAMOUS local painter called Guayasamin. Very Piccasso like so not usually my style but there were some amazing pics. He did paint about the Inca, Maya, Aztec tribes and about the oppression of indigenous people who were oppressed so fairly miserable at times but good.

"Tears of Blood"

70 million world-wide oppressed natives were slaughtered in last 150 years is a staggering figure.

Afterwards we relaxed, had ice cream, lunch and then went out for coffee. On our return to the suburbs I visited Bill and Ceci (my Quito family) which was nice. In the night time Claire and I watched a couple of films and had some wine which caused a minor scandal!!!!!

  This morning we visited a small church half way up a mountain attended by the mountain people (surprisingly enough!) Service was long and have to admit to nearly dozing off. Their offer of lunch was kind but roasted pig skin doesn't really do it for me, especially when after my first bite I could see the hair still attached! This afternoon I came back on the bus alone and here I am!!