9/28: Quito: An Inca Temple & the Virgin of Quito

After the 'heady' experience of just visiting not one but two places saying they were right on the equator, the latter with shrunken heads, we hopped on a bus to the end of the line so we could hike to the Museo Templo del Sol. It was evident that the elevation in this far northern part of Quito was much higher; we saw the clouds roll in and cover the hills on our longish hike and could feel the temperature drop by several degrees at least.

A few cars passed us but otherwise it was a solitary hike.

The site of Templo del Sol was a combination of a museum, a recreation of an Inca temple with pre-Columbian stone relics and carvings and also a studio for a famous indigenous artist who had rebuilt the original temple. The dark gray stone seemed to match perfectly the dreary sky.

Since this was the number one attraction for all of Quito on Trip Advisor, we were surprised that there were no cars in the parking lot and absolutely no signs of any activity as we approached the entrance.

So we just wandered around at what seemed like a huge sculpture garden with no clue as to what we were seeing.

Once inside, we were quite content to wonder as it was much warmer there than outside. A maze of corridors surrounded the central space containing the Archaeology Room. We spent at least ten minutes walking around before someone saw us and asked for the admission fee!

It would have been interesting to know what we were seeing on the walls that surrounded the central room.

Even though there were no signs, it was clear from the symbols the first floor was all about the sun. 

This was the Relaxation Room, another word for shop!

I read when there are more people a short tour is offered. However, we didn't warrant that! It would have been interesting to hear the guide discuss the various holistic and metaphysical approaches used by the indigenous peoples. The sign indicated these were aromatherapies.

I was so surprised seeing such a huge selection of brightly colored dream catchers in the shop. I don’t know whether dream catchers were an item used for centuries or were a more recent practice. I wondered if the dream catchers so commonly seen in the American Southwest had any connection to those we’d seen so far in several places a world away in South America.

It was only when we happened to notice and walk up the stairs that we discovered an art gallery devoted to the work of  Cristobal Maita Ortega.

Hidden away on an upper floor were some of Ortega's paintings for sale but there was no one selling or buying anything that day!

The sign above the locked door indicated this was the Healing Room. I suspected it was for prayer and meditation but that may well be wrong.

I wonder how often the sun shone in the artist’s studio as, even in our short time in Quito, we'd already seen so much fog and mist covering the mountains.

From the gallery’s roof, we could see we were in another fog bank.

Quito far to the south of us:

We just couldn't wait to go out and hike more in that. Not!

The fog lifted for a few minutes while we explored another amazing sculpture garden that we had glimpsed from the roof. 

Steven looked like the king of all he surveyed from on high!

I am writing this post from the Galapagos where we have a very poor internet connection so I have been unable to read anything about Templo del Sol or the artist and whether Ortega is alive or dead. Being someone who loves facts and figures, it's hard trying to write in a void of information. It was just as challenging visiting the number one tourist attraction in Quito and especially wonder why it merited that distinction.

About another quarter mile up the road was the viewpoint at Pululahua Reserve and one of only two inhabited calderas in the world, Pululahua Crater. Yes, you read that correctly; about 40 families live inside a volcanic crater. They are mainly farmers who grow corn and quinoa and raise cattle in the volcano that was last active over 2000 years ago.

Land near the Pululahua Crater was declared a botanical reserve by the Ecuadorian government back in the 1970s in part to protect the wide variety of species that live on the mountain slopes in the bosque nublado or cloud forest. Mammals like squirrels (rare in South America), rabbits, and foxes and birds make this their home. The crater is often filled with clouds that provide the moisture that create the cloud forests that survive on the steep mountain slopes.

It was too foggy to see a thing and too dangerous to contemplate hiking 90 minutes to the bottom in those conditions. Plus, it was awfully chilly there, too, and we weren’t dressed for the change in weather.

Instead, we retraced our steps and walked down to the bus stop a mile or so away, reaching it about 3:30. 

Because it was the last stop, a slew of buses awaited us. We asked one of the drivers if one was going to El Panecillo, a statue of the Virgin of Quito, located at the last stop in the opposite direction. He pointed to one and it left immediately. We couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly lucky we were lately with timing of buses leaving virtually immediately after we hopped on. May our luck continue!

After a 90 minute bus ride, we finally got there! It felt like we'd spent a good chunk of our day in buses. Oh right, we did - going from the historic center all the way to Mitad del Mundo, then a bus to the last stop and then turn around after hiking to Templo del Sol to head all the way south again! But the views through the various neighborhoods of Quito were interesting.

El Panecillo is the name of a defining hill for old Quito which the Spanish called a bread bun because of its shape. The ancient hill, called Yavirac by the Incas, and before that was the site for the worship of the sun. Construction of the 135-foot tall statue of the Virgin of Quito atop the hill lasted from 1955 until 1975.

We were so relieved that the statue was still open when we arrived that, rather than taking any pictures first of the exterior, we immediately began climbing to the top. I think we were both glad that there were exhibits on each level so we could take breaks from the ascent. Mary Pat: Whenever we see one of these 'Keep Calm and ...' sayings, I think of you because you were the first one to mention it to me.I have seen so many variations of the original since then so you know I think of you often! 

The reason for the existence of the statue was that the founder of the Missionary Oblates Congregation wrote a decree in the early 1890s that a monument of the Virgin Mary be erected on the mountain to remember the consecration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Ecuador. Elegant stained glass windows adorned the base of the monument which surpassed the height of the Cristo sculpture in Rio, another stop coming up on our itinerary.

The statue of the Virgin Mary was seen as a sign of good conquering evil as symbolized by the chained dragon. The statue was topped by a crown of stars as the Virgin Mary was spoken of in Chapter 12 in the Book of Revelations as being the queen and mother of all creation.

The statue was positioned so that she was looking at Quito and her right hand was blessing the city.

The best time to have come for better panoramic views of the sprawling city would have been first thing this morning before the clouds rolled in. But obviously, we could only be in one place at once early in the day when it was sunny!

I am not much of one for heights so walking out to the ledge 135 feet in the air with almost no railing to speak of wasn't my idea of fun but life is all about overcoming challenges.

Quito, at an altitude of 9,350 feet, sat high in the Andean foothills; in the distance was the famous Cotopaxi Vulcan mountain.

Almost dead center was the Basilica where we had started our day.

Being able to admire the amazing statue of the Virgin Mary from just a few feet away was definitely worth the very long bus ride.

Quiteños proudly claim she's the only Madonna in the world depicted with wings.

The fierce-looking dragon I mentioned above wrapped around much of the statue.

I was quite relieved to go back inside after a few minutes taking photos!

The base showing the stained-glass windows:

I know it's not much but this was the best 'perspective shot' I could manage of the Virgen de Quito as we were right on top of it. I was so glad I had taken photos of the iconic, aluminium statue from a distance a few days ago as it is instantly recognizable as 'Quito.'

If I were even more of a believer, I would have wondered what the rainbow signified as we left El Panecillo.

Another magical church in Quito on the Avenue of Seven Crosses:

Next post: Ecuador's most famous painter.

Posted on October 12th, 2017, from Isla Isabella, Galapagos, Ecuador.