Quito

When we returned to Quito after the island trip, we took a tour of some notable Quito churches. The guide pointed out that religion and politics in Ecuador are intertwined and that was evident at the Grand Plaza. The Presidential Palace and the Municipal Building are sided by the Bishop's residence and across from that the representative of the Vatican.

One church, La Compania, was started by the Jesuits in the mid 1600's and took 160 years to build. It has been hit by a couple of earthquakes and recently a fire but it is under repair. Apparently, the Spanish (guilty conscience?) are paying for the repairs. The inside of the church shines with 7 tons of gold leaf. All the poverty and 7 tons of gold?

La Basilica was started by an Ecuadorian president. Although it is in the Gothic style, the architect did not use traditional gargoyles. Instead, the different regions of Ecuador are represented (iguanas, condors, armadillos, boobies) which made it really quite nice.

The other was the Church of the Convent of St Francis. There are only 7 resident priests living in the huge place now. There is a lovely collection of art and the statues used in the Easter parade are openly displayed. As well, the original statue of the winged Madonna (I think from the 1780s or so) is there. After a few hours of all this, I was Churhed out.