Quito
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is located in spectacular scenery at an altitude of 2800 metres, surrounded by lovely mountains. The “Old Town” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with old colonial buildings, superb churches, and numerous small alleys and plazas.
I spent two weeks in Quito partly to visit the city, but also to relax, to do some maintenance on the motorbike, and to spend some good time with friendly people.
La Capilla del Hombre
“ How is it possible that there are churches for gods that we don't know if they exist or not, for saints that we don't know if they were saints or not, and that for humans who forged this continent for thousands of years until our time, there is no place of meditation for them? ”
Oswaldo Guayasamín (translation by JO).
These words are from the famous Ecuadorian painter and sculptor Guayasamín who lived from 1919 to 1999. He dedicated his life to painting and sculpting in addition to being an avid collector. One of his final works was the construction of the Chapel of Man; a site documenting the cruelty of men toward men, but also the potential for greatness of the human kind...
New friends in Quito
One of the reasons to stay additional days in Quito was because of the people I met. The evening of my arrival was Sata's birthday, the owner of the garage where I had my motorbike checked. With his wife Michele, they welcomed me in their home, and I stayed in a nice room just behind the shop, in the same building where they both live.
Sata is a nickname given by his friends. His true name is Angel, and his shop is named Moto Hell. If you didn't guess it, the nickname Sata comes from the word Satana in Spanish, meaning the devil. It's an awesome choice of names... The angel, nicknamed the devil, has a shop named hell.
