However, not much is seen or uncovered in Ecuador about this exciting development. Most of these civilisations existed long before the Incas, thousands of years before. But what the colonialist especially from Spain found in these part was the empire of the Incas, a relative new civilisation, which at it highest might have stretched from somewhere in Peru up to about the site of Quito.
The Incas were overrun by a few hundred Spaniards who were thought to be Godlike creatures on their horses and in armor with guns and canons. However, illnesses brought to the "new world" in the western hemisphere killed millions of people, sometimes even before they actually met the "white man" in person, and that is likely why the civilisations fell so easily to the conquistadores.
When the Spaniards arrived to what is now Quito in the 1534, the old palaces and temples of the Incas had been destroyed and nothing was left, the Incas had fled to the mountains. Today the old historical Quito is a mixture of old churches and colonial buildings and structures, and more modern structures. The socalled 'Baroque school of Quito', which is a fusion of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous art is seen in some of the churches and monastries and is the direct reason that Quito has been declared a Unesco Heritage site.
The presidents office |
Churches are ever present
And then there are the beautiful houses, the narrow streets, the shops, the people. The seemingly endless possibility of just wandering around, take it all in and get this strange "historic feeling" one gets when being somewhere where life has been lived for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Colorfull that it is
Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre, a hero of Ecuadorian independence.
Flag seller and family
beautiful artstores
Interesting restaurant settings. Name of restaurant is Mea Culpa, located in a former Archbishop's residence.
and finally a fact: the original Panama hat comes from and is still largely made in Ecuador.
Unfortunately they are made for midgetheads, havn't found one that fit me yet. Still looking