The Casa Alquimia

We didn’t get to the hotel until 2am this morning but made sure to set the alarm for 8:30, so we wouldn’t miss breakfast. The Hotel Casa Alquimia serves breakfast in a room off on the roof. We were greeted with a bowl of fresh fruit, flakey croissants, and scrambled eggs. The papaya juice was refreshing and the tea hot. Although the breakfast was good, we couldn’t face the day without more sleep. We napped a while longer and then decided we should get out and see Old Town Quito. As we were leaving the hotel, we discovered the history of the building hanging in the entryway. The building was originally constructed in the 1400’s. It has had a colorful history, having been part of a convent and the generational home of a few families. In the 1800’s it became known as the House of Conspiracy. President Garcia Moreno was assassinated in 1875, and the plot was hatched right here. Around this time, Juan Montalvo, an Ecuadorian novelist, also lived here. By then, the house was owned by a physician, and it became known as the House of Doctors, as practices occupied the space. Fast forward through a few more sales, and it was purchased about 10 years ago by the current owners, who have rehabbed the building and converted it into a beautiful hotel. The rooms on the first and second floor create a square around the large atrium. Sunlight streams through the textured glass roof and plants hang from the second floor. Hand painted flowers pop off the bright white walls that are accentuated with a beautiful dark wood and little knickknacks are used in tasteful decoration.

And that’s just the hotel. We took a walk around our neighborhood which is chock full of sites to see. We’re staying adjacent to the Santo Domingo Plaza. As far as plazas go, it’s simple. The Santo Domingo church anchors the plaza, which hosts a statue of Antonio Jose de Sucre. He points to the location of his decisive victory in Ecuador’s fight for independence. Down the street we found our first destination, the Museo Manuela Saenz. Unfortunately, it was closed. I was looking forward to learning about her. She was a hero of the revolution, serving in a network of female spies, and later becoming a colonel in Simon Bolivar’s army. Looks like I’ll be hitting the library when I get home.

We stopped at Artifice for lunch. The owner recommended a few snacks to sample Ecuadorian cuisine. Kim and I shared three different items; humita, which tasted like a moist, not-too-sweet corn bread topped with cheese and wrapped in a corn husk; muchin de yuca is fried cassava flour dough to which I added a mango salsa to perfect the flavor; and a chicken tamal, which was similar to a Mexican tamale but a slightly different corn and wrapped in a leaf, rather than a corn husk. It was all terrific. The owner pointed out the artwork in the cafe and noted it was his sister’s work. After we left, we discovered his sister’s gallery/workshop a few doors down. She offered to spend some time with us and then paint our souls on a tee shirt, hoodie, or other item. We politely turned her down, although I did wonder what my soul might actually look like. I decided I might be similar to a 1960’s Spin Art product.

The Plaza Grande was just that. It was bustling with people, but no one seemed to be in a hurry. On the east side if the plaza runs a north/south street that’s been converted to a pedestrian walkway. As I looked north, the street continued downward and where it went up and peaked again stood an enormous cathedral. The Basilica de Voto Nacional was built in the 19th century, and we hope to visit when we return to Quito from the Galapagos. I turned around to point out the church to Kim and behind me, looking directly south down the same road, is the Virgen de Panecillo. The statue also sits at the top of a hill and dominates the skyline. We saw her last night, lit up in a purplish light. The winged virgin is holding a chained dragon; a bible story I don’t remember, so I decided to track down the facts. According to Wikipedia, and unbelievably, she’s taller than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, which seems enormous. She is also the largest aluminum statue in the world. And, while I don’t remember dragons in the bible, the internet pointed me to the book of Revelations, where the original artist got his inspiration. That particular book scared the bejesus out of me when I was 10, so that’s why I might have missed the part about dragons.

We lingered at the plaza a good long time before window shopping on our return to the hotel. We ran out of time to visit some of the other nearby sites, so we’ll do that tomorrow.もっと詳しく