El Champucero

It is unbearable. I have stood on my feet for hours and watched people strolling by, without a single drop to drink.

Then comes the rescue! The uniformed bottle carrier sees my distress. Hail you Champucero, Pride of Latacunga, son of the mighty volcano Cotopaxi in the forgotten land of Ecuador.

Salud


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Recycled Christmas

I know you're tired now, but we will not give up. After all, Christmas is Christmas.

Christmas Trees in Ecuador are usually carried out in plastic. Some clear-headed souls have reasoned that it might be unnecessary to recycle plastic bottles to create a Christmas tree. We can just stack them the way they are, and presto: We do have a lovely Christmas tree!

The pictured Christmas decoration is outside the ministry of farming.

 Merry recycled Christmas!

Don't sit on me

-it says in Spanish in front of the chair.

If it might not be literally what is written, you should still guard you well to defile it with your bottom. At this table and on this chair sat namely the heroes of Ecuador when they signed the Declaration of Independence after centuries of Spanish rule.

One might add that it was not just ink that flowed in this context. Plenty of blood was also shed on both sides before it got as far as getting something down on paper.

 And the papers are also exhibited in this museum affiliated with San Agustin Church in Quito.

Postal Christmas

A natural absence of conifers promotes the Ecuadorians ability to improvise when they decorate for Christmas. There is of course a lot in plastic but almost everything can be used.

Here for example, The Postal Service has  recycled some old boxes and stacked them up in the conic shape of the Cristmas tree. Are there less Christmas spirit because of that?


Nooooot.

WANTED (not)

Here is the overview of Ecuador's biggest public enemies. Measurements of the corresponding skulls match the profile of a perfect criminal. Only two or three of these guys do have criminal records, but all of them are running as presidential candidate for the elections in February 2013.

The ninth candidate, "Don Burro" was not approved. It is not confirmed whether it was because Don Burro is an ass. Few people, however, doubt that he would have done an honorably election.

More boring details in "the next president of Ecuador", here.

Nude men

In our series of "obscene pictures from Ecuador" today, we present this scene: two naked men in wrestling match and an unhappy dragon lying squashed underneath. The statue has recently been deployed along with a number of others in the main street Naciones Unidas.

Here the  censorship apparently intervened and positioned a belt to cover the man's anus.

The work is otherwise dated 1904. Maybe it has been on the municipality stock the last hundred years, until they found the times mature.

Heyy, you!

In big cities like Quito and Guayaquil, the traffic is clogged.


 You should be soft, supple and especially rude to access forward.


This is entirely understood by the iguanas in the Centenario Park in Guayaquil. Nevertheless, this "passing" is too much in its insolent manner.

Flying low in Quito

Low flying has been and still is  a problem in Quito.

We are not sure of the cause. One possible reason may be that the pilots are staring blind at the altimeter that indicates 2850 meters above sea level, and do not realize that they are in the middle of the afternoon rush of Ecuador's capital.

Whatever they create problems by not comply with traffic regulations. They do not stay in the right lane, and sometimes they even leave the roadway. There was a Boeing 2524 which took the laundry of Mrs. Lopez the other day.

The authorities remain silent on the issue, focusing instead on the progress they have achieved in agricultural policy.

Heroes

Four of greatest men in the history of latin America is waiting for you when you sit down at the table to enjoy your gourmet pizza.

But what are their names and what have they done ​​to be honored with their portraits at this upscale eatery by theTena river bank? Well, indeed you should know.

Perhaps the flags shown under their noble faces will help you?

Rainbow Man

Every Sunday he visits the Carolina Park in Quito presenting his colors. The price of a color is 10 cents. For a dollar you can get the entire rainbow.

Then you can look for treasure at the end of the rainbow. But with no guarantees from the Rainbow Man. This is not his job.

The Tree God

From immemorial  times The Tree God has ruled Ecuador. He is not figuring on any official lists of statesmen and presidents, but that does not matter. He knows he is in charge. Not even President Correa will dare to challenge him.

However the rainforest department has several times frightened him with  closure.

Here he is rendered by a local artist in this year's carnival. Unlike some other fearful religions, the Tree God not bother showing his face .

Beware of the tourists

They have taken the Plaza Foch in their possession. With long confident steps they are parading like victoorious Germans one April day in Norway 1940.

Light fitted in short pants because they are close to the equator line. Undaunted by the fact that this is at 2800 meters altitude and the temperature gauge shows 12 degrees celsius; the uniform code is fortified.

The Ghost Buliding

As a discreet shade. You almost doesn,t notice it, centrally located  close to the park Alameda. Plaza San Blas with its colonial church is aslo  located next door.

 This futuristic building from the fifties looms darkly in the center of Quito. What is its history? Once it was perhaps an ambitious project where financiers exchanged money and pulling the strings. Then they disappeared completely from the face of the earth.

Now it has been lonely and abandoned for many years, with its vengeful and grim look. Those who lays eyes on it realize it's better to walk by.

The Acrobat

This is my lad . What he can do balancing on the staircase!!

But what he gets paid for are indeed to renovate the windows on the crystal palace in the Itchimbia park in Quito.

And he probably don't get more than the standard local wages. They are supposingly a little lesser than you receive in the US or Canada. Risk allowance? I doubt it. You have to trust your acrobatic skills.

The laziest Nature Photographer in the world

He goes, of course to the Galapagos Islands during his vacations, where he takes in at a hotel with all rights. 

Then he plants his fat Bermuda shorts-cased butt in a chair, waiting for the small ones to come to him. And he has a lot of sugar. If thats the reason why the bird decided to solve his table, or if there is a desire for a life in the limelight, is not known. 

The Photographer 'works'  at the Natural History Museum in Oslo.

The Park Assist

Among the water park agency's many employees in Quito, we have this guy. Every time I jog around the park Carolina on my tired legs, he stands there. Indefatigable in the same position, in sunshine or in rain. 

But that is life for the poor in Ecuador. It must be working late and early in order to maintain the family's subsistence. His miserable payouts are enough microscopic compared with the water company boss invoice for the consumption of water.

Closing the tap

It is wet enough in Quito during the rainy season, if not some even forget to turn off this tap.

No, it is sealed, thank Good. This is simply a monument erected by the Water Supply Manager of Quito, probably over himself. A small park near his office is devoted to this excelent liquid.

As you well should be aware of: Water is power!

Revenge!!!

Along the Ecuadorian coast and particularly in the city of Guayaquil, people go crazy then the crab season of the year begins. Armed with clubs they attack the poor animals. They smash their heads, maim them, for at the end devour them.

It had to happen sooner or later. Crabs got enough. The picture is one of them got hold of his assailants club. Which that followed was not a pretty sight.

An Offer You can't refuse

One of the most exotic part of life in Ecuador, is the price of adult soft drinks.

 Just watch this gorgeous statement. A bottle of vodka for only $ 7.07.

As this weren't not enough, you get a quart of orange juice for free! Very thoughtful and responsable of the supermarket. Pure vodka is not too good for your stumack.

The Party Bus

The Party is in the middle of the street. On the bus. These coloful "chiva"buses are patrolling the streets of quito everey weekend. Everyone can join.

Dancing and cheering, with latino pop on its highest volume, there is no chance left for a middleaged/ old man to get a sleep.

In connection with the celebration of the Quito days, they also run daytime. So much for the after-noon nap....

Poodle missing in Quito

This is the cutest one today.

Discretly on a wall, near the church Basilica Voto Nacional in Quito we see it.

"Help me home. My name is Peluchin and I am the hole life of my little master, who si suferring because I am lost. Please call....."

Ecuador-Life wishes good luck and a recent solution of the problem. Otherwise it will be one of those strokes that are sure to harden the young master later in life ...

Attencion

I screaaam....

We are here in front of the presidential palace in Quito. It is also the place where the government make their important decisions, for the delight and the indignation of the people.

In the foreground an locally made ice-lollie with  ​​coconut . Tilted and with real cocnut inside. Yummi-yummi :-)

On the road

Moooo-ooo

The road is for everyone. But some are more equal than others.

If you meet these señoritas on your way, you've just have to wait. As you, lazy tourist, only get lost on the highway on the way to the "playa", these ladies get a job to do. Life in rural Ecuador is hard, milking, fertilization and so on before bedtime.

So, take a break until the procession is over. And give these hardworking ladies a kind thought while you later are enjoying yourself with an umbrella drink at the beach.

Carnival

Last weekend we celebrated the carnival.

In Ecuador carnival is identical with a proper water war. The sale of spray cans with foam was even better than the bananas. If you love your neighbor you give him a proper shower!

Minors choose with love foreign-looking men with dignity. Get therefore a couple of high capacity water pistols and a some spray cans to defend yourself. And, not least, take revenge!

The intermediates also use flour, eggs and other food items in their arsenal. This year the mud became an additional factor because of the large amount of rains. In this picture we could see some of the fighting demons leaving the arena of Mindo.

The great Alpaca

The alpaca man

No. This is not an invisible man.

We have only dispersed a few selected items from Ecuador's fall collection, of course in alpaca.

Perhaps a modest hat to impress the ladies? A robust and stylish sweater, good gloves and warm socks  this year's colors are also among the products.

All clothes are designed and manufactured by the Indians in Otavalo, a small town a couple hours south of Quito, The inhabitants are hard-working and inventive craftsmen. There are few tourists who do not return home from Ecuador with some of these creations in their luggage.

The skip





The galapagos seal

The skipper sits proudly on its own ship. Many are the passers who wonder how a seal can make such a career.

Or is he just a guard taking his liberties while the real captain is for a walk at earth?

No, in the Galápagos island is the etiquette that Father seal can take a strain on deck when the boat are anchored up. But he certainly wish to be able to maneuver the boat for fishing a little to his own domestic.



Christmas is dead

We are in the middle of january and the coke-tree besides the mall El Jardin is standing nude, without glitter, grey and empty of gas.

The shop-owners are crying over the lack of capital among the good citizens as this totem of comercialism is fragmenting piece by piece.

But there will be times when this monster of aluminium and plastic will rise again and recall the people the real message of Christmas.