Presidents and make-up

A man should always be careful when he talks about women, more than ever these days.

As the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. He evaluated his female opponent Cynthia Viteri and concluded that she should stay to cosmetics instead of politics.

At the drawing the president is trying out the field himself. If anyone should be in doubt, the skeleton he is working with are Ecuadors economic figures.

(Caricature by Bonil from the newspaper El Universo).

El Clasico

El Clascio, Alamor, la provincia de Loja

Soccer is popular in Ecuador. This is from a match in the lower divisions. Neverless, one of the most important local derbies in the country and it`s engaging numerous supporters.

From the sideline we can hear the comments from an experienced audience ; "Don`t play like a cow" and "Loosers to the slaughterhouse".

Tropic of Cancer

Be aware, the time has come. The lobsters are going to take back the world. And they are beginning at your plate.

Be careful with seafood the next months.

(Picture from an unnamed restaurant in Guayaquil).

Beware of the Dog

Or whatever it is, this animal.

The creature was made in pre-Christian times. Both for us and for the people on the american continent where cristianity didn't exist until 500 years ago.

We are not sure if the specie is extinct, or whether it only has chosen to live hidden and wait for better times.

Turtle Doves

As you walk with your nose up in sky, the sight falls upon this charming and touching scene.

The camera rapidly captures this romantic subjects, two loving doves side by side.

But the picture is barely flicked before the paparazzi photographer recieves a  particularly unromantic message from on of the models.

Then the lovebirds leave the scene.

The Banana Tree

Misplaced in The Carolina Park in Quito, far away from his home plantation, is this lone supplier of the deformed fruit.

 He hangs with the branches. He is thinking of the low wages of the banana plantation workers and their lack of union rights. He mourns because of the tropical storms in the Caribbean that have done away with so many of its fellow species. Not to talk about the concerns of corruption in the state administration.

But the Park Management has now taken responsibility and contacted one of the world's top specialists in banana tree psycology from Harvard, to free this unhappy fruit tree from his heavy depression. Sad banana trees give as we all know, sad bananas.

The Wheel

, Once more, Carolina Park was the haven for artists with a  missing scrooge.

 One day I walked in peace along the park's outer paths, it was in particular one of the artworks that overwhelmed me. Clearly, the size and how this was emphasized by the location of the terrain, next to the not so very small trees in the park, reminiscent of human insignificance compared to nature and the cosmic forces superiority.

But first of all it stroke me, what if this thing starts rolling?

A Pineapple to desire

It is not necessarily the case that this pineapple is shown to it's natural size, although the climate is very favorable in many parts of Ecuador. Exaggeration of physical size occurs so many places in the world.

However, one must wonder about the symbolism in that it is located in the middle of a traffic circle. Or you can ask the other way around(!), "why can't the dance just as well take place around a pineapple as a Christmas tree or a golden calf?"

-For this, we don't have any answers..

The oppressive State

Nothing is allowed anymore. Not even the basic human functions should be executed without intricate bureaucratic systems.

Dubious alliances are formed in the suppression of human needs. How the one time rebellious graffiti artist has become a tool of authoritarian governments is an enigma.

"Peeing prohibited here" it says with the same font nazi decrees were posted during the war. But they will see that what will be, will be!

Burn a Politician

He is confusingly similar to President Rafael Correa. But he is not of flesh and blood. His body is constructed of planks, newspaper and lots of paint. He is a monigote.

These home-produced dolls are made for New Year's Eve in Ecuador, representing public figures who have made their mark in the past year. When the clock is 12pm  they will be added to the fire.

I find it hard to find words for satisfaction of burning a politician. The practice should certainly be introduced to other countries.

(The president on the picture has a light bulb in hand. I'm not sure of the symbolism here).

Easter

But what's this? Have KKK had an accident with their laundry?

Or is it an Easter procession across Quito's streets? Whatever is the agenda of these masked people it is unknown, but they obviously have their cross to bear.

Availability?

It is advisable to book early to secure a good seat. The cemetery in Guayaquil is reasonable overcrowded. And the best seats are occupied by the city's elite a long time ago .

Here in the suburban part it is still possible to obtain a share in the top line,. No lift!

Angre redigeringene

Alpha

the holy Tree

t No kidding. This wrinkled and weathered wood, present in Cotopaxi National Park, was one of incas shrines. The sign says so.

Perhaps it is the very tree of wisdom  we see. The day the inca woman cheated the inca man to eat its fruit, the first conquistador stepped into the country ...

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


.

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.