Quito is huge and situated amidst various volcanoes. On Sunday, we visit the ‘Centro de Arte Contemporáneo’ (Contemporary Art Center). A three-day festival featuring local artists is underway. We take the metro for the first time; it’s fast, clean, and costs us 45 cents per person—perfect. However, the metro is built for shorter people, so Arjan bangs his head the moment he steps on board. And, being a giant, I once again become a local attraction myself.
The festival opens at 10:00 AM, but when we arrive at 10:15 AM, things are just getting started. We head into the museum to view the exhibitions. By around 11:00 AM, everything is in full swing. Many artists are present in the museum hall, showcasing works such as books and illustrations. I thoroughly enjoy all the paper-based creations, the pleasant conversations, and the beautiful things we see. For the first time, I come across something I wish we could take home with us: a stunning project by several artists. It consists of four booklets housed in a single box. Each booklet tells a different story and features beautiful binding, with embroidery on the cover. They are presented together in a box adorned with a lovely illustration, and we even get to speak with the artist who created that illustration. It’s a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I’m so busy chatting that I completely forget to take any photos of this beautiful project. The museum is lovely, the exhibitions are engaging, and the festival is certainly well worth a visit.
We enjoy a walk through the city and come across a few beautiful hummingbird sculptures.
On Monday, we change our original plans and stay ‘local’. We go for breakfast at Ukö Bread with Julia. Afterward, we stop by a yogurt shop to try some frozen yogurt, followed by a long walk through other neighborhoods on our way to get coffee at Fankør Coffee. The shop is beautiful and has won numerous awards for its coffee; with every cup, you get an explanation of the bean variety, the roasting process, and the flavor notes.
After all the coffee, we continue our walk through another neighborhood and take in a beautiful viewpoint—see the first photo in this blog. Afterward, we walk on through a creative district filled with murals.
Finally, we end up at a good Italian restaurant for fresh pizza for dinner, and the evening officially turns into our ‘cheat meal’ night. It’s great sharing stories with Julia; she works in commercial real estate in Manhattan, New York—a world completely different from the one where we live and work. We have wonderful conversations. Our different backgrounds prompt us to ask each other interesting questions, leading to engaging discussions. As a result, a visit to New York has now made it onto our list of future travel plans.
One of the special things about traveling is that you can run into someone and spend a few days together. When you have nothing to do all day—except eat—space and time open up. That is what I find so special about traveling. Had we been in New York, or had Julia been in Arnhem, we probably never would have met. But here, in the middle of Ecuador, there is the time and space to connect with each other on a human level. Truly special.
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