For my final day in Quito, my friends and I began our day at the coffee shop Juan Valdez, which is basically the Ecuadorian version of Starbucks. We then visited the highly recommended museum La Capilla del Hombre, which holds many of the famous paintings from the Ecuadorian artist Guayasamin. Many of Guayasamin’s works portrayed the destruction caused by numerous wars and hardships endured by the poor. “Yo lloré porque no tenía zapatos hasta que vi un niño que no tenía pies.” This quote was placed in big bold letters on one of the walls of the museum honoring Guayasamin; although these weren’t Guayasamin’s words, the quote was chosen when designing the museum because it was a close representation of the emotions portrayed in his works. It translates to, “I cried because I did not have shoes until I saw a child that did not have feet.” After a tour around the museum, we ventured onto the next part of the complex to visit Guayasamin’s house. This massive house had too many rooms to count and also included Guayasamin’s art room, where he frequently completed his famous paintings within only a couple hours of work.
We returned back near Plaza Foch to find somewhere to eat but were very surprised to find that many restaurants were closed on the weekends because the busy times were during the weekdays. Next came goodbyes. To my friends and to my host family.
Quito has been an unforgettable experience. I have learned about the Ecuadorian people and their culture and also have had the unparalleled opportunity to observe incredible surgeries at Hospital del Sur Enrique Garces. This whole journey would not have been possible without Spirit Cultural Exchange, and I know I will forever hold all of these memories close to me.
Thank you for following along on Sam's journey of volunteering in Ecuador! If you are interested in learning more about Spirit's volunteer abroad program, click here.
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