Guayaquil is...Where?

Spain defeated the Ecuadorian Selecion (National Soccer Team) and... WHAT? It amazes me at how shoddy some writers are in checking facts. I am referring to a news story running on Yahoo Sports an originating from Goal.com

On Wednesday, 14 August Spain traveled for the very first time to Ecuador to play a friendly between the national teams of Spain an Ecuador. Here's the quote that has me shaking my head:

The world and European champions dealt with the altitude in Guayaquil and produced a professional win despite the absence of several of their stars.

???????? The altitude in Guayaquil? Uhhh, Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador, the most important commercial center in the country, and most importantly, the most important shipping port in Ecuador. That is right, shipping port, as in on the Pacific Ocean.

My comment was:

I live in Guayaquil, and living one meter above the ocean has its challenges, I guess.Of course, I believe this writer has never looked at a map, and expects that since Quito (where most of the international games are played) is at 9,300 feet then the whole country must be. Poor work.

We all make mistakes, lord knows I have made my share, but come on guys.

By the way, Spain won 2-0, if you keep track of such things.

My Favorite Churches in Ecuador

I am a history geek and the Spanish Colonial churches in Ecuador are honey to the fly drawing me in. I am happy to take a weekend to just go to Quito or Cuenca and just admire the towering architecture and snap my photos of the buildings and the plazas around them After all, what isn’t fascinating about a church that was built in the 1500s by Inca slaves of the Spanish Conquistadores, reusing the stones that once had come from their temple to the Sun God? Here is my list to the top ten churches to see in Ecuador.

Since I'm all about history, these are the best churches not only for their amazing architecture but also because of their age and timeless stories.

La Basilica del Voto Nacional (Quito)

This huge beautiful church has 24 separate chapels inside, with an impressive Neo-Gothic exterior that is quite a sight to behold. It's certainly not the oldest church in Quito, having been originally built in the late 1800s. Besides the simple majesty of the building, the animal-themed "gargoyles" all around the exterior make it quite unique. You can find la Basilica near the old city quarter, though you'll be able to see it from just about anywhere in Quito.

Santo Domingo (Guayaquil)

Here is where you can take in some real history. This church is the oldest in Guayaquil, as it dates back to 1548 though there has been a number of reconstructions over the centuries due to fire damage. Even so, I don't think that detracts too much from the deep history of the place. It's a gorgeous little church too, with a pale yellow exterior and twin green domes on the spires.

It can be a little hard to find, snuggled up under the Cerro Santa Ana (Saint Ann Hill) and a few blocks off the Malecon 2000 (the main riverwalk). Easter is magnificent, with massive processionals weaving through the city and ending here.

Church of St. Francis (Quito)

I love this church in Quito because it is so much more than just a church. Built in 1536, this place was once a collection of chapels as well as a convent and monastery. Overall, the building is 2 blocks in size which sets it apart from most other "churches" right there. The style is Renaissance and Baroque, and it took more than 70 years to complete all the construction. Impressive. The crowd here is also a little poorer than those that come to some of the other great churches of Quito, so you get a whole different vibe here. The street vendors outside are less commercial for one thing.

Church of Saint Augustine (Quito)

Like many old churches, this one has had some reconstruction done since its founding in the 16th century. Still, it has great Spanish style with an unusual dark portico that stands out against the stark white facade of the rest of the church. 

El Sagrario (Cuenca)

This is the ancient church I mentioned earlier, built in 1557 using stones from the Incan ruins of Tumbebamba. There are a lot of stories that the old Tumbebamba, a regional capital of the ancient Inca Empire, was the source of the legends of the City of Gold. If that is not an incredible historic heritage, I don't know what is. 

Unlike the other churches on my list, this one isn't still currently used for worship. It's a religious art museum today. I think this makes a lovely transition so typical of Cuenca. This Andean town has the massive Spanish Colonial buildings, and has a number of old Incan ruins within a day trip, but it is also a university town with a large, English speaking expat community.

La Compania (Quito)

Also called the Church of the Society of Jesus, this Jesuit church just demands that the treasure hunter inside of you has to come and see this. It is known for it's spectacular interior design rather than it's outside architecture. Yeah, the design is great, but the jaw-dropping part here is that the nave inside is completely gilded in gold leaf, and is flat out, undeniable, heart thumping stunning. And it satisfies my need for history, having been built in the early 1600s.

Cathedral Nueva (Cuenca)

Known in English as the New Cathedral, this church is a more modern replacement for El Sagrario that I just mentioned. It has a different style than most, using red bricks instead of the massive stone work of other Ecuadorian churches. It has a much less ornate exterior. However the Cuenca downtown area is dominated by the brilliant blue domes. It sits near El Sagrario so it is a great and easy idea to check out both churches.

Church of San Francisco (Guayaquil)

This is a newer church in Guayaquil, by newer meaning it was built in the 1700s and 1800s. It's a pretty contemporary church compared to the rest of this list, but it's too lovely to pass by. My favorite part isn't so much the inside as the outside plaza. San Francisco is in the middle of the main business district of El Centro, not far from the US Consulate and a few blocks from the main Malecon 2000 touristy boardwalk. It is also surrounded by many markets of all shapes and sizes. A visit here can quickly turn into an all-day session.

Balbanera Church (Riobamba)

This is no where near the magnificence and iconic splendor of most of the other churches on my list, but if you are going through Riobamba this just tugs at the historian in me. I added this one because it has the notoriety of being the first Catholic church in all of Ecuador. I'll admit it's a very simple and understated building so don't expect a towering Gothic masterpiece. You go because you want to to see what most churches looked like in the 1500s and 1600s, not the masterpieces from the great cities. You go to Balbanera to commune with the ghosts of its nearly 500 year history.

Church of El Carmen of Asuncion (Cuenca)

This smooth stuccoed church has a much different look than the others, which is why I add it in as my final offering. This is more typical of a town church you would see outside of the great cities during the 1800s. Outside it is relatively plain, but inside it is an illogical puzzle of coves and nooks filled with statuary and sculpture. I love the clean lines and calm feeling of it. It is also conveniently in the old town area of Cuenca, a few blocks from La Catedral Nueva and is right on the edge of a large market.

Quito Tababela Airport - Not Much of an Improvement

Quito now has a modern international airport, with the new Tababela replacing the old and cramped Mariscal Sucre. True, Tababela is new, modern and gorgeous to look at. I have to say that there is a lot more bad then good. Flying into and out of Quito is now a lot tougher.

The main hassle is just getting to the airport in the first place. They planned for future expansions of Quito, which was probably a smart move, except that it means the airport is more than an hour outside of the city if you're getting there by taxi. In fact, you'd be wise to plan on a 2-hour trip to be on the safe side. That can mean a price tag of nearly $30 on top of your wasted time.

You might wonder about all this when you realize that the Tababela airport is really just 14km away from Quito.  How can that mean so much extra travel time? You have to understand that the traffic between the airport and the city is extremely busy, the roads are not very direct and there is a particularly nasty bottle-neck at a narrow 30-year old bridge along the way. 

There are plans for a cheaper shuttle that will take travelers between Quito and the new Mariscal Sucre International Airport, which can save you a little money but won't help the waste of time on the roads. In fact, it will probably take longer than a regular taxi would.

Now, this isn't just a problem for the usual international traveller who is coming to Quito. It is starting to effect domestic travel around the city as well. Considering how far it is to drive to the new airport, people are choosing to just drive to their destinations instead of taking any short domestic flights. The Guayaquil Airport is becoming a more convenient arrival point for some routes and people are just avoiding Quito completely. Apparently, there has been a 30% drop in domestic travel through Mariscal Sucre International Airport, and it's only been in operation for less than a year. Not a good sign.

The location for the new Tababela Airport has led to other problems besides transportation. The low-lying site is prone to foggy weather, and you can imagine what that does to a major international airport. Delays are becoming more and more common, though this is usually only an impact during the December to May time frame. It might be a good idea to avoid this time of the year if you like knowing when your plane is going to land. At least plan with lots of extra time in hand in case of delays.

And even though this airport handles a large majority of all international flights to Ecuador, they decided to make the terminal smaller with the new airport. Not only is it smaller and has fewer seats for waiting passengers, there are fewer check-in counters too. I can't figure out the sense of actually shrinking an airport when dealing with such an international scale, but that seems to have been the case. Major airlines like KLM, Delta Air, United Airlines and Iberia all serve the new Tababela airport so you can imagine the crowds.

To be fair, they are trying to fix the transportation problems by improving the roadways between Quito and the airport, and construction is already underway to add new seats within the terminal. Perhaps in a little more time, the new Mariscal Sucre International Airport will actually live up to its potential. Until then, expect more than a few snags when travelling through Quito and plan for some extra transit time.