On our first day in Quito, after a breakfast of papaya, pancakes, and guava juice in the historical district, we visited Elise’s Dad’s school, Academia Cotopaxi. A member of the staff, Alejandra Morales, kindly gave us a tour of the grounds (rebuilt since Mark was there) and let us look through the yearbooks. My hope was to show Elise a photo of her Dad as a 5 or 6 year-old, but the earlier yearbooks were not complete. Still, it was good for her to get a sense of the environment he experienced as a young boy. As our visit coincided with what would have been his 56th birthday, we toasted him over a meal at Vista Hermosa in Parque Itchimbía, which, true to its name, had fabulous views of all of Quito. We especially loved the Madonna/angel statue atop El Panecillo, a rounded 200-metre-high hill. Locals apparently claim that their Madonna is the only one in the world with wings like an angel. It was fitting to discover her on this special day.
You must be logged in to post a comment.