Otavalo, is a city in the Imbabura province just 2 hours North from Quito by bus.  The city is known throughout the country for being very indigenous and faithful to its Incan heritage, the men sport long hair kept in pony tails topped off with a fedora hat and peacock feather, while the women wear white blouses with colorful skirts and long strings of beads around their necks. (more…)

Last week we had the chance to visit a place that has proved to be my favorite art museum in the world.  From scanning my  guide book for stuff to see in Quito I came across this place which was said to be an amazing collection of work by arguably Ecuador’s most famous painter, Osvaldo Guayasamin.  Admittedly, I don’t know too much when it comes to Latin American art but we took a cab to the picturesque neighborhood of Bellavista and delved into the work of the famed artist.  His work deals mainly with the pain and suffering that was imposed on the indigenous man by the conquistadors not just in Ecuador but in all of  Latin America.  His work is larger than life, full of somber scenes depicting the struggle of the working class throughout the centuries.  The chapel which was completed in 2002, is also a fantastic work of art in its own right as it was designed to convey the same sense of reverence that one would feel when they enter a church or other place of worship.  Here are some of the pieces I thought best captured Guayasamin and his spirit.

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