Mi Querido Quito


Welcome to this week's a 2 z: Take 2
and the letter Q.


Of all the Q letters in our language, one of my favorite is Quito (pronounced Key toe). Quito is the capital city of Ecuador, in South America, and where I spent my teen years while my parents were missionaries. It's a place I hold close to my heart and hope to revisit someday.

Below I circled Quito in red. You can see it's in the heart of the Andes mountain range. The pink boxes are mountains I saw most days, except in rainy season when they spent a lot of time encased in clouds. If you look closely, you can see the elevation of the mountains listed. They're snow capped and awesome. A sight you NEVER grow tired of.

Most of my days were spent in at the Alliance Academy, a missionary kids' boarding school run by the Alliance mission. To the left is a picture of part of the school, the other part is to the left of the picture. That's not a football field, it's a soccer field since that's the sport of choice there. The mountain in the background is Pichincha, which runs parallel to the city. People would hang glide from Pichincha into the city. It must have been a breath-taking view because just looking at the city from Pichincha was fantastic. Going up there was a favorite outing.

Another place to visit is the Panecillo--the Virgin. She watches over the city and offers a great view. The legends that go with the "hill" she sits on will curl your hair. But then, much of the Incan culture might do that, as well as wow you with their feats. It still amazes me to think of all they did with the technology available to them.


Part of the view from the Panecillo.

Quito is long and narrow and sits on a shelf, making it a challenge for the larger planes coming in. (Or so I've been told.)


There are many sides to Quito...

The old town where culture and history are rich and in full color.

And the new city where technology is alive and well.

Quito is just South of the Equator so visiting Mitad del Mundo, the monument on (well, technically it's just close to) the Equator, is a must. Standing with foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere is one of those Kodak moments you don't want to miss.

And there's a quick glimpse of the city of my heart...Mi Querido Quito.

So tell me, where do you consider home?
*Photos courtesy of Trina Mayfield, a missionary friend who still lives in Ecaudor. Thanks, Trina.

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If you're joining us for the a2z: Take 2 meme by posting on your blog this week about the letter Q, be sure to add your name and the link to that particular post in the linky gadget here.

9 comments:

  1. I love the pictures. What a diverse place! Upstate NY is where I grew up and although I love my Ohio life, I enjoy visiting the Finger Lakes region. I took those hills for granted. There is such history--from Curtiss Museum (flying) to Corning Glass, Watkins Glen State Park and raceway...so much. I'm also using the Adirondack Mountains as my setting for my WIP and although I never lived there, the first time I visited I remember thinking this was home to me. I love it there.

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  2. I grew up in the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area of VA (Military town). I don't consider it home anymore. There's nothing there that I care to go back to see (well, with exception of a FEW people).

    Alabama is HOME now.

    Ginger

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  3. Home is where I'm at right now. We moved around a lot while growing up. I stayed the longest in one city from 4th grade till I moved out on my own, but never considered it "home"

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  4. Home will always be Texas for me. I was born in Louisiana, but lived in Dallas from the time I was 2. I particularly love the small towns of East Texas and would live there in a heartbeat, but God has seen fit to keep us in the metroplex.

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  5. I LOVED reading about our beloved Quito! No problem about the pictures! You described them so well! And it was fun to read your blog today too!:-)

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  6. My hubby went to Quito a few years ago on a missionary trip to teach in a ministry training school. He liked the area quite a bit. For myself, I prefer Santiago, Chile, but then, I haven't visited Ecuador. Yet.

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  7. I can see why it's the place of your heart. Home is here where I am at this very moment. So glad Marc brought me to my "home" ;)

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  8. Sheesh!

    Can I say that out loud?

    I was participating in the a2z Take 2 up to the letter 'p'. I'd noticed no one else was posting and no one was visiting my post so I decided everyone had dropped out (for some weird reason) and I followed suit.

    Now today I find the post for 'q' and a quick look at the blog revealed posts for 'o' and 'p', too.

    Sheesh!

    I also discovered my problem.... I was linking back to the page for 'n' with every post. I never thought to look for new posts!

    So I've added my link for 'o' and 'p', which I wrote and posted as usual on the appropriate weeks.

    I also intend to go through the other posts for those letters and leave my comments.

    What I haven't decided is whether or not to post something for 'q'....

    Oh well.

    This is way I probably shouldn't write mysteries!

    Sheesh.

    Can I say that?

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  9. So cool. My "second home" is Oaxaca, Mexico where my dad spent much of his childhood. I've never lived there but have visited several times and it definitely has a home in my heart. I always thought I'd end up there as a missionary myself, but now God seems to have me in the local Deaf Community instead.

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