Rotary International World Peace and Understanding Day

Today I joined Rotarians, representing Rotary Clubs from Quito and Valle de los Chillos, and other distinguished guests in commemorating Rotary International’s World Peace and Understanding Day.  We met in Parque La Carolina (Carolina Park) in the northern part of Quito to ring the Campana de la Paz (Peace Bell) housed there.  The Campana de la Paz, one of four in Latin America, was donated to the city of Quito by the World Peace Bell Association and inaugurated in 1999.  Interestingly, the Campana de la Paz was built in Japan and is a replica of the Japanese Peace Bell on display at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City, United States.

The keynote speakers included Lenín Voltaire Moreno Garcés, Vice President of Ecuador, and members of Rotary District 4400 leadership (Ex. District Governor  Oswaldo Domínguez).  Vice President Moreno himself is a Rotarian.  Unfortunately, Osuma Imai, Ambassador of Japan to Ecuador, was unable to participate in the event due to illness; however, one of his senior counselors represented the Embassy of Japan on his behalf.

Below I’ve included a link to the official invitation from Rotary District 4400 for the bell ringing ceremony in Parque La Carolina.

Invitación Evento Campana de la Paz

New Member – San Francisco de Quito RC

My Host Rotary Club inducted a new member this past Friday. His name is Jimmy and he hails from the coastal city of Guayaquil. Guayaquil is the the largest and most populous city in Ecuador. The president of my Host Rotary Club, Gloria, is also a native of Guayaquil.  There are a lot of transplants living here in Quito.

Newest Member - Jimmy

Bicentennial – Eloy Alfaro

Yesterday marked the bicentennial of the death of José Eloy Alfaro Delgado (June 25, 1842 – January 28, 1912), a military officer and politician who served as President of Ecuador for two terms, from 1895 to 1901 and from 1906 to 1911.  A highly controversial liberal president, he was assassinated by disgruntled conservative forces and supporters in Parque El Ejido in Quito in an act known as la Hoguera Bárbara (the Barbaric Bonfire).  The following excerpt on the life and times of Eloy Alfaro is taken from Wikipedia:

“He became one the strongest opponents of pro-Catholic conservative President Gabriel Garcia Moreno. For his central role in the Liberal Revolution of 1895 and for having fought conservatism for almost 30 years, he is known as the Viejo Luchador.

His major legacies are considered to be national unity, and the integrity of Ecuador’s borders; the increased secularization of the country; and the modernization of Ecuadorian society through the introduction of new ideas, education, and systems of public transport and communication. He completed the engineering feat of the Transandino railway linking Guayaquil with Quito. The Ecuadorian Army’s military college bears his name, as does the flagship of the Ecuadorian Navy. His efigie [sic] is depicted on the Ecuadorian 50-cent coin since the 2000 issue.”

Portrait, José Eloy Alfaro Delgado

Special Delivery – El Quinche

This morning I traveled with some members of the San Francisco de Quito Rotary Club to El Quinche (read: see prior post for more information) north of Quito to deliver remaining gifts to the children who were unable to attend the holiday party that was sponsored and hosted by the club in mid-December.  Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the holiday party in December as I was out of the town that weekend, and instead contributed with refreshments for the children and parents.  Today the children in attendance were comprised mainly of students from Escuela Jaime Roldós, a primary school named after a former President of Ecuador.  They were accompanied by three teachers.  The event was hosted at one of the bases belonging to the Ecuadorian air force (Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE), which collaborates regularly with the San Francisco de Quito Rotary Club on community activities.  Once more we were treated to a captivating folkloric dance by the students who demonstrated their artistic talent.

Quito Colonial Rotary Club

Today I met with the Quito Colonial Rotary Club during their regularly-scheduled weekly meeting.  My Host Rotarian Counselor, Gloria, accompanied during this visit as her club, San Francisco de Quito Rotary Club, is hoping to collaborate with Quito Colonial Rotary Club on community development projects in the future.  Quito Colonial Rotary Club is currently organizing a medical brigade that will conduct medical evaluations, provide medical supplies and perform basic surgery, to a community with express medical needs.

Christmas with District 4400 Governor Oswaldo Domínguez

I spent Christmas weekend in Cuenca, a city that is approximately 8-10 hours south of Quito by car or bus.  Cuenca is a colonial city that rivals Quito in terms of period architecture and religious artifacts.  Additionally, it is the site of indigenous ruins from the pre-Columbian era.  Within city limits one can easily access Pumapungo, the former administrative center of the Inca empire in present-day Ecuador.

In spite of all there is to see and do in Cuenca, my main reason for traveling there during the holiday break was to observe the Pases del Niño Viajero.  Scores of religious devotees fill the streets of Cuenca throughout the second half of December and in particular on December 24 to partake in elaborate religious processions that recount scenes from the life of Jesus Christ.  Adults and children alike can be found donning costumes that recreate the image of cuentos alegóricos (allegorical stories) from the bible like la Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family) or la Huida a Egipto (the Flight into Egypt).

On December 25, I was invited to spend Christmas day with District 4400 Governor Oswaldo Domínguez and his family on their finca (farm) in the outskirts of the nearby city of Azógues.  It was here that I tried cuy (guinea pig) for the first time.  It is a traditional dish throughout the sierra (highlands), and particularly popular in Azuay Province (Cuenca) and Cañar Province (Azógues).  It is absolutely delicious!  In fact, I dined on cuy once more before returning to Quito the Monday after Christmas.

Oswaldo Guayasamín, Ecuadorian artist

On December 14, I visited the Fundación Guayasamín and La Capilla del Hombre in Quito.  The Fundación Guayasamín is a museum and the former residence of celebrated Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín.  He was both a painter and sculptor, and his work centered around the theme of human suffering along diverse lines, including class, ethnicity and race.  Following the visit to the museum, I walked up the road to La Capilla del Hombre (The Chapel of Man) to tour Guayasamín’s masterwork, which was completed and opened to the public three years after his death in 2002.  Guayasamín is buried on the premises under what is called el árbol de la vida (the tree of life).

Visit to Otavalo

On Saturday, November 05, I traveled to Otavalo, a large town about two hours north of Quito renowned for its significant indigenous population and large artisan market, to meet with the president of the local Red Cross chapter Marcelo Puente.  Through this visit I completed my second ambassadorial duty in country by delivering a check on behalf of the Rappahannock-Fredericksburg Rotary Club.  The funds from the check would be used to support the nursing home sponsored and maintained by the local Red Cross chapter.  I had a lovely visit with the nuns and elderly people who reside in the nursing home, and look forward to visiting Otavalo again in the near future.

Map of Ecuador

Los Chillos Milenio Rotary Club

On Decemeber 03, I spent the entire day with members and families of the Los Chillos Milenio Rotary Club.  I was invited by President Wilson Lozada to join them in celebrating the inauguration of the Fiestas de Quito 2011 with a traditional barbecue.  As a result, this presentation was of a more informal nature, and allowed me to meet and greet with members and families on a more personal level.  We celebrated the occasion with a delicious asado (barbecue) that featured a lot of Ecuadorian staples, a relay race that included classic games like the three-legged race and a tournament of the traditional card game “40.”

Additionally, I met several Rotary Youth Exchange students who are sponsored by Ecuadorian families through the Los Chillos Milenio Rotary Club.  The students themselves hail from countries all over the world, including Austria, Canada, Germany, France and the United States of America.  It was very interesting to exchange stories with them and learn about their experience as students in Ecuadorian high schools.

I’d like to thank the Los Chillos Milenio Rotary Club for a lovely day in the valley!