Nov 29, 2013

Historic Quito

One of the first things your body might notice when you land in Quito is the altitude (roughly 9000 feet). I spent the better part of my time here with a nagging headache and gasping for air after going up one flight of stairs (although the fact that I haven't seen the inside of a gym since 2009 may have contributed to that). We didn't have much time in Quito but we were able to walk around the old town – which was actually the first named UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site – and peek into many of the elaborately decorated churches.








There's something about walking unfamiliar streets that makes me pay even closer attention to the light and street scenes. I don't consider myself much a street photographer but I do really enjoy it when traveling. I am moved by the locals in the streets, colors, and the play of light and shadow. I rarely ask for permission so I do try to be as discreet as possible.









The street with all the flags was a charming area/pedestrian street called Calle la Ronda. It's more alive in the night time, but even when we walked by, there was a nice buzz and tons of shops, bars, and hole-in-the-wall eateries serving local delicacies.

We also stumbled across this restaurant/bar, Café Dios No Muere, and I was naturally taken by the simple kitchen set up.





The next morning, we left quite Quito early and I couldn't help but rush out of our car to shoot this pigeon feeder in the San Francisco Plaza. Just moments before, the man with the green hat stormed through and scared all of the pigeons away. When I grabbed this photo, the pigeons were just re-settling in. I had posted this scene on Instagram and someone mentioned that this man is there every morning to feed the pigeons. I don't know why, but that thought really tugs at my heartstrings. I can still see this scene very vividly in my mind. I hope he is happy.

16 comments :

  1. So beautiful, makes me want to go back to South America. On my first night, I couldn't stand up straight, so dizzy with altitude sickness!

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  2. What a beautiful corner of the world!

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  3. Ahhhhh..... Lovely photos ! Thanks for sharing with us the other side of the World x

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  4. Love all the colors, light and shadows. Those b/w make such beautiful street view. The scene you described in the last picture is so heart touching. Have a great weekend.

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  5. Lovely photos. They feel so real and make me want to visit. Not like they're too perfect and upon arrival the place is something else.

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  6. All the photos are wayyyy to nice:)

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  7. When I first saw you posting from Quito, it revived a childhood memory of a story. Was the first time I had heard of Quito. And beef tongue. Hehe.

    Feed the birds. Tuppence, a bag...

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  8. Absolutely beautiful photos Alice. Love travel photography and you did a great job of giving us a taste of what it was like to walk through the streets of Quito.

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  9. OH MY GOSH!! These are amazing. We are heading to Quito next summer (my husband grew up there) and this has made me so so excited to see all the places he chats about :)

    Lucy xo

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  10. I spent my teen years in Quito--you captured it so well. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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