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The Legend about El Panecillo in Quito, Ecuador
“Leer, es otra forma de vivir; en realidad, una hermosa forma de vivir muchas vidas en una.” “Reading is another way of living; actually, a beautiful way to live many lives in one.” — Édgar Allen García, Ecuadorian author who writes about this legend Hill shaped like Spanish bread This is a legend about El Panecillo, a famous hill in Quito, Ecuador. It apparently got its name because the shape reminded the Spanish conquistadors of the bread baked in Andalusia, Spain. El Panecillo from Old Town Quito, Ecuador El Panecillo in Inca times Before the conquistadors arrived, the hill was known as Yavirac. The Incas celebrated Inti Raymi,…
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Baby Llama at the Inca Ruins
“Mama Llama’s always near, even if she’s not right here.” — Anna Dewdney, Llama Lama Red Pajama Llamas and Inca Ruins A baby llama (a cria) running around Inca ruins adds lively entertainment to a leisurely stroll through history. Cria at the Inca Ruins The terraces in Cuenca’s Pumapungo Inca ruins (which I wrote about here) are filled in with grass. Llamas tethered to the ground are moved around the grounds to keep the grass short. Like most baby animals, crias stay close to their mother so they are not tethered. They are able to run and bounce around, learning about the world around them and making friends. On this day,…
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Inca Ruins in Cuenca, Ecuador
“Everything has crumbled and in ruins but you can still appreciate how grand it was.” — Pedro Cieza de León, 1547, chronicler of the Spanish conquest, speaking about Tomebamba Visiting Inca ruins in Cuenca, Ecuador by city bus is easy because they are in the middle of the city. Northern Inca Capital The Inca conquered the Cañari people in 1470 and established the city-state of Tomebamba (Large Plateau) high in the Andes mountains. Emperor Huayna Capac (ruled 1493-1525) selected Tomebamba, where he was born, to be the Inca northern capital. It was a short lived capital. A civil war between Incan brothers in the 1520s led to it’s destruction.…
