Graffiti in Ecuador

As with any big city, there is graffiti.  It seems to be present in many, if not all, of the big cities in the world.  My stay in Cuenca has piqued my interest in its interesting collection of "art", so I decided to take some photos.

Some are very basic, utilizing just a single-color spray paint can:

Some send a powerful message:

"Study, Organize, and Fight/Rebel."  You may notice the "JCE" stencil on the right.  JCE stands for "Juventud Comunista Ecuatoriano" (Communist Youth of Ecuador).

And of course, some graffiti is very complex and hard to read/understand:

This wall has "Ganja Crew" tagged on it.  Ganja means marijuana.  Upon closer inspection, the eyes of the person in purple have cannabis leaves in them:

Others are even more open for interpretation:

This one says "Tína".  This could be talking about a girl...or meth.  Who knows?

"Smash."  I'm not even going to pretend like I know what this means.  I'm stumped.

 

Maybe the "MSA Crew" felt like making some pretty "Cuenca Arte".  This is refreshingly pretty graffiti.

There are others that I remember, but I was not able to find their location again for a photo.  The most memorable was a classic depiction of a black sphere cartoon bomb, but with an interesting twist.  There was a big red letter A (the anarchy symbol) on the bomb, and the fuse was lit, sending the clear message that at least someone or some group is letting the government know the people will only take so much, and the clock is ticking, because that fuse is burning!  This gives us insight into the volatile political environment in Ecuador.  I took the liberty of creating a rendition in MS Paint:

As a side note, Quito also had powerful graffiti.  There are two that I will always remember:

1.  An anthropomorphic television with arms, legs, and a crown, whose screen read "Yo soy tu Dios" (I am your God), representing the influence of media and its power over the people.

2.  A fierce condor (representing Ecuador) ripping out the eyes of a lion (representing Spain).  This symbolizes the sovereignty of Ecuador:  independence from Spain.  Long live patriotism!

So to sum it up, graffiti is an interesting and questionable (because it can be considered vandalism) way to express and convey an idea publicly, in any part of the world.  I think it might be a way to express an idea anonymously, or to make a point of view known in a powerful way.  Graffiti expresses all types of ideas in a very visual way.  I didn't expect to see graffiti here in Ecuador.  I'm not sure why, but it always just seemed like a US thing to me.  Now the experience of travel has taught me otherwise!

 Disclaimer: The Matthew in no way advocates or condones the proliferation of graffiti, and is only commenting on the graffiti that already exists.

Guayaquil

                Guayaquil is my new favorite city in Ecuador.  This city really resonates with me for a few reasons.  I think it is incredibly beautiful.  The second time I was there, as part of my return from the Galápagos Islands, we had a tour of the city with a great guide.  He filled our sponge-like brains with great information.  For example, because of the climate, certain buildings were made out of wood (instead of cement) and elevated to help create a cooling convection current.  Taking advantage of the water table that is only 5 feet deep in many areas, pillars separated by water "cushions" underground help buildings stand impervious to earthquakes of even a 7.0 magnitude.  With all the precipitation in the rainy season, and up to 15 feet of water in 4 months during the El Niño phenomenon, the economy would have drastically slowed down, if not for the overhanging design of many buildings, sheltering the passers-by and keeping the economy flowing.  There are many cool things that I love about this city, and my favorite is the massive boardwalk along the waterfront.  The government has (and is still currently) investing millions of dollars in this area of the city.  What all does it have, you ask?  First of all, it's like a gigantic botanical garden.  Trees, flowers, it has them all.  The lighting is great from the sun because of its location, and at night, it is well-lit and has an elegant look to it.  The boardwalk had great architecture that mimics a large ship, and there are numerous playgrounds for children.  With security guards abound, this area was designed for families to spend time together in a safe public space.  To me this is a huge success.  Plus, it has some really good restaurants, and everyone loves food.  These are perfect reasons for me to retire in Guayaquil!  I can envision myself there right now with my grandkids.  What a pleasant snapshot of the future.

Las Islas Galápagos

            If you are ever able to make it out to the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador, there is one thing you absolutely must do: SNORKEL.  I say this because it is absolutely amazing.  The entire experience is exhilarating.  First, you put all your gear on, like a wetsuit, flippers, goggles and snorkel mask.  Then, you enter the water from the side of the boat (bonus points if you're the first one in your group to get in the water).  Then, you freeze for a few seconds as surprisingly cold water rushes over your body and envelops you in the ocean.  You may have been under the impression that since the Galápagos are located on the equator, the water would be warm like in the Caribbean.  That would be incorrect.  The water is so cold because of the way currents work.  After the temperature adjustment, the view is unbelievable.  During an excursion off the coast of Isla Santa Cruz, I saw hundreds of fish, ranging in size, color, and shape.  I also swam with my classmates toward the shore where we swam with multiple fun sea lions (lobos marinos in Spanish, literally translating to "marine wolves").  If you blow bubbles underwater, they come and play with you.  After a while, we had attracted so many sea lions that the dominant male (the alpha), decided he needed to come break it up and reclaim his territory.  The alpha was about 2-3 times larger than the average sea lion, and had a fun time getting between Lucas and the other sea lions to show that he was still in charge.  At a different location, I witnessed a massive sea turtle feeding underwater on some plants growing on rocks.  I was able to touch its shell.  Yes, it was awesome.  I also saw skates, sting rays, manta rays, penguins, and even numerous white tip reef sharks, which may or may not have been extremely close to me...  OK They were extremely close to me!  =)

-Matthew the snorkeler

El Cementerio

Hello all,

            Yesterday I went with some of my class to visit Cuenca's cemetery.  This was a great cultural experience for me.  We visited this place for Day of the Dead / All Saints' Day (Spanish: Día de los Muertos y Día de los Difuntos).  This place was beautiful.  Families brought bright bouquets of flowers and other adornments to illuminate the already grand headstones.  I was really moved with the amount of respect people have for their loved ones who have passed on.  The perfectly cut marble, the intricately embossed letters of gold, and other religious artifacts like the powerful crucifix were magnificent.  No matter what religious or other beliefs you may hold, death is a part of life, like two sides of a coin, and everyone can relate as human beings and find some common ground on this topic.

            This cemetery was packed with people.  Entire families dressed up and came to pay their respects to, and reminisce about, their family members, friends, and other loved ones.  Mass was held in one of the openings near the center of the cemetery.  There was a priest, some helpers, and musicians.  They were encircled by the crowd that attended the mass.  Many people wore black, as appears to be the tradition in the United States, as well.  Some of the older women also seemed to pair nice white shirts with long purple or blue skirts, while the younger generation wears clothes of a more casual variety (this is not to say they have any less respect for the deceased), such as blue jeans and a T-shirt.  I enjoyed going to the cemetery that morning.  Seeing people cleaning the glass and walls of their loved ones' mausoleums made me appreciate the human race more that day.  I'm glad people remember their loved ones and pay respect to them. I think it's the right thing to do.  Even though I don't know them personally, it makes me proud. I didn't take any photos out of respect for the deceased and their families.  I didn't want to make the cemetery a novelty for this blog, only to speak of it with the utmost respect.