Tuesday, Dec 13, 2016
Kelly swinging over Cuenca
Site seeing day today for Kelly. Easton stayed home to work on some business ideas he has going. Kelly, Chase, Heidi and I went to Turi to show her the best view in Cuenca. Needless to say she was impressed.
She even did the swing to cement it in her mind. 😉
Chase and Kelly at Turi
The Eduardo Vega Galeria is also at Turi. This is the first time any of us have been in it. Although we’ve been to Turi multiple times we didn’t know this gallery was here. The gallery is on the hill about 500 feet before arriving at the lookout area. It is behind a stucco wall so it is easy to go unnoticed.
Eduardo Vega Gallery at Turi
Eduardo Vega is a renowned ceramic artist in Cuenca. He makes ceramic dinner ware, tiles, decorative wall art, vases, and many more items. His ceramics are colorful, skillfully designed, and often depict local life in Ecuador.
Tile Art at Eduardo Vega Gallery
After Turi we went to the Pumapungo Museum in El Centro. The traveling exhibit happening there is called Impermanence. Ok, this is my expert artsy fartsy interpretation of the exhibit. “You live and you die…and it goes quick between those two points”. There, I just saved you a 30 minute dialogue from a museum guide trying to explain this idea through art.
I’m just not a conceptual, abstract art guy. I’d rather look at paintings and sculptures of people instead of their crystallized essence. Oh let me explain, one of the exhibits is people reduced down to their crystalline parts…blood, urine, semen, bone. WTF? Sure, at the crystalline level it puts us all on the same playing field, but I already know we are all the same. Strip a man naked, take his toys and props away, put him in a forest, and all you have is a naked dude surviving to stay warm. Hmm, maybe I should do an art exhibit. 😉
Chase and Kelly at Pumapungo Museum
Still, the ruins and grounds at Pumapungo are interesting. The winner of the Impermanence exhibit here was a Peruvian guy who grew a crop circle-like garden with a loudspeaker placed in the center that constantly drones the same monotone repetitive message whether it is past, present, or future events.
While this goes on 24/7 the crops all around are in various states of living and dying. See, you’re born and then you die. You can see Chase in front of it…still living.
Personally I think the llamas and birds on the grounds are more entertaining.
Chase dealing with llama etiquette
All in all it has been a fun day. The weather for most of the day was sunny, but as it seems to happen like clock work lately, clouds begin to roll in around 2 pm and rain starts between 4 pm and 6 pm.
Me and Heidi out and about
Chau.
Turi and the art gallery were 2 of my favourite stops in Cuenca when we visited last summer. I have promised myself a specific piece of artwork once we move down this summer. It was raining when we went (yes, it was around 2 pm) on the Red Bus tour so we didn’t get to see the swing. Where is it? It will definitely be a “must do” when we return!!
Hi Cheryl,
There are some beautiful pieces in that gallery for sure. My wife’s favorite are the colorful ones depicting women doing laundry in the river. To get to the swing, walk further up the road that runs along side of the hill and is still looking over Cuenca. To the left, is a set of stairs going up the hill…start climbing. At the top of the stairs they collect $1 to be up there. Another lookout/picture area is there, as well as a small bar/restaurant. The swing is on top of this hill. Thanks for reading Cheryl!
Todd