04/30/2021
Series #1 - “The Doors”
There is something wonderful about over-the-top carvings, whimsical brightly colored paint, and elegant arches. The communities we biked through on our cross-Ecuador trip were graced by truly beautiful churches - clearly proudly maintained by community members.
If we were facing a cold, rainy night, we often sought shelter in front of a local church - protected, at least in part, by ornate roof lines, ledges, and door lintels.
Sometimes we ate lunch inside neighborhood churches in order to escape the rain. On one such occasion, the local caretaker opened the church, and proudly showed us the handmade, light-up Christmas decorations made by congregation members (and still on display mid-March). He then excused himself (heading off to check his herd), and told us we should wait out the storm inside and then leave the key by the door so that he could lock up later on his way back through town.
On another occasion, .bittner and I set up our tents in front of the local church only to be surprised early the next morning when a large group of congregants gathered for 6am Palm Sunday mass. I think they were pretty surprised to find two gringas blinking back sleep while trying to quickly pack away their tents and other camping gear.
