LIVING FOR THE CITY – Scenes from Quito, Ecuador

LIVING FOR THE CITY

Quito, the capital of Ecuador, stretches across a high-altitude (8,250 meters / 9,350 feet above sea level) meseta surrounded by the slopes of Pichincha volcano and many hills – Panecillo, Libertad, El Placer, Itchimbía and others. On the horizon, Cayambe, Antisana, Cotopaxi, and other volcanos are seen when the clouds part. 

Its Centro Histórico (Historic Center) is one of the best preserved in all of Latin America, thus making Quito one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites (declared in 1978). The city, built in 1534 upon the runs of an Inca city, displays stunning architecture mixing Spanish, mudejár (Moorish), indigenous and other influences. During the colonial period, it was home to the Escuela Quiteña school of art which created altar screens, sculptures and paintings for churches throughout the northern Andes.

Visitors wander Quito’s streets, enthralled by the historic buildings, many museums, and the markets. It is the gateway to adventures to Ecuador’s four regions: hiking and mountain climbing in the Sierra, checking out the jungle wildlife in the Amazonía, surfing on the Pacific coast (and savoring the country’s best dishes there – especially in Esmeraldas and Manabí provinces), and observing the incredible, unique fauna of the Galápagos Islands.

Tourists are so bedazzled by the Quito’s richness that many miss seeing the local people who are living for the city. They don’t hear the rhythm of everyday (and every night) life of this ciudad, especially those who live in the Centro Histórico (Historic Center – yes, tens of thousands live in that sector of the city).  

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My first visit to Quito was in 1992. Over the decades, I have visited many times. I always stayed in the Centro Histórico. Each visit has inspired me to capture the sights, sounds and smells of the city. In this collection, Living for the City, which includes poems from 2005 to 2007, I invite you to join me in experiencing the vital rhythms of this ciudad, from before the dawn (Mute to Grey) to the wee hours of the night (Echoes).

A young girl feeds the multitudinous pigeons that hang out on Plaza San Francisco (A Quiteño Sketch). And like any place on this planet, folks go on with their daily lives despite the rain – and miss the magic of a rainbow (Three O’Clock Rain). They return home after yet another long day at work (Homeward). And like many cities in this world, child abuse (One Shoe) and homelessness (2 AM Streets) hide in plain sight – if only we all (locals and tourists alike) would see …

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Click on over to the Latin America Wanderer E-Book Library and settle in for these poetic adventures.

Safe Journeys!

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If you would like continue exploring Quito,

check out these other collections of my poetry :

poetry, quito, ecuador

In the Jaguar Valley (Chicago: dancing girl press, 2023)

Lorraine-Caputo--Bio-CVR--Quito-Suites-2021-SeptEndless-Rains (Origami Poems, 2023-Fall)

Quito Suite and Endless Rains (both from Origami Poems Project)

Ecuador, Quito, Virgin Mary, pilgrim, travel, tourism, celebration, religion, poetry

Songs to Mary – A Pilgrim’s Guide to and a Poetic Witnessing of Marian Processions in Quito, Ecuador (Twin Tails Publishing, 2022)

THE TIME FOR TRAVELING – 2023 E-Book Travel Guides and Poetic Journeys

© Lorraine Caputo

The time for travelling has arrived.

In the Northern Hemisphere, chill winds blow through bare tree limbs, whipping sodden, colorless leaves into whirlwinds. Snow is a-blowing into drifts. Icy slush seeps into boots.

For some of us, this is the time to transform into the ultimate snowbird. We pack the ol’ trusty knapsack and hop on the wind, escaping from that frigid winter. We head to lands where the hurricane season has ended and the dry season begun – or to others lands where summer is beginning.

In the Southern Hemisphere, summer vacations are upon us. Locals are packing luggage, coolers and other essentials – especially in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. They are boarding trains to explore the countries, then bee-lining it to the numerous campgrounds, hostales and other lodging so common throughout these countries.

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Are you ready to enjoy the endless summer?

Then come with me to browse the 2023 acquisitions to the Latin America Wanderer’s eBook Library.

No, these aren’t guidebooks in the traditional sense, listing hotels, restaurants and the such. These are a whole new concept in guides.

Some of these special collections of my published poetry are journeys to specific countries, sometimes illustrated with my own photography.

Others are handbooks – to give you information on Latin America’s cultural and natural beauty. These also include poetry and – very often – are generously illustrated with my photography.

Embark, then, on poetic journeys to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and other destinations in Latin America.

And check out the special handbooks to help you in your journeys to Northeastern Argentina and to Latin America’s multitudinous archaeological sites, and enjoy one of the region’s most important religious celebrations, Semana Santa.

All are available at the LATIN AMERICA WANDERER E-BOOK LIBRARY.

Safe Journeys!

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                Poetic Journeys to Great Destinations

poetry, beach, sea, Mexico, Pacific

At Blue Beach & Other Explorations : Chilling On Mexico’s Pacific Coast

Mmmmmm – what a delight to escape to the beach! Come chill at some of Mexico’s most-renowned Pacific Coast playas, as well as some lesser-known ones. Caleta de Campos, Playa Azul, Puerto Escondido and Zipolite are all on the itinerary.

Jungle Visons - Izabal

Jungle Visions – Meditations from the Shores of Lago Izabal

A half-dozen poems of one of my favorite get-away-from-it-all places in eastern Guatemala.

Land of Lakes & Volcanoes -- cover

Land Of Lakes & Volcanoes : Poetic Vignettes of Nicaragua

With this collection, you will mosey through Nicaragua, to cities, small towns and deep in the countryside, from Estelí in the north to Rivas in the south. Be witness to daily life, to a heartfelt serenade, and to several holidays: the feast day of San Antonio, New Year’s Eve and the Epiphany (feast day of the Three Kings).

FROM THE CROSSROADS

From the Crossroads of the World : Verses from Panamá  

From Bocas del Toro, on the far northern Caribbean Coast, to Panama City, the Pacific Ocean terminus of the Panama Canal, we wend and learn why Panama is the Crossroads of the World.

Selva Saunters

Selva Saunters : Poetry in Ecuador’s Jungle

This selection of poems let’s us journey through the Ecuador’s jungle region, from Baños to Zumba, with stops at Puyo, Macas and Vilcabamba.

Return to the Roof of the World - N Peru

Return to the Roof of the World : Journeys Through the Northern Peruvian Andes

We return to the Roof of the World in Peru, this time wandering through the northern Andes: to Mitupampa; from Huamachuco to Trujillo; to Huaraz; from Huaraz to Chavín and vice-versa; and from  Huancavelica to Pisco. This collection is the sister companion to On the Roof of the World – Poems from the Southern Peruvian Andes (2022).

Patagonian Passages

Patagonian Passages : Poems from Southern Argentina

Here we travel in Argentina’s Patagonia, from the South Atlantic seas to the towering Andes. Such breathtaking landscapes!

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                Cross-Geography

JAGUAR DREAMS

Jaguar Dreams

Throughout tropical America, the jaguar (Panthera onca) is a sacred animal. For many indigenous nations, this mystical feline represents abundance, protection and leadership. In my journeys, I have had often felt its spirit (and even had a few close encounters of the yaguareté kind!)

Women of S Am

Women of Latin America – South America

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Month, this volume honors the women of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay in poetry and photography.

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                Travel Handbooks

BETWEEN RIVERS

Between Rivers – Journeys in Argentina’s Mesopotamia Region

The wonderful thing about traveling in Argentina is that even the smallest of towns have campgrounds – and Argentina’s Mesopotamia region, which encompasses Entre Ríos, Corrientes and Misiones provinces, is the perfect place to kick back and chill. The principal towns are popular with national and international vacationers, as are Iberá National Park and Iguazú Falls.

(e-Book - diy) DIGGING THE PAST -- cover

Digging the Past : Exploring Latin America’s Ancient Ruins

This handbook will guide you to visiting Latin America’s many ancient ruins, with information on off-the-beaten-track explorations and tips for visiting archaeological sites. Also included are special articles on geoglyphs, petroglyphs and other earth art; Chinchorro mummies; and suggested readings on Latin America archaeology. Lavishly illustrated with my photography. We also embark on poetic journeys to sites in Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, and Argentina.

Semana Santa

Semana Santa – A Guide to and a Poetic-Photographic Journey of Easter Week in Latin America

Semana Santa (Easter Week) is one of the major religious seasons in Latin America. This guide fills you in on everything you need to know to witness these events: Marking the Days of Semana Santa in Latin America; Best Places to Experience Semana Santa, Tips for Travelers, and Ciphering Semana Santa. Poetry documents the religious traditions, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, in Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru and El Salvador. Extensively illustrated with my photography.

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Where shall we be a-journeying in 2024?

What festivities shall we be joining?

Come visit the Latin America Wanderer E-Book Library every month, when a new collection is added, and find out!

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Would you like an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry designed?

Contact me to discuss your dream!

NEW PUBLICATIONS : Poetic and Travel – December Solstice 2023

HAPPY DECEMBER SOLSTICE!

If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you are officially starting winter. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, then summer is beginning.

Now, that leaves the age-old question: What about if you’re near the equator? In the tropics (defined by the region lying between the Tropic of Cancer – which, in the Americas, runs through Mexico – and the Tropic of Capricorn – which passes through Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil), there really isn’t an autumn … or a spring. Rather, the seasons are defined by whether it is the rainy season or the dry season – and depending where you are, the rainy season may be called winter and the dry season summer – or vice-versa ….

This is also the time when many Andean nations celebrate Kapak Raymi (the Great Festival), when the female energy of the Universe is at her peak. It is the time of the release of potentials.

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AND – it is time for another quarterly round-up of my recent publications!

Indeed, indeed – my poetry and travel writing continue to appear in journals and on websites around the world – this quarter, in the US, the UK, India, France and Japan.

Spend this December solstice browsing through the list (with links) below, poetically journeying to Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, the Galapagos Islands, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela … and destinations within my self / Self …

Besides my photography accompanying my poetry, my visual expressions are featured in several other publications.

In the realm of travel narratives and articles, we’ll be hanging out in the Mexico City train station; off on another two adventures to Guatemala and Honduras to explore more of the Fruit Company’s history there; and witnessing an event on the Caribbean coast of Honduras.

And until we next meet …..

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Safe Journeys!

Midnight Murmurs -- window

“I sit in my room … hearing / the window rattle …” photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW LITERARY EXPRESSIONS

“Canticle” in First Literary Review-East (September 2023)

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“A Thousand Miles” in Ink Sweat & Tears (UK) (5 October 2023)

“New Year Delayed,” “Dreaming with Hormigas Voladores” and “Counting the World” in Literary Yard (India) (7 October 2023)

“Secrets” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (10 October 2023)

“In the Darkest Hour” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (12 October 2023)

“Midnight Murmurs” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (18 October 2023)

[Hallowe’en haiku] “Frost fractures upon …” in Scarlet Dragonfly Journal (Hallowe’en issue, October 2023)

“Some Saturday in Otavalo” in Beakful / Bécquée (France) (24 October 2023)

“Holding Our Breath” in Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal (25 October 2023)

“Skyline,” “Retreat,” and “Solitary Shores” in Lit Shark Magazine (Issue 2, October 2023)

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“Upon the Ruins” in Dashboard Horus (12 November 2023)

“Evening’s Tide,” “Leaving Behind” and “Towards the River Plate” in Synchronized Chaos (mid-November 2023)

“Villa de Leyva” + photography in MasticadoresUSA (18 November 2023)

[haiku] “Night falls deeper …” in Cold Moon Journal (19 November 2023)

“On Restless Wing” in The Seraphic Review (Issue 2, November 2023)

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“Southern Cross” and “The Road of Death” in Verse-Virtual (December 2023)

“Yungas” in Backchannels Journal (Fall 2023)

“Shadows Sonance” in The Sacramento Review (Nº 1, December 2023)

“Mountain Matins” in The Orchards Poetry Journal (Winter 2023)

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drawing, artwork, Caputo, meditation

“Desert Dream” (pen & ink, colored pencil) drawing © Lorraine Caputo

Besides my photography and artwork appearing in the above journals, my visual creations has also been featured here :

“Parting the Waters” in Quail Bell Magazine (9 November 2023)

4 drawings: “Contrasts,” “Desert Dream,” “Subaqueous,” and “Visitor” in Tigershark (UK) (Issue 34, Autumn/Winter 2023)

“Parting the Waters” in Literary Cocktail Magazine (India) (Fall 2023)

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AND OTHER NEWS IN THE PUBLISHING REALM

My chapbook, In the Jaguar Valley, has been reviewed in the UK:

“Midnight Echoes,” in The Lake (UK), One Poem Review (November 2023)

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My poem, “Wraiths,” was nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

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Endless-Rains (Origami Poems, 2023-Fall)

A new, FREE microchap of my poetry has hit the virtual bookshelves!

Endless Rains (Origami Poems Project, 2023)

(If you are able, please make a donation to the Origami Poems Project so that they may continue to make these microchaps available for free to all! Thank you!)

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the ode

The complete manuscript of my works about the United and Standard Fruit Companies. photo © Lorraine Caputo

NEW TRAVEL EXPRESSIONS

This quarter, four of my travel narratives have been published – including two from The Ode.

Oracle

“Boredom” (Spring 2023)

Flapper Press

“Puerto Barrios” (October 2023)

Dissident Voice

“Here Comes the Rain Again” (18 November 2023)

The Personal Essayist

“Because of Circumstance” (1 December 2023) – trigger warning: sexual assault

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And a special article to help you travelers plan your adventures:

Japan Concert Tickets

Ghibli Theme Park

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Do you have a project in mind?

Rely on my decades of writing and publishing experience to make your writing or website shine!

If you need any of the following services, please feel free to contact me for a cost quote on your project:

  • an article for your publication or website
  • proofreading and editing of your blog articles
  • a translation (Spanish-English)
  • proofreading or copyediting of your dissertation, book or article
  • design of an eBook or ready-to-print collection of your poetry (please see here for examples)

I am also available to participate in literary events.