The tour was only $2, so we excitedly followed our 4-foot-10 guide into the stone building and into the elevator. As far as exploration goes, this was by FAR the coolest tour I've been on. She led us into all these areas of churches that you normally never see: above the rafters, up side towers, the back-side of the clock, up extremely steep ladders, and into the bell area where she actually rang the bell for us (at about 2:52). I wondered if all the Quito residents frantically went to "fix" their clocks.
This was the view from the smaller tower at the north end of the Basilica. Now, look over at those two taller twin towers. She later took us all the way up the left one to where there wasn't even a floor anymore, and I was stepping on mesh. On the picture it's just below where the towers get cut off by the picture. Then she said "Come" and led me OUTSIDE the tower where there was NO GUARDRAIL and I could look down nearly 100 meters (300 feet). I'm not afraid of heights, thank the Lord, but all I could think was, "This is a lawsuit waiting to happen" and "Good thing I'm not suicidal!"
On the way down (when my legs were rubber), as I was un-tensing, she pointed out the Basilica's special "gargoyles." They're really animals from all over Ecuador: turtles, condors, seagulls, panthers, snakes, etc. The Rosetta above was full of Ecuador's flowers, and the stained glass on the sides depicted famous Ecuadorians. In fact, I had to admit I felt the Basilica was more of a glorification of Ecuador's culture and history than God's magnificence and power, but I think that may have been its purpose.
After making it out alive, we decided to treat ourselves.
The End.
1 comment:
That is an awesome church... How much longer are you going to be in Ecuador?
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