Editor’s note: Contrary to the popular belief of my male friends who are obsessed with Angelina Jolie, I did not intentionally come here on the heels of her recent trip to Ecuador. I planned mine way before, though I doubt my trip will get as much press coverage.
It’s Day 2 in Quito, Ecuador and I’m 
fighting like mad for an Internet connection – it’s me against the machine.
While I’d love to write down every juicy detail of my expedition right this minute, I have decided to save it up in my handwritten journal and publish when I’m with connection again.
And I’m trying so hard to memorize every detail. Which brings me to my latest thought: I often wonder about the memories that will ultimately stand out when I return home. Of course, I can’t know now. I can write down every detail and stay present during every turn (except during nap time.)
The idea of “what sticks” when it comes to travel and exploring the unfamiliar is a cool concept – and continues the adventure after I get back.
In the meantime, here’s a short list of what’s fascinating me here so far – I’ve included links where possible, so I encourage you to take a look around and see the sights.
1 Oswaldo Guayasamin: Famous Ecuadorian painter, sculptor, collector. My fabulous guide and I checked out his final work “The Chapel of Man.” I’m so intrigued, blown away and a a bit obsessed. In his art, he captured the pain of humanity in dramatic forms as a message … a message so abrupt, I found myself a bit shocked at the first. And then further study made a whole boatload of sense. Picture included here (not mine, but I did take an exact replica) and I’m eager to share more, including an interview with one of the museum staff members.
2. Mitad del Mundo: The middle of the world – I stood there yesterday, basking in all the glory of latitude and longitude coming together. A whole troupe of French scientists were the cool guys who marked the spot and the Mitad del Mundo is adorned with their sculptured mugs.
3. Churches and more churches: I know, I know – you’ve seen them in every city – how different can it get? Way different – I actually recorded many observations and cool commentary from my guide via voice recorder (memory tool!) just so I can recount the richness. My interest in the evolution of Catholic Church and the Incan / Andean cultures started during my Peruvian adventure. More to come.
4. I simply can’t close this post without mentioning the brilliant time I’m having here at the rustic yet magical Hacienda Rumiloma – and no, they’re not paying me a word to write this. The attention to detail and the effort to create a space that reflects the authentic Ecuadorian culture is almost unbelievable. But believe it – they’ve done it.
How do you memorize your travel adventures? From photos and postcards to journals and simple reliance on fond thoughts, we each have different ways of keeping our travel experiences and memories alive. Share your ideas in the comments below!
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I have lived in Quito for over 16 years, I am happy to help with any questions you might have about the country. bullock0005@yahoo.com
Hi Patrick! I will definitely email you – I should be going back down soon, so would love your thoughts. Thanks!
I took a week’s trip to Puerto Vallarta last November and prior to going decided that this is where I would begin my travel writing. It was a trip of discovery and not beach time. I had also decided to take a rest from the internet for the entire trip, so I bought a beautiful journal and made daily entries of the day; that, along with photos was quite enough to create my travel blog when I returned home.I read back through the journal now and again and it is a wonderful memory keeper.
Hi Angeline! I love that! I realized how hard it can be to rely on the Internet for my travel writing – one never quite knows what type of access one will have, so I, too, brought pen and paper. And I also saw that what I wrote was much more personal than what I’d probably write directly on the blog, but that I could draw things from it. I’m glad you had a similar experience!
I love to travel — and I love to write about it. I also keep a journal with me at all times on the road and try to write at least the “high points” of every day — the prompts, if you will. Then I can flesh it all out later. In addition to photos (made so easy these days by small digital cameras and cellphones) I save everything: bus and train receipts, museum passes (so beautiful in so many places), restaurant receipts . . . I take a business card from every restaurant and store I visit . . .I’ll even take printed paper napkins and menus when they look disposable. All these things help me create a true memory of a place when I get home and start to write about it. Buon viaggio!
Hey Linda – wow, that’s awesome that you keep all of the passes, business cards, napkins – I think I might steal that idea from you if you don’t mind :) Those are the prompts that bring back memories more than just photos and notes in my journal. I’ll be back on the road soon, so I’ll try it. Thank you :)
Ecuador is the next place I want to explore, and check out those panama hats too. I love jotting down notes when I’m travelling but use a travel blog to log it all down. Hopefuly my blog will keep my memory in check through my grey years.
Enjoy your journey.
Yes, you must go, Cate. Wonderful country – and I think I may be going back soon. But since I know how much you love to travel…
Speak soon!
I create a living journal for every trip I take. I select a blank book from my horde, or I choose one that I find as I’m in pre-trip mode. Then armed with colored pencils and/or markers, a children’s scissor and a glue stick I get to work filling the beginning pages with itinerary notes, wish lists of things to do, and practicalities like “if found please return to sender” on the inside back cover.
Once the journey begins I start collecting stuff to put inside: my boarding pass or train ticket. A cocktail napkin. Matchbox covers, postcards, promotional stickers. Whatever comes my way. I jot down observations about landmarks, side streets, cafes, and people-watching. Add in haiku and rambling prose, hand-drawn maps. I glue down theater programs, church newsletters, ripped out pieces of newspaper in a foreign language. Contact information for new friends, photo booth snapshots. Recipes, origami, ribbons, and even pressed flowers peep out from the pages.
I have a book for every trip I’ve ever taken, some of them are filled to the gills, stained with raindrops and coffee. Some of them are peppered with words, rants, impressions. Others are visual tomes each of them representing a rites of passage in my life.
Awesome, Andrea! You’re so organized – I love it. What a great idea – you could turn that into your own business – creating travel experience journals for folks or guiding them through the process. I know that in my travels, I’m often not as conscious of the details that can spur the memories to come alive later. You’re an inspiration for my next trip to Ecuador!
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