Ecuador - smallest of the states in the South America, the Andes located along a mountain chain. But it does not prevent to be to it one of the most interesting countries on continent. 500 years ago this earth excited imagination and involved adventurers of all colours. Was considered, what exactly here is located mythical Eldorado - the country where street urchins play gold as simple stones. Conquistadors, scientific, priests, travellers - many went on searches of Eldorado, but all was vain. Eldorado and remains a myth, only gold инков which sometimes find at excavation scientists, testifies about rich, though also the bloody past of the country. Here Inca submitted other American Indian tribes that following then to fall a victim of conquistadors, and descendants of conquistadors in turn struggled with Spain for independence of Latin America.
When Ecuador has separated from Great Colombia, it could not settle long years territorial questions from Peru. Cannot and to this day. It is difficult to Ecuador to reconcile that in 1942 according to the report of Rio de Janeiro it has been compelled to concede a part of the earths Peru. And consequently the card of Ecuador printed in the country, quite often differs from the cards published in other places a little.
Ecuador is obliged by the name to equator - an imagined line of a perpendicular axis of rotation of the earth and equidistant from poles. The equator crosses the country north in several kilometres from it’s capital Quito. The country amazes with grandiose landscapes: violent tropical wood, a mysterious selva of Amazon remind of those times when the person on the earth was not. On mountain plateaus where rare settlements of Indians, apparently, always are scattered the fog lays. Actually it is clouds. In Europe or on caucasus at such height eternal snow already lay. And here, on equator though and it is cold and difficult to breathe because of rarefied air, there live people, animals are grazed.
The volcanoes extended in two parallel mountain chains, cross all country. These chains name Avenida - the prospectus of volcanoes. From mountains falls are overthrown and almost any legend is connected with each of them. For example, the falls with the romantic name "Veil of the bride" have not less romantic history. The girl from a rich family of planters has grown fond, naturally, poor, but noble кабальеро.
Parents, as one would expect, have opposed this feeling and have decided to give out somewhat quicker a daughter for more suitable applicant. Unfortunate ran from under a wreath directly in a wedding dress. Has rushed to search for the beloved who for some reason disappeared somewhere in mountains. But when there has come night, it has gone astray, has broken from a rock and has broken to death. And its veil hooked for a stone, has turned to falls.
Other falls have helped one abrupt guy - the macho. It has plundered bank and left in mountains from persecutors. Eventually, when they already have almost overtaken it, it was hooked for falls and has got on it upwards, as on a cord. Policemen too have got behind it, but it has snatched out the machete and has chopped falls. So policemen got downwards, and it was safely rescued with all stolen good.
Well and - "the Frying pan of a devil" once a year gets out of one of the most majestic falls of the South America a Satan. Earlier it appeared much more often, but it was not pleasant to the God, and it has sent powerful streams of waters which wash off line back in an underworld.
In general, lines often enough appeared in the most different parts of Ecuador. But people not very much were afraid of it and even tried to take from its occurrence any benefit. Once it even have forced to construct a temple. Lines has concluded the contract with the architect, that if it will construct a temple for one night the architect will give it a soul. But architects the people uneasy, and the architect so has made drawings, that last stone at line did not lay down in any way on a place. Lines the architect has not coped to the first cocks and when it was cleaned back home, grinning and whistling, itself has put last stone.
It is amusing, that this history is known for a long time and it concerned the most different temples, beginning from majestic temples Quito and Peter and Paul's cathedral in Guayaquil and finishing small churches in country towns. Probably, lines has fine filled to itself a hand in building of churches, that it is no wonder in such Catholic country, after all, as is known to its many inhabitants, - the earth round and the Christ in heavens settles down just over the South America. And Jehovah was in those days when the earth was still flat and consequently till now does not guess to glance for its edge and to look that there. This Christ and his mother should sponsor New Light, time the God-father has concentrated on Old. Here such entertaining cosmogonic history occurs among Ecuadorians.
Can seem, what not without the bases. As there in heavens, it is not known, but here on the earth the Christ and Maiden Maria tower over two largest cities of the country. The Christ costs on a hill over Guayaquil, and the Mother of god patroness Quito. The mother of god Quito from the point of view of art seems close not too impressing work of art, but it has one strange feature: the sculptor has represented Maiden Maria winged, as an angel that contradicts all canons. On this distinctive feature the Mother of god Quito sometimes in addition name "the Mother of god with wings". It is necessary to tell, that Ecuadorians were not bad arranged. Have left terrible and severe Jehovah to the Old World, and live under the protection of the all-forgiving Christ and compassionate Maiden Maria. Live though and it is poor, but it is joyful. |
