"The Central Plaza in Latacunga. I was surprised to read later that this town of 30,000 people, had been almost completely destroyed by a major eruption of the nearby volcano in 1877.
 
The town of Latacunga turned out to be a pure delight, with many attractive white washed churches and old colonial buildings. It was also market day, and I was a little worried at first with it being so busy, I wouldn’t be able to find somewhere to stay, but I soon found a very comfortable room at a hotel on the main plaza. With so much I would have liked to paint I found it difficult to know where to start. But by the time I had had a good walk round I felt quite exhausted, and was content to sit down in the corner of the plaza near my hotel to paint the picture above.
 
The market here was by far the largest I saw while in Ecuador, almost the entire town seemed to be busy with traders selling things. Once again I was able to enjoy roast pork served with fried mash potato cake from a stall, like at at the market in Gualaceo.
 
The next morning, after my first good sleep for 3 nights, I had a few more hours in the town, but with the market gone, and the weather cloudy and dull, it seemed a less inspiring place. By midday, feeling I had seen enough, I returned to the hotel to collect my bag, then went out to the main road, where I was soon able to catch a minibus to Quito." - MH