La Catedral de Portoviejo: Conoce más de mi ciudad [ESP-ENG]

Today I want to show you a bit more of my city. There's a cathedral I like—I'm not a fan of cathedrals, nor Catholic by religion—but I must say I really like their structure from an architectural point of view. So whenever I see a cathedral, a castle, or a structure like that, it definitely captures all my attention.

The Cathedral of Portoviejo is a meeting point and, more importantly, a point of reference, despite having a bad reputation, mostly because the local government hasn’t done anything solid about the situation. To give you some context: in front of the cathedral, and at the same time connected to it, is Plaza Eloy Alfaro—a small but iconic plaza that, over time, has become a place where drunk people, addicts, and prostitutes gather. So, when you walk by, you have to move fast, keep your eyes everywhere, haha. And if you’re like me, pulling out your phone to take a picture, you’d better be lucky.

I’ve taken many photos of the cathedral, at different times. I lost some on my old phone, but only once was I able to stand properly in front of it from a distance and take a frontal shot. The rest I’ve taken from across the street while waiting for the bus, since the cathedral is located right on University Avenue. It also faces a well-known informal market, which is why anyone who lives in Portoviejo and doesn’t know where the cathedral is must either be new to the city or simply someone who never leaves their house.

The strangest thing about the cathedral is that it feels both near everything and far from it. It’s in a central area, but after the 2016 earthquake, the place was left somewhat desolate. Commerce in the area has since recovered, but the city center has expanded so much that the cathedral is no longer the only point of reference. Around it, people sell clothes, socks, shoes, and in the plaza you can find ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, coconut water, and retired unionists who gather to talk or debate about politics, life, and the city. Sometimes there are weddings at the cathedral, and only the wealthiest in the city get married there. The funny thing is that when they come out, they’re met by the very people that society tends to reject—and that's when two different social worlds come face to face, united beneath a cross, a Bolívar on his horse, and the bells ringing in the church domes, reminding us that we are all human, children of the same God.