I interrupt my recent blogs about Blue-Footed Boobies, and all the other tame wildlife that I saw while I was in the Galapagos Islands, to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Albeit, a week into 2009, I wish this, but I wish it nonetheless.
May it be a year of world peace, prosperity, financial stability, happiness and love for all!
When I was in Quito, Ecuador I came across some graffiti spray painted on a wall in a small neighborhood. The writing caught my eye right away, and I was intrigued by what it said. “La salud, gratuita y digna.” With my very little Spanish, I quickly translated it in my mind as saying, “health, gratitude and dignity.” Even with my very rough translation, I liked it. I asked the Ecuadorian gentleman who was showing me around Quito that day of his translation. “Health, freedom and dignity,” he told me. I liked that even better!
I had actually come across this graffiti during the beginning of my travels, the day before I took off for the Galapagos Islands for over a week. For some reason at that time, although I found out its meaning, and although I was quite touched by what it said, I did not take any pictures. I started to regret that. But it was too late, as I was already looking at the Blue-Footed Boobies and baby Sea Lions and Land Iguanas. I thought about it all week: how could I, when I get back to Quito, get a picture of that wall, with the saying that apparently has some great meaning? I did not know its exact location, although I had a vague idea. And how could I describe it to anyone, in the very limited Spanish that I have?
Well, as luck, or something, would have it, when I was picked up at the airport in Quito, after flying back from the Galapagos Islands, the same gentleman that took me around Quito a week earlier was there to pick me up. Wow, is that serendipity or what? And not only did I have some remembrance as to where the graffiti was located, so did he! Because he spoke English and understood the intrigue I had with the words, he was very kind enough to take me back to the “heath, freedom and dignity” wall so that I could take a few pictures.
Since I got home, I actually searched a couple of online translation dictionaries to see what other meanings these Spanish words have. “Salud” is health! “Gratuita” is freedom, free, free entrance! And “digna” is dignity, dignified, worthy, deserving, pride, decent living, dignified life! It was the “decent living and dignified life” translations that became intriguing to me even more. And so with a bit more searching, I came across a quote in Spanish that uses the word “digna” in it. Translated, it says, “A democracy founded on basic dignities, one that respects human rights and establishes better living conditions for all.” Probably a political statement, but a good saying, nonetheless.
So with that, I wish everyone a Happy New Year, filled with excellent health, peaceful freedom, dignified human rights, and quality living conditions for all!
Sweet Travels!