Quito, Ecuador

 

On either side of Galapagos excursion, I had some time

in Quito, Ecuador.

So, I booked two private tours to see more of the city and outside of the city.

For my time in Quito, I stayed in a cute little hostel/hotel in the city center of Quito.

The Hotel San Francisco de Quito.

Peaceful, well secured (if you're concerned about safety), and

the beds are comfortable enough.

I arrived late at night, and after getting settled in and a night's rest, I was

ready the next day for some exploring.

The hotel has a rooftop that you can climb up *many* steps and ladders

to get to the top and get a good view of at least part of Quito.

I soon learned that Quito is a very big city, and it takes

nearly 30 minutes through traffic to get from one end to the other.

I had breakfast at the hotel.

This format was offered to me throughout my trip.

Bread, fruit, coffee, an egg dish or pancakes, and for this meal,

something that was similar to a tamale.

I ate a lot of papaya on this trip.

The coffee was usually drinkable, but not outstanding.

The courtyard of the old hotel, dating back at least 250 years.

Beautiful place to relax.

After meeting my tour guide, we got into a car and made our way to a few

stops. It was "tourist attraction" day for me. I usually prefer going away from the

tourist traps, but I also will allow myself to indulge in them 

on certain occasions. Sometimes there's a reason the greats are so great.

Besides that, sometimes the traps are what I wanted to see anyway.

I want to see local people in local neighborhoods, but I also want to see the sights.

Show me everything!

First stop was the Mitad del Mundo

The middle of the world.

The Equator!

Ecuador is named for the Equator, after all.

Having been in the Southern hemisphere already, I have

managed to cross the Equator, but now I had a chance to stand on it.

There are two popular Equator stops.

The first is a monument about nearly next-door to the museum.

It marks the spot where the Equator was thought to be before GPS

further pinpointed it.

The museum is the GPS line.

I skipped the older monument in favor of the museum.

The museum offers a short walking tour with a guide who, in addition

to the silly Equator games, also gives a short history and regional lesson.

These are guinea pigs, or cuy.

Cuy is a popular delicacy in South American countries.

I chose not to taste them and just watched them skip around in their pen.

Seemingly at random, I found myself learning how shrunken heads were made,

which was apparently a tradition of this region in older times.

I was hearing about anacondas and jungle wildlife, and then we were learning about shrunken heads.

It was interesting, anyway.

Don't think I'll try to make my own though.

After a few more stops to learn more about the local culture, we finally made it to the Equator marking.

Oh yeah.

Front Seat Shark made the trip.

This shark is extremely well-travelled, as we shall see.

Then it was a short car ride to the Teleferico cable cars to go to the east side of 

Pinchicha Volcano. 

A great view of the valley below.

We were lucky to have a bright, clear day for easy viewing.

After struggling up a trail with more altitude (huffing and puffing all the way)

we arrived at the top.

My sea-level lungs were struggling a bit.

I acclimated to a degree, but it was still a struggle at times.

Rode the swing at the edge of the world.

Along the way, I met some fluffy friends.

For a dollar, you can have your picture taken with some sweet llamas

along the volcano trail.

So soft and fluffy!

A short walk from the swing was a small building.

Inside you can order freshly made empanadas.

Our guide treated us to cheese empanadas made by someone's grandma,

and they were so good.

Yummy! Hits the spot after climbing up the trail.

The spicy sauce is a nice touch, and it's usually available

on the table. The same way ketchup can be found on American diner tables.

Basilica del Voto Nacional.

The largest neo-Gothic Catholic church in Latin America.

And though it looks older, it was built only around 100 years ago.

It is a beautiful building.

With a stunning stained-glass window.

If you are brave, you can climb up to the top cupola.

it's only a matter of a few sets of steep ladders.

The gargoyles on this church feature animals native to the Galapagos and the mainland.

We then parked the car and walked.

Jose, the guide on the left, and Prag, fellow visitor, on the right.

Prag also turned out to be on the Galapagos tour, so we

got to know each other before meeting the rest of the group.

Stopped into a delicious-smelling bakery for some treats.

This is a honey-cream filled pastry.

It was so good! Not too sweet, good texture.

Perfect snack.

Independence Square

Church and Convent of San Ignacio de Loyola de la Compañía de Jesús de Quito, also known in the Ecuadorian people simply as La Compañía.

Very ornate. Built between 1605 and 1765

Angel statue.

Virgen del Panecillo

I didn't get any closer to it, but it was in sight for much of my time in Quito.

Had a chocolate tasting.

I had so much chocolate.

Tasted the different cacao/sugar ratios and

some flavored chocolates.

The hot chocolate was an extra treat.

I was provided with sugar to sweeten it to my own taste.

After saying goodbye to Jose, Prag and I met the rest of the Galapagos group,

and then several of us went out for some dinner.

I had a local soup that was recommended by Jose.

Potatoes and cheese.

Huge portion, I couldn't finish it all, but quite tasty and filling.

The next day, we'd prepare to leave the mainland.

To get the islands, one must have several documents completed and prepared,

have your bags packed and ready for inspection, and be at the airport

in time to get through several rounds of security. It's an early morning start.

Then it was a short flight to Guayaquil, to wait for some passengers to

deplane and pick up other passengers, (if you are island-bound, just

stay on the plane). The plane is refueled, and then takes off again, this time

landing on San Cristobal island.

Where my adventure continued.

🐢🐢🐢