C & C globetrotting around the world…

After a very long journey (Luxembourg-Amsterdam-Atlanta-Quito), we finally landed in Ecuador late at night. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, lies at an elevation of 2850m in the Andes and is surrounded by mist-covered peaks. We had a hearty breakfast in our hostel of eggs, bread roll, fruit salad and coffee. We then set out to explore the jewel of Quito: its historic centre (Centro Historico), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town itself is very hilly, has narrow streets sprinkled with beautiful colonial buildings and churches everywhere. We first climbed up one hill to Basilica del Voto Nacional, an imposing building from the 20^th century. We then had lunch at a small restaurant. We read that if you have the “almuerzo del dia” (lunch of the day) it’s really cheap, so we tried it. For $2 per person we got a soup, a big piece of grilled chicken, rice, salad and a juice. Not bad! From there we went to “Palacio del Gobierno” (Government Palace) on the Plaza Grande. We took a free English tour with 2 other Canadians. President Correo is the first president to open up the palace for tourists. Since he actually conducts business here, we were only able to see some rooms, but it was interesting. Not only was the tour for free, but we even got a free picture at the end. “Plaza Grande”, also known as “Plaza de la Independencia”, is a nicely restored plaza flanked by important buildings: “Palacio del Gobierno”, the municipal counsel, “Palacio Arzobispal” (Archbishop’s Palace) and the Cathedral. The plaza is full of life and there are dozens of shoe-shiners offering their services. From there we walked to “Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus”, a marvellously gilded Jesuit church from the 17^th century. The entrance price included a guide, but they didn’t have an English-speaking one available. We took a Spanish guide, as that’s better than no guide. We were surprised by how well we understood the guide, but she probably also spoke more clearly for us. She pointed out the church’s unique features, including its Moorish elements, its perfect symmetry, as well as symbolic elements such as the bright red walls symbolizing Christ’s blood. Quitenos (inhabitants of Quito) call it the most beautiful church in the country and it’s easy to see why. We were told not to go out after dark, so for dinner we went to a local restaurant around the corner from our hostel. By 8pm we were in bed. The jet lag, fatigue and the high altitude got to us, we guess.

The next day we woke up very early and took the bus to “Mitad del Mundo”, the “Middle of the Earth”, 22km North of Quito. This is where Charles-Marie de la Condamine made the measurements in 1736 proving that this was the equatorial line. We took funky pictures of us jumping over the Equator and then took the bus back. After lunch at the central market we headed to Monasterio de San Francisco on the Plaza of the same name. It is the city’s largest colonial building and its oldest church (built in 1534). We took a guide through the Museo Francisco, which has some of the church’s finest artwork. The guide was really good and explained to us the distinguishing features of the “Escuela Quitena” (Quito school of art). This style developed when the Aboriginals were trained by the Spanish conquistadors. The artists portrayed Spanish religious concepts, but incorporated some of their indigenous beliefs, creating very unique art. This style can be seen throughout Ecuador, but most specifically in Quito itself, but it died out with Ecuador’s independence in 1822. For dinner we went again to a local little restaurant that was full of people. We had the “dinner of the day” (“merienda”), which also costs $2 per person for soup and stew with rice, salad and juice. By 9pm we were both sleeping again.

The next day, we woke up at 7am, like every day. Maybe it’s the air, but most probably the fact that we go to bed so early. After a typical Ecuadorian breakfast we visited the Cathedral of Quito. The guide pointed out some interesting things, as well as the tomb of Mariscal Sucre, the leading figure of Quito’s independence from Spain. What’s also funny to see is that there is a painting of the Last Supper where Jesus and the Apostles are having an Ecuadorian feast: roasted guinea pig (“cuy”) with “humitas” and drinking “chicha” (a corn drink). From there we went to “Museo de la Ciudad” (City Museum) located in an old hospital and depicting life in Quito through the centuries. After lunch at Cafe Modelo where we tried a bunch of different Ecuadorian snacks, we took a cab to the Teleferiqo, a sky train that takes you up to 4100m and from where you can enjoy beautiful views of Quito’s mountainous surroundings, but unfortunately it was under repair. Instead, we visited “Museo del Banco Central” where we learnt about many different pre-Columbian cultures. To finish off our stay in Quito, we watched a small military parade on Plaza Grande before taking the bus to Otavalo.