Quito

For our first week in Quito we stayed in the Old part of town, famous for being one of the best preserved historical centres in Latin America - and one of the first ever appointed UNESCO World Heritage sites. For the most part we spent our days lazily wandering through the windinf streets, enjoying the cobbled pathways and crooked cafes. We spent time in each of the cities many plazas, especially enjoying one where locals had gathered to play chess with one another. 

 

 

The city is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes looming on the skyline, and in some parts of town you can see the roads and houses ascending rapidly into the surrounding landscape. One particularly charming aspect of Old Town Quito is that every Sunday the roads are closed to cars, and only open for bicycles and public transport - making it the perfect time to stroll the streets. As it occurs on a Sunday, you are likely to cross paths with various religious processions on their way to Church, making the streets sing with worshippers and thick with incense. 
 

One of our finest discoveries in Quito was the cosy Cafe Modelo, the oldest cafe in Quito (opened in 1950). They served cheap and tasty foods, with big smiles and warm eyes - and we came back many a time to sample their delicious chicken tomales, served wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf, humitas - the Ecuadorian tomale - served in a sheath of corn, and the gringas, a cheesy tortilla covered in guacamole and tomatoes. We also went there one evening for a lasagne!

 

While we were in Quito I turned 23, and Dave made sure it was a very special day. He started by decorating our hotel room for midnight, with balloons and streamers (almost with correct english...) and woke me up with a beautiful collection of presents - this llama bracelet and ninja turtle hat being among my favourites.

  

 

We spent the day going up the Teleferico, a cable car which reaches up 4000m in to the Pichincha Mountain complex, close to the Volcanoes. At the top we admired the views of the giant city clustered below, and on the opposite side the rolling hills and mountains. We blew bubbles across the open vistas, making the scene even more magical. 

Upon return it was time for cake, so we headed to La Ronda, said to be the oldest street in Quito, and selected two large pieces of chocolate mousse cake. In doing so we were shown the process in which the chocolate is tempered, and were filmed for a new video promoting tourism in Ecuador. We retired to the hostel and ate our cake while drinking pink fizz. Later that evening we went for a fancy meal at a restaurant called Vista Hermosa, which delights with panoramic views of Old Quito while dining.

 

 

The next day the celebrations continued - we moved to the New part of town, to an area called La Mariscal, the centre of entertainment and backpacker hub, and that afternoon the clouds parted, rainbows sprung from the sky as it rained glitter, and Charlie appeared on winged horseback from the heavens. He came armed with a bottle of tequila and a multipack of wotsits (with a packet of Max Paprika for Dave), and we stayed up late in to the night, tasting the various shots Quito had to offer from numerous bars. Needless to say we woke up feeling worse for wear, but we ploughed on and went off exploring. We relaxed and laugh in the Parks between Old and New town, where artesans flock to sell their paintings, artwork and handicrafts, and then decided to head to the neo-gothic Basillica on the edge of Old Town. Building work on the Basillica started being talked about in 1883, the first stone was placed in 1892, and the building although incredibly impressive still remains unfinished. The legend has it that when it is completed, the end of the world will come...

 

We decided to commence the tour of the towers, which was a real challenge - my tummy was feeling especially fragile already! The steps to the top were rickety and extremely high, with little room for an error in footwork. Once we reached the top we felt we had been pushed to our limits for the day - but the spectacular view was definitely worth the trauma! Feeling like we had achieved something in the day we slowly ambled back towards our hostel, taking in the surroundings, and somehow ended up back at base with two bottles of very nasty cheap rum. 

 

 

With a similar feeling hanging over us the next morning, we were glad it was a Sunday - so we went to Old Town for a peaceful adventure, taking Charlie to Cafe Modelo to show off our local knowledge. We decided the best way to face the day would be with cold beers for lunch, and then we made our way to the Museo de la Ciudad - an excellent museum housing displays showing the history of Ecuador. 

 

The next day it was time for us to part ways for a short while, as Dave and I headed to the Cloud Forest region to work on an Ecological Farm for a couple of weeks, and Charlie went on his own adventures with various family members.