So my trip is almost over (*sadface!!*), and for the past couple days I’ve been trying to steel myself to the cold weather awaiting me back home. This morning I saw yet another slew of cold weather advisories for Toronto in my Twitter feed… ick. Let’s just say if I could stay in South America til winter is over, I would.
Since that’s not happening any time soon, for now I’ll be thinking of fond memories in warmer climates and sorting through the hundreds upon hundreds of photos I’ve taken since my journey started, so that I can share my memories here on my blog.
Today, some highlights from my trip to Ecuador, specifically the historic center of the country’s capital, Quito:
Quito’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and once you start exploring the area, it’s easy to see why. It’s one of the largest and most well-maintained colonial cities in South America, with over 100 monumental buildings to visit and explore via the narrow, cobblestone streets that wind up and down throughout the city.
I started my day in Plaza Grande (also known as Plaza de la Independencia or Independence Square), not far from the hotel/restaurant where I had my crazy dinner monk experience the night before. Around the plaza you can find said hotel, a cathedral, Quito’s municipal building, and Palacio de Carondelet (the presidential palace), as well as a monument to the country’s independence from Spain in the center. It was filled with tourists, “tourist police” (yes, they have tourist police and regular police all over the city), a team of guys eager to shine your shoes, and locals chilling under trees and on the benches.
Part of the palace is open to visitors, but the day I was there I think there was something going on as the gates were closed. Instead I got to see the changing of the guards up close and personal, and possibly by accident, as I’d been standing in a little alcove taking photos of the square when they started. One of them almost walked right on top of me. Thankfully that was my only encouter with the local authorities while I was there!
Moving on from the square I walked the narrow city streets where I saw the most beautiful churches. I only poked my head inside a couple because I didn’t want to be disrepectful, although in one a man insisted I wouldn’t find anything more beautiful and that I should take some photos. I have never felt more uncomfortable taking pictures, anywhere. In my entire life.
Another thing you’ll see a lot of in Quito are little market stalls with fresh fruits, or vendors with souveniers or roses on every corner and in front of the churches to catch tourists as they go in or out. Most are quite noisy and some will even follow you (yelling “uno dollar, uno dollaaaar”) trying to push their wares on you, until you happen to come across one of the many policemen patrolling the city, in which case they will leave you alone.
Churches and vendors aside, I was pretty happy to just wander the streets and admire the colonial architecture until I got lost. Even then I felt fairly safe in the city, although I didn’t feel the same come night time. Cabs are an incredibly cheap way to get around then (I think the most we ever spent was around $3), but there are a lot of drivers out there in yellow cars posing as taxis. Look for the red sticker in the window to know for sure!
As far as nightlife goes, there isn’t much to be had in the area, save La Ronda (a street in the southernmost part of the historic district), where there are a bunch of restaurants that serve authentic Ecuadorian cuisine that is much tastier (and cheaper!) than what I had at the hotel Plaza Grande. Makes me wonder if it was really a police officer that sent us there that night, or a security guard working for the hotel… hmm. Oh, and there’s live music too.
The few nights we stayed in Quito typically consisted of us hanging out with the people we’d met at our hostel and chilling on the patio with some cervesas and sharing travel stories. We met a couple that had just come from Cuenca and told us they liked the city much better than Quito. I was pretty excited to hear that, as that’s where I was headed in a few days too. But first we had a trip planned to the ecuator.. more to come on that in my next post. 🙂
On a side note, I hope you’re liking my travel stories! I’ve been having fun sharing them. I just might have to plan another trip so I can write some more.
-C
