Arrived in Quito at 2am and taxied to our hotel in the centre of the historic district. A lovely old refurbished colonial building on the Plaza de Santa Domingo, great accommodation.
The following morning we ate breakfast with a lovely view of an angel statue El Panecillo, a 45m aluminum monument of the Madonna high on a hill overlooking the city.
We spent the morning sorting the mundane stuff... washing and planning our Quito days. The afternoon saw us on a free city walking tour (you just tip the guide at the conclusion), a 3 hour tour pointing out main buildings... churches (there is lots), plazas, the local market etc. A great look around with recommendations on what to do.
Historic Quito is quite compact, more local than tourist orientated with hardware, material shops etc and locals restaurants. We ate in the area of La Ronda, meant to be a bustling night area and just a block from our hotel. It was actually very quiet but we found a cheap and cheerful restaurant. Caro ordering an Empanada, which was bigger than a dinner plate of mainly fried batter!, quite nice but wouldn't say healthy!
Exploring lively mountains
We took a tour out of the city, an early start, 7 clients (3 Colombians, 1 Mexican, 1 USA and us... definitely we were the least Spanish speaking!) and our bilingual guide to Mount Cotopaxi. Mt Cotopaxi is an active volcano 100km south of Quito (1 of approx 20 active volcano in Equador). The mountain was shrouded in cloud when we arrived.
Our definite impression when travelling out of the city was how green the countryside is. Obvious really given the constant, and damp, year round temperatures... no change in season or day length!
We walked from the car park, 4600masl, to the camp hut at 4860masl. A freezing, vicious, wind to walk in but a hot chocolate at the hut thawed us out.
After a few photos with an occasional glimpse of the summit (5897masl) we descended to the car park, and a quick stop at a lagoon which is apparently a bird watchers paradise... although in these temps not many self respecting birds to be seen.
We drove across the valley and over a range to the crater lake of Quilotoa, a lake within an extinct volcano. This drive was through farmland, first tunnel houses of roses, fields of veges of squash and beans, and some intensive dairy farming country. As we wound our way around the hills we saw crops, oats and barley, pine and eucalyptus plantations as well as some sheep and beef cattle. Some fences for bigger mobs, otherwise each sheep, pig or cow was individually roped and pegged to the ground... put there in the morning and yarded at night.
We were again, at times, around 4000masl.... amazing what grows.
Quilotoa is a growing tourist town, we had a late lunch there before walking part way down into the crater towards the lake. Due to time constraints we were unable to go all the way, although we could have caught a horse ride back up the steep climb. The super fit pairs of horses, and their walking handlers, made it look easy.
Back to Quito by 8pm... A long and tiring day... we dropped some of the group off in the new part of the city, certainly a livelier part of town!
Slipped on a banana skin sensation
A relaxing breakfast and then headed out to book a tour to the Ciudad Mitad de Mundo (middle of the world city)
Our first major hiccup on the trip... and we should have known better. Despite a number of warnings on what to do and watch for, both from travellers and our Peru guide when he heard we were going to Quito, we this morning fell victim to pickpockets.
In hindsight it was very cleverly done, and we totally fell for the well known ploy that we had been warned about. Involving walking down a quieter street under overhanging eaves, but less than a block from our hotel, a substance like pigeon droppings appearing on our heads, shoulders and backs and some 'concerned' locals surrounding us to offer help. The first of the 3 was a well dressed businessman in his 40's, the second a doddery old chap in his 70's.
😈
In the very brief time period that it took us to convince the 3 people we were going back to the hotel to clean-up... Noel's wallet was removed from a zipped clothing pocket, cash removed, and put back in with zip closed again. Nothing felt apart from helping hands trying to clean muck off... the loss only discovered when checked back at hotel.
Noel was very worried about cards being photographed so suspended his credit card... but we do think it was just a cash seeking operation. Left us both with a gutted feeling for the day... but it could have been worse, there was only our days estimated cash requirement being carried, although extra than normal for the tour booking.
Anyway after restocking cash and buying our tickets we visited a fair trade shop in Plaza de San Francisco, we had previously stopped there on the walking tour and Caro was keen to return. A fascinating shop space as it utilises some of the catacomb passages under the church above to display their wares.
Nothing to buy so then on to the Basilica del Voto Nacional, the largest Roman Catholic church located in the historic district, the largest Neo Gothic Basilica in the America's. Very similar to Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, being designed by the same architect, and finished in 1909... with personalised gargoyles of South American theme (Iguanas, Galapagos Tortoises, Armadillos). We climbed to the roof for views of the city.
A short quick lunch, perhaps now a bit short of cash as too wary to carry much!, then off to the Equator Line. We took a photo at the official monument which was built to mark the Equator.... unfortunately new technology has proved it is in the wrong spot... so a quick 200 metres further to visit the actual line. This is a fun museum with a bit of history and tricks; water swirling clockwise or anti-clockwise depending on side of equator, balancing an egg on a nail (for which Noel got a diploma, but Caro failed😭). A fun trip.
A nice meal out, Babaco Chicken for Caro.... Noel focused on a beer to wash the stupidity feeling away a little. This evening there was a huge protest rally in the Plaza in which our hotel is, riot police etc. Apparently the people protesting that since a corrupt former President has been found guilty by world court that they should get their money back.... but all quiet by 9pm.
Life is full of banana skins.... You slip, you carry on
Getting out of the city
The problem with yesterday's pickpocket episode, apart from the loss of a bit of cash, is that it makes you suspicious of everyone nearby... so we decided since we had done our priority Quito list we would get out of the city for the day and booked a tour to Mindo, the cloud forest.
Mindo is a mountainous watershed in the western slopes of the Andes located 100km north of Quito. A full day tour leaving the hotel at 6am to catch the bus.
When we got to Mindo it was a beautiful hot day, unusual enough for our guide to be taking photos of the cloudless sky. First a tour of a butterfly, orchid, hummingbird property. The butterflies were lovely, a small area but lots of varieties fluttering about. Unfortunately not many orchid flowers but the hummingbirds were definitely active and busy at feeding stations... amazing to watch as they flit about so fast.
From there we were driven up the hills so we could walk down to a waterfall through the cloud forest. At the base of the walk there was an attempt at a water park, with a concrete water slide which had it's exit about 3m above the water and a dodgy platform for diving into the base of the waterfall. We didn't partake in the water activities, with the water temperature so cold only a couple of the group did.
After the hike back up we stopped at a zip line place, 10 lines. Caro thought she would have a go but chickened out at the sight of them. So went off with Noel and around 1/2 the group to another bird watching site. This was pretty cool... lots of hummingbird and other colourful birds.
We late lunched in the township of Mindo and followed up with a chocolate factory tour. The tour was a bit laborious due to the Choclatiers English skills and enthusiasm for his product... but with hot chocolate and brownie included we endured😁
Back to Quito after 8pm, walked back to hotel with a fellow hotel guest from France who we met on the tour.
Off to the Northern hemisphere
Another early start leaving the hotel at 7am to reach Quito airport for our flight to Bogòta. Walked to a nearby car park with our driver, and Caro noticed there was a gentleman leaning on a nearby balcony. When glancing at him he waved, after looking away she looked back.. he waved again.... so fairly certain it was our pick pocket businessman of 2 days previous, not such a gentleman!!!... Ba.t.rd!
Overall Quito and it's surrounds seems to be doing well economically after a crippling financial fail in the late 1990's that saw them adopt the US currency.
Equador's main exports are oil and minerals, fish and seafood, fruit (those Bonita bananas), nuts, cut flowers, cocoa and ever increasing tourism.
We didn't see much mechanisation in the rural areas further out, with buckets and wheelbarrow being the main road repair kit. However there is obvious signs of increasing wealth and mechanisation with the highways and roads close to Quito being very modern and well maintained.... the best we have seen in South America.
The people still like to protest, and having killed 2 of their presidents in the past they take their politics seriously.
Apart from one obviously upsetting day, Equador has impressed us with its history, scenery and for the most part friendly people. Another country, along with the others we have visited, that could justify some more time... but definitely with us having more Spanish. We have been spoilt on the 2 tours with not having to make the effort linguistically ... and now we are independently travelling again we are really struggling!
