Quito, Ecuador
Visiting Ecuador was an incredible experience. Its rich culture, diverse landscapes—from the Andes peaks to the Amazon rain forest to the volcanic Galápagos Islands—and the warm hospitality of its people provided an unforgettable visit. In Quito, we explored the historic Old Town with its colonial architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We walked on the equator. We were awed by the colorful birds, wildlife, and people of the rain forest. We met Kichwa families and experienced their traditions and foods. We witnessed the biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands’ unique wildlife, marine life, flora, and fauna. We saw blue-footed boobies, giant land tortoises, and marine iguanas. We snorkeled with schools of colorful fish, sea lions, fur seals, white-tipped sharks, moray eels, manta rays, and penguins.
We spent several days exploring Quito with a base at the Mercure Alameda Hotel. We did not drink tap water, but got water from a designated cooler and carried water bottles with us. At first, Quito’s 9,300 feet in elevation made us winded with minimal exertion, even though we took medication. As we acclimated, we became more comfortable. During the day, we did not feel unsafe walking in the city or using the metro. After 5 pm when most daily workers went home, we walked to restaurants in small groups of 4 or 5.
The Artisanal Market was a few blocks from the hotel and we bought alpaca blankets for $12 each.
We visited Basílica del Voto Nacional (Basilica of the National Vow) – the largest church in Ecuador. Situated on a hill to the north of Old Town, this cathedral is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Spanning 460 feet in length, its towering twin spires rise 380 feet, forming a Latin cross. Though construction began in 1833, and the basilica was consecrated in 1988, it remains technically unfinished. Local legend say once its construction ends, it will be the end of the world. The basilica has unique gargoyles and decorative elements that feature animals endemic to Ecuador, iguanas, turtles, and armadillos. Its twin towers with large clocks, dominate the skyline, so the basilica can be seen from nearly anywhere in downtown Quito or from the surrounding mountains.
The baroque style Plaza Grande had a large statue in the center dedicated to the “Heroes of August 10, 1809.” There was nothing on the statue saying what occurred on that date. We learned it was the date of independence from the Spanish. Abutting the Plaza was the President’s house (Palacio de Carondelet), the Metropolitan Church, the Archbishop’s Palace and City Hall.
We walked the pedestrian only Garcia Moreno and stopped at the Church of the Society of Jesus (Iglesia de la Compania of Jesus). It is a Spanish baroque church covered in gold, wood, bronze and silver. Work began on the church under the Jesuits in 1605 and it was completed 160 years later. By the time it was completed, four architectural styles were incorporated, baroque, Moorish, Churrigueresque and neoclassical. There was a $6 entry fee. There is no statue of Jesus on the altar. Over 200 pounds of gold leaf was used to cover the ceiling and walls.
We traveled northwest of Quito to the Inti Nan Museum, where we had the opportunity to stand on the highest point along the equator. We stood with one foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere. Next, we tried our hand at balancing an egg on a nail—an oddly challenging task. This lead to a demonstration of how water draining a tub swirled, depending on its location: in the northern hemisphere (counterclockwise), the southern hemisphere (clockwise), and directly on the equator (no swirling at all). Most surprising was this effect was seen if the tub was moved just six feet to the north or south of the equator line!
In Old Town we visited Plaza San Francisco. Legend has it that Spanish colonists originally planted a wheat field there. The Church and Convent of San Francisco is located in the Plaza. It is the oldest religious site in Ecuador. The convent was built by Brother Jodoco Ricke for the Order of the Franciscan Monks, between 1537 and 1560. The complex includes 13 cloisters, 3 churches, more than 3,500 works of religious art, and a library holding thousands of books and historic documents.
From Quito we flew to the Amazon rain forest…
