Quito Invasion

Um, sleeping?

Que tal ‘yall?!  Look, I slept in the park last night! Mike and I got here to Quito, the capital, last night and a quick little taxi to the hotel.  We had a pile of Colombian food for dinner with their favorite liquor Aguardiente, which they drink with lime and salt - which has a minor anise flavor, really good with the lime considering I hate black licorice! The hotel is run by some very wacky and interesting German people - Klaus, Jesse, and Hubert, lots of them have escaped the rat race and deposited themselves throughout Latin America, just so you know - and run hotels.  Already there are several major bonuses for us.  One is they use the dollar, and even quarters, and use the dollar coins all over the place...  Second is that they use our outlets and electric currency.  Today we did the touristy city thing.  We visited the oldest Gothic basilica in Latin America also covered with gargoyles using natural fauna - iguanas, jaguars, turtles, and monkeys.  We visited el Ejido park where we learned they bet huge money - even their houses, on pickup volleyball.  Oh, and may have seen the guy above either dead or passed out, not sure - it was 10 a.m. ...

La Basilica de Quito

El Panecillo Monument

We saw another impressive church -  the most elaborate church I’ve seen, called la Compania de Jesus, filled with the walls and ceilings covered in gold - Everything!  We also strolled by the Palacio del Gobierno - Governmental Palace located on the Plaza Grande - main Plaza.  Apparently Prez Correa missed my text and booked a visit with the president from Belarus, so we didn't hang.

We then went up to the top of one of the mountains Comun - on el Teleferico or tram for an impressive view of the city and the surrounding countryside.  I’m still trying to catch my breath, 4100 meters up.

View of Quito from the Teleferico

The ride up the Teleferico

Quito and the surrounding landscape

Lastly we stopped in for the fastest guided tour ever about the pre-Inca history at the Museo Nacional de Cultura since we were short on time, 25 minutes, I think we got it all... We tried their empanadas today - Chilean style, not as good as Argentina, and bolon - a green plantain mash with cheese in the middle.  That was good...  And blackberry juice - Yeah Raquel! Tonite it was Chinese food at a Chifa - most common ethnic food here. Tomorrow it’s off to straddle the two hemispheres at La Mitad del Mundo and Saturday we head to Otavalo for the country's largest market. Head to toe in baby alpaca fur, hecks yeah!