Quito - A beautiful city with many hills, historic buildings and dodgy areas

 


The road from Cuenca to Quito is very scenic, passing several volcanos, among them Ecuador`s highest, Chimborazo. Unfortunately the peak was hidden in the clouds, only a little of the snow showing. It would have been nice to stop along the way, there are many wonderful locations, but it was the beginning of the rainy season and my time and money was also running out so I had to speed up travel a bit. Quito is a very beautiful city, with many hills and mountains, a charming historic centre and its entertainment hub, Calle La Ronda, lively markets and green parks. I liked the La Mariscal area less, which is more modern and western - more characterless. 

Sadly many parts of the city don`t feel that safe, and I was warned not to walk up to El Panecillo, the iconic hill in the centre. Instead I took the cable car (TelefériQo) to Cruz Loma which reaches almost four thousand metres and offers spectacular views of the city. Unfortunately the weather wasn`t the best, but there was a nice folk dance show and I got a lollypop from Santa Claus. The views from Quito`s landmark church, Basílica del Voto Nacional, are also great, in fact, I went up twice on two different days. With Quito my short trip in Ecuador ended and I took a flight to Bogotá. Maybe one day I`ll come back and see more of this beautiful country.

















































































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