My first few days in Quito I spent walking around the New City and several of its parks. During my last few days I walked the historic section known as Old Town. In 1978 UNESCO declared Quito a world heritage site.
I toured the Basilica del Voto Nacional. Here you could walk up a spiral metal staircase and then a series of thin metal ladders to get a grand view of the city. I couldn't veer to far over the edge without having my knees shake a little. Some brave folks did step outside of the clock tower to get an unobtrusive view of the city.
I visited many other churches; San Augustin, La Merced, Santo Domingo, La Compania. Plaza Independencia was populated with street performers one day and a large band the next. Government buildings, a church and a hotel charging $500 per night surround the plaza. Many children were selling jello or shining shoes in this area.
After being warned "peligroso, peligroso" (dangerous) I took a taxi to the top of El Panecillo to see the statue of the Virgin of Quito up close. This statue presides over Old Town and is located in a really rough neighborhood. Many people have been mugged or worse on their attempt at walking up. The views of the city are worth the small taxi fee.
A two hour bus ride from Quito brought us to Papallacta Springs. This place has seven pools of thermal springs and I tried them all. Early afternoon the sky was overcast but by mid afternoon the clouds parted, the sun shined and a beautiful view of the mountains appeared. I spent about four hours swimming and relaxing. I even managed to take a nap in one of the pools, must have felt a little too relaxed!
Comparing the Galapagos Islands to the rest of the country wouldn't be fair. I loved all of Ecuador. Anyone interested in a trip to either the islands or the mainland, I've got plenty of stories and advice!
Next up: Peru!
No comments:
Post a Comment