Walking around Quito

Quito is a popular destination for tourists as it is the jumping off point for the Galapagos Islands and for travels deeper into South America.  There is a big mix of all types of tourists – heavy on the backpackers but also mainstream tourists as well.  With a population over 2 million it is a sprawling warren of houses of all different types.  We enjoyed the well paved highway from the airport to the Holiday Inn which only cost $25USD.  A similar ride in Canada would be about three times the price.

Designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1978, the city of Quito is situated in the mountains 2850m above sea level and is very picturesque.  With a total of eight days in the city we wandered about the old city and some of the more affluent parts.  We always felt safe and only when we were out late at night to get our ride to the Amazon did we notice the seedier side of life.

We were bums as mentioned in previous posts as we did not make it to the equator museum or the Galapagos … next time.

The Old Quarter

 

Church of the Jesuits

The Virigin of Quito

The beautiful views of Quito

 

Parting Thoughts

If you wanted to pick a city to live in for a time as a base of operations this is probably it!  We found it safe, friendly, easy to navigate – well, we never made it on to the buses but everything else.  I would love to come back to this beautiful city…