FloatingRubia

Our third day in Quito started off with breakfast at the hostel followed by a late morning visit to the Teleferico, a gondola that terminates 4000 meters above sea level at the base of largest peak in the immediate Quito area. Right when we exited the gondola, both of us noticed the difference in oxygen compared to Quito. After walking for a little over a kilometer in hopes of reaching the 4800 meter summit, we realized that we were not ready for an all day mountain excursion and headed back down. Even from the lower viewpoint, the view was spectacular and highlighted the vastness of Quito. We took a cab from the telefirico directly to Bella Vista, one of the more wealthy districts of Quito. Many of the homes in the area were quite large and ... read more

We arrived safe and sound last night in Quito at around 7:30pm. We slept a few hours on the plane so we weren't too exhausted upon arrival. We made it through customs in less than 30 minutes and found a cab easily outside the bustling airport. It was already dark outside in Quito and it was pretty scary driving through the city at night. Apparently, Sunday is the most dangerous day of the week in Quito because everyone stays at home on their day off. This is when all the "dangerous" activity occurs. All the shops were closed and the buildings were covered with graffiti. We arrive at our hostel, Colonial House, which was completely hidden from the street except for a bright blue door. To get inside, we had to ring a door bell and ... read more