Quito, Ecuador...setting the scene

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After approximately a day of travel from the US to Ecuador, Sunil and I, landed in the capital city of Ecuador, Quito, at around 10:30pm local time. Quito is a city, situated in a lush green valley with nearby backdrops of Andean peaks and volcanos and at 2,800 meters above sea level (for us Americans nearly 10,000 feet above sea level) . Such backdrops that we did not discover until the daytime, and as such, landing at the airport that evening was somewhat of an interesting experience as it looked as though the airport was haphazardly placed, and appeared suddenly in this valley.The capital city of Quito is distinctly segregated into two parts: Quito Viejo(Old Quito) and Quito Nuevo(New Quito). The former is marked by its European feel and charm with cobblestone hill streets, pastel colored buildings, wooden doors and wrought-iron balconies with potted plants, vast plazas and churches and catedrals. This part of town also is where aspects of the Andean culture still remains alive, serving up traditional food, and is home to las personas indigenas(the indigenous people). The latter is home to the city's modern institutions, banks, institutions of higher educations, modern living, essentially the financial district. Quito Viejo is the part of the city that we fell in love with and where we spent most of our days whilst in Quito. The combination of the citys location 10,000 feet above sea level and its and its location practically on the equator, provided for 4 days of insect free, gorgeous weather, allowing us to focus our direct attention on the city's culture, sights and sounds!



-Raksha

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Photos

Old Quito
Old Quito's charm

Flight into Quito
Beautiful skyscape as we head into Quito.

Backdrop
Green hillside views from the city below!