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Blogs from Quito, North, Ecuador, South America - page 2
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Festival of Quito
Published: December 9th 2012South America » Ecuador » North » Quito » Historical Center
December 5th 2012
On my last night in Quito, I walked around in the Historic District where the Festival of Quito celebrates the founding of Quito by Spanish settlers in 1534. The Centro Historic District is a UNESCO site with beautifully restored buildings. In the Festival there are music, dance, speeches, art exhibits, and performances. It is a great time to visit Quito.... read more
Restaurant in Mercado Santa Clara
Published: December 9th 2012South America » Ecuador » North » Quito
December 5th 2012
Today I took a flash drive with all the photos Vicente Uyana and I took together to Teresa and Jaime at the restaurant they own near the Mercado Santa Clara in Quito.... read more
December 2nd 2012
The Uyana family picked me up at the hotel in the Center of old Quito. We went to visit the Basilica in the Center of Quito. Then we went to the area in the north of Quito where the family lives. It is the place where Vicente was born and grew up and married Rosario and lived all his life except for the years he lived in Arlington. When Vicente was young the area had small farms, but now it it an extended suburban part of Quito. We had lunch are then we drove around the community where they lived. This is where the Church of the Brethren had a church, a school, a community center, and a cooperative to help farmers market their farm products.... read more
December 1st 2012
Daniela was a student of mine at T. C. Williams High School in 2005. She was a dedicated student and easy to remember so when she contacted me on Facebook we because ‘friends’. She offered to show me areas near Quito that I couldn’t very well see on my own. Daniela and her mother picked me up from my hotel in their Chevrolet and we headed to the Teleferico cable chair lift which took us to the top of Pichincha volcano to look out over Quito which lies below it. Then we had a traditional Ecuadorean lunch and then went to a market for artisans of traditional products. Finally we went to Mitad del Mundo which is where the Equator crosses near Quito.... read more
November 29th 2012
The trip to Quito got off to a bad start because on the night before I was coming back from the Art Museum of Lima and I was tired. Almost back to my hotel on Diez Canseco in Lima my foot caught in an large open crack in the sidewalk and I went down and my right knee took most of the blow. So leaving for the trip to Quito the knee was giving me pain. I had plenty of time in the airport in Lima and relaxed before the trip. I went on Avianca Airlines and it was a good flight, but the trouble started when the nice young lady told me that the flight to Quito left from Gate 28 and I had to run because the flight was ready to leave. When I ... read more
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November 29th 2012
I couldn’t sleep late even though I went to bed at 2:30 AM, so I got up for breakfast. Jenny is a powerhouse of a women and she wanted to take Gretchen and me to a shopping mall to get our phone situation worked out. We also went to the supermarket near the B & B, and it started pouring rain so I got to use my umbrella for the first time on this trip.... read more
November 13th 2012
Last day Quito There's a park opposite the hotel and we decided to walk through to the town centre. It was like walking through an English park except the trees were in full leaf but many were dried out apparently they have had a really dry season with lots of drought but now it seems to rain every afternoon.Traffic on the road so we took a taxi, the pollution is so evident and not nice to walk by the road. We arrived at the Plaza Grande then just walked and after buying postcards went to the Ronda where artists used to hang out. The whole road was refurbished and very quiet and there were many plaques with the names of famous artists. Looking for a coffee we came across someone who said are you English he ... read more
November 5th 2012
The day started well yummy breakfast at the Hilton Colon, then sunshine as we ventured out to walk to the botanic gardens. Firstly we visited the cultural centre which is closed on Mondays but looks promising to visit tomorrow. A stop at a cafe for delicious apple cake and then onwards. The walk was much longer than we thought and then we came across a shopping centre, so unlike the Quito we had come to know. It was just like any modern shopping mall, with up market shops (no one in them) and all marble and stainless steel we could have been anywhere and on the top floor yes the restaurants, Macdonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut yes it was all there and very few EcuadorIan restaurants. Leaving the mall behind we eventually arrived ... read more
November 4th 2012
Arrived in Quito last night and staying in Hilton Colon we thought it would be shitty but its amazing like an oasis in this very poor country. We took the bus tour of Quito stopping in the old colonial town of which we had read so much. Well there are very old buildings there and whilst those in central plaza have been maintained mostly the buildings are in need of renovation. We felt very much like rich tourists yet we weren't wearing anything posh. We found an inner courtyard where we had a lovely coffee, well more milk than coffee. We visited a church that was so richly adorned and was in sharp contrast to the outside where everywhere we looked there was poverty, however despite that this was holiday time and as in most capital ... read more
October 30th 2012
Na de stop-over in NYC, ging ons Zuid-Amerika avontuur dan toch echt beginnen. 's Avonds landden we in Quito, de hoofdstad van Ecuador. En gelijk met een geweldig begin, we werden opgewacht door de super aardige familie van Veronica & Frans (familie van Marissa), waar we bleven logeren. In hun mooie grote huis, kregen we ons eigen kamertje en al gelijk allerlei tips over Quito. Byron, Daniel, Josue en de moeder van Veronica waren allemaal super aardig en heel leuk om ze te leren kennen. Ze vertelden allerlei verhalen over Quito, Ecuador, tradities, de cultuur etc. En wat een goede oefening voor ons spaans zeg!! Echt heel leuk om dat weer zo heel de tijd te praten. Al waren we ook wel blij als na een lange vermoeiende dag Josue ff zijn engels wilde oefenen ;). ... read more
