Quito

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Quito, what a fascinating city! Situated nearly 3000m above sea level and in the bowl of what was once called the super volcano is now rimmed by 7 active volcanoes. The city is divided into the new town and the old colonal township which we toured on our first day. The old town is know for its churches, three of which we visited, each grander than the next in its ornate interior, until the last was almost overwhelming, hardly a spare cemtimetre not covered in gold. A test of the altitude was the drive up to the large statue of an angel almost floating high above the busy, narrow rambling streets of the old town. A few extra deep breaths and we seemed to be coping with the altitude, good practice for Macchu Piccu! There are several plzas in the old town, the main one Independence Square where we watched the changing of the guards outside the gates of the President's Palace. Lunch at the Coffee Tree and a visit to the local craft markets was followed by a visit to the National Museum which gave us an excellent understanding of the early history of the peoples of the various regions of Ecuador over the centuries.

Today, we travelled north to Otavalo through some spectacular mountain country with the second largest volcano ever present in the distance. Otavalo is a town known for its huge weekend market place where the Indians - indigenous people from surrounding hillside areas, come into town to sell their food and crafts. An array of stalls that stretched in all directions could be seen - jewellery, local crafts, clothes typical of Ecuador and even children walking around selling tooth brushes and tooth paste. With some bargaining a few purchases were made. On the way we straddled the equator and so spent most of the day in the northern hemisphere. Another highlight was lunch at a 350 year old hacienda with a couple from Spain. The day also included a visit to a shop where we saw how alpacca wool was woven in the traditonal manner to make jackets, scarves, ponchos and tapestries - a time consuming process but with wonderful results. A great day to end our stay in Quito. Galapagos here we come!

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Comments

[Naomi]

Hi There
Hi Ms. Reynolds, It sounds like you have been very busy travelers the last few days. The trip up to the top of the town to see the angel statue would have been an experience to remember. I would have loved to see the alpacca wool being woven in the traditional method. Your next destination sounds very tropical! Have fun, Naomi

[camreys]

Great to hear from you, Naomi. We have just returned from the Galapagos Islands. We have only been away a short time and already we have seen so much. Go Hale for Friday's carnival!

[Eilish Morgan]

love to be there
what a magnificent view!!!!