Winter holidays... part 4: the return to Quito

---

---

Once I'd collected my bags at the airport, only slightly worried that history would repeat itself and I'd be left without my bags, I made my way to the taxi rank. I had told Michelle that I would make my own way to their place, and I was expecting to be ripped off by the taxi drivers, as had happened the last time. But no, the first taxi offered to take me at the "proper" price and off I went. He had the radio tuned to a local sports station and he filled me in on what I had missed during my flight. When I took off Uruguay were winning 1-0 and ended up winning 3-0.

Once back at Michelle's I settled back in, and over an early dinner we planned the rest of my stay. Before coming to Ecuador different people had recommended different things to see and do. My vet had recommended going to la Isla de la Plata, which we had. Lisa, a friend here in Buenos Aires had recommended the museum at the equator, not the one by the monument, but an indigenous one just next to it. After googling bus times and museum opening hours we decided to visit the equator the next day.

After a decent nights sleep we woke up on Monday and made our way to the northern bus terminal. Conveniently there are two bus terminals in the north of Quito, and both are way out in the suburbs, and not very nice suburbs at that. So a short taxi ride to the bus terminal and we were on a bus going to "Mitad del Mundo", literally the middle of the earth. It's only a 45 min ride from Quito and you're dropped pretty much at the base of the monument. After walking around the monument, taking the obligatory photos we went looking for this other museum. Museo Intiñan is an indigenous-type museum which claims to be the site of the actual equator, measured by US Army GPS. The official equator monument was built in the early 1900s after a Franco-Spanish expedition. At the Intiñan Museum you get to watch water go down the plug in different directions (on the different hemispheres) and try to balance an egg on a nail (I still don't understand why, but if you managed to do it you got a certificate, which I did, so I'm not complaining). There was also a short guided tour which explained some of the history of the tribes in the area. After we were all photoed-out we headed back to Quito for a late lunch in the Mariscal.

Tuesday we stayed in Quito, as I wanted to visit the Basilica. We started with brunch at Cafe Colibrí We had eaten there when I first arrived in Quito and I was keen to go back. Their freshly baked bread is delicious, and their jam is equally as scrummy, even though it looks like ketchup. Brunch over we jumped in a taxi and headed to the Basilica. Based on Notre Dame it is perched on a hill over-looking the Old Town. After exploring the inside (and taking photos, which is apparently forbidden but there were no signs at the entrance we went in through) we went to buy tickets that would let us climb up and explore the towers. All around the Basilica, instead of gargoyles are statues of the indigenous animals of Ecuador, and we spent some time identifying them. It was funny looking at the birds, which exactly a week before, we had been taking photos of on la Isla de la Plata.
Inside the Basilica, one you've climbed a few flights of stairs you get to take a rickety rope bridge across the nave of the actual church to get to the other side, where you can climb up one of the steeples. We climbed a bit, and took some photos. On our way back over, we saw signs saying we could go up the belfry, which we did. The belfry is also the clock tower, and you walk right past the clock face (which stopped working in the 90s) before continuing up to the bells.
Climbing over we headed back to ground level to find a taxi that would take us up to the Virgin statue which overlooks all of Quito. One of the tallest statues in the world (well number 59 according to Wikipedia) the statue was built in 1976 in the district of El Panecillo, on a hill overlooking Quito. At the statue you can climb the tower, to the base of the globe which the Virgin is standing on, to get a spectacular panorama of the city.
Photos duly taken we headed back to the Old Town to Plaza San Francisco where we stopped for a drink before going to explore the Fair Trade shop next to the cafe. From the outside it looks like a regular arts and craft shop, but the further in you go, you find yourself in a maze of tunnels that go right under the church itself, and are full of indigenous arts and crafts, with a written history of Ecuadorian culture adorning the walls.
Back in the real world we left the Old Town to head to the supermarket to buy some last minute bits for the Traditional English Roast Dinner that I was cooking for dinner at José's request. (After going to Uni in England he understandably became hooked on Roast Dinners). I was also a chance for me to get some bits I wanted to take back to Argentina with me, namely chewing gum and chilli sauce. Yes, both are available in Argentina, but are rubbish, hence the need to stock up when abroad.
Tuesday evening turned into a cooking class for Michelle, teaching her how to make gravy and Yorkshire puddings, as well as the perfect roast chicken.

Wednesday was my last day in Ecuador, but I wasn't flying home until 9pm, so we had the whole day to explore. Which was convenient as Wednesday is also one of the two days a week that the Otavalo Market is held. Michelle had been talking about this market since I arrived so I was more than keen to go, even though it meant waking up super early on my last morning. As it turned out we got there early, when the stall holders were still setting up. This turned out to work in our favour as we got quite a few bargains. All too quickly I had spent all my money (and some Michelle lent me...) but I managed to get everything on my list, including quite a few Christmas presents for the family, and quite a few things which weren't on the list...
After lunch at a cafe overlooking the market we made our way back to Quito so I could pack. This turned out to be quite a struggle and I made a mental note to buy myself a suitcase as my backpack is just too small to cope with all my shopping...

All too soon it was time for me to say my goodbyes and head to the airport. I'd had a lovely time catching up with Michelle but it was time to head back to Buenos Aires and work. Like before the plane was going via Guayaquil, and I would be be meeting Robin there as he was booked on the same flight as me. As luck would have it, the only empty seat on the plane was in my row, so after take-off Robin moved seats and we were able to compare stories (I had better weather, he partied a lot more) before catching a couple of hours shut-eye before landing at Ezeiza.

And so there you have it... 2 weeks... four blogs... hundreds of photos... a million memories: my Ecuadorian experience.

---

Photos

Cuy... or guinea pigs
A delicacy in Ecuador, though I never got round to tasting one...