Ramblin' Randy
  • Home
  • Africa
    • Algeria
    • Angola
    • Benin
    • Botswana
    • Burkina Faso
    • Burundi
    • Cameroon
    • Chad
    • Cabo Verde
    • Central African Republic
    • Comoros
    • Congo (Democratic Republic of)
    • Congo (Republic of)
    • Côte d’Ivoire
    • Djibouti
    • Egypt
    • Equatorial Guinea
    • Eritrea
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Gabon
    • The Gambia
    • Ghana
    • Guinea
    • Guinea-Bissau
    • Kenya
    • Lesotho
    • Liberia
    • Libya
    • Madagascar
    • Malawi
    • Mali
    • Mauritania
    • Mauritius
    • Moçambique
    • Morocco
    • Namibia
    • Niger
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • São Tomé e Principe
    • Senegal
    • Seychelles
    • Sierra Leone
    • Somalia
    • Somaliland
    • South Africa
    • South Sudan
    • Spanish Morocco
    • Sudan
    • Tanzania
    • Togo
    • Tunisia
    • Uganda
    • Western Sahara
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Antarctica
  • Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Armenia
    • Azerbaijan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • Brunei Darussalam
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • Georgia
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Kazakhstan
    • Kyrgyzstan
    • Laos
    • Macau
    • Malaysia
    • Maldives
    • Mongolia
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • North Korea
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Taiwan
    • Tajikistan
    • Thailand
    • Timor Leste
    • Turkey (Asian side)
    • Uzbekistan
    • Vietnam
  • Caribbean
    • Antigua
    • The Bahamas
    • Barbados
    • Bonaire
    • Cayman Islands
    • Cuba
    • Curação
    • Dominica
    • Dominican Republic
    • Grenada
    • Guadeloupe
    • Haiti
    • Jamaica
    • Martinique
    • Puerto Rico
    • St. Kitts & Nevis
    • St. Lucia
    • Saint Martin
    • Sint Maarten
    • St. Vincent and The Grenadines
    • Trinidad & Tobago
    • Turks and Caicos
  • Europe
    • Albania
    • Andorra
    • Austria
    • Azores
    • Belarus
    • Belgium
    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Bulgaria
    • Croatia
    • Cyprus (Akrotiri & Dhekelia)
    • Cyprus (Southern)
    • Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)
    • Czech Republic
    • Denmark
    • England
    • Estonia
    • Finland
    • France
    • Germany
    • Gibraltar
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • Iceland
    • Ireland
    • Italy
    • Kosovo
    • Latvia
    • Liechtenstein
    • Lithuania
    • Luxembourg
    • Malta
    • Moldova
    • Monaco
    • Montenegro
    • Netherlands
    • North Macedonia
    • Northern Ireland
    • Norway
    • Poland
    • Portugal
    • Romania
    • Russia
    • San Marino
    • Serbia
    • Slovakia
    • Slovenia
    • Sovereign Military Order of Malta
    • Spain
    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
    • Turkey (European side)
    • Ukraine
    • Vatican City
  • Middle East
    • Afghanistan
    • Bahrain
    • Iran
    • Iraq
    • Jordan
    • Kuwait
    • Lebanon
    • Oman
    • Pakistan
    • Qatar
    • Saudi Arabia
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Yemen
  • N America
    • Belize
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Honduras
    • Mexico
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • United States of America
  • Oceania
    • Australia
    • Fiji
    • French Polynesia
    • Kiribati
    • Nauru
    • New Zealand
    • Palau
    • Papua New Guinea
    • Samoa
    • The Solomon Islands
    • Tonga
    • Tuvalu
    • Vanuatu
  • S America
    • Argentina
    • Bolivia
    • Brasil
    • Chile
    • Colombia
    • Ecuador
    • French Guiana
    • Guyana
    • Paraguay
    • Peru
    • Suriname
    • Uruguay
    • Venezuela
  • About
    • My Mission
    • About this Website
    • Where I’ve Been
    • Best Of!
    • Sponsor Opportunities and Disclosures
  • “Best Of”
  • Blog
  • Travel Tips
  • Extreme Layovers
  • Contact
  • Prev
  • Next

Neato Quito

July 2, 2016April 24, 2020 By Ramblin' Randy

She’s Got That Vibe
Ever since I started traveling frequently, I’ve noticed one thing: I’m usually able to get a “vibe” about a new place from very the instant that arrive: within the hour, sometimes even after the first few minutes after stepping off the plane. Good or bad, or sometimes in-between, it doesn’t take my brain long to form a sometimes even premature opinion about a new city or country. I just get a “feeling.” Sometimes I’m proven wrong as the trip progresses, but usually I’m right.

Ecuador was one of those countries that just felt right the moment I walked through the airport and hopped into my cab. Immigration and customs were nice, my cabbie was super friendly and talkative, good music on the radio, the streets were clean, and some of the first signs I saw were advertising asada and fruit salad–I love asada and fruit salad!

The check-in at the Sheraton Quito was fantastic; they had fruit juice and cookies waiting for guests on arrival, and a fresh tropical fruit plate was even waiting for me in my room which was a nice midnight snack before I crashed out. I had just 48-hours in Quito and I needed some sleep if I was going to be productive.

IMG_4870
The view from my 10th floor room at The Sheraton Quito.

Take Me to Church
After a great breakfast on the Club Level of The Sheraton Quito, I grabbed a cab to the historic section of town where I was dropped off at the Basílica del Voto Nacional, the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the Americas. Normally I don’t go gaga over churches–you get bored of seeing them all the time when you travel–but this one was pretty bad ass. Please enjoy the pics.

IMG_4885
Basílica del Voto Nacional sits atop a steep hill.
IMG_4888
I actually walked in on a service. So I sat my butt down and enjoyed.
IMG_4914
Basílica del Voto Nacional.
IMG_4894
So much stained glass everywhere.
IMG_4974
The sunlight brought the windows to life!
IMG_4889
More stained glass.
IMG_4971
And more…
IMG_4903
I don’t know if I was allowed to, but I wandered off and started exploring the property. I stumbled upon some classrooms and kids in the courtyard playing.

Tower of Terror
After wandering around this beautiful church for a bit, I noticed some folks looking out from the tower, so I paid the two-dollar entrance fee to ride the elevator up to the top and enjoy the view. Bad news: no elevator. Stairs? Nope. Scroll down.

IMG_4963
This can’t be right.

This looks like a special entrance that only the construction workers would use to access the tower. Wrong. It’s the main visitor’s entrance, the only entrance. And let me assure you that this was one of the most rickety, unstable-feeling, wobbly bridges I’d ever crossed in my life! It did not feel right! The bridge leaned from side to side–after all, it was balanced on top of a triangular roof! And the rope railings were attached to small boards nailed into the bridge, many of them very loose. If you leaned on the board, it would surely snap off!

IMG_4962
“What the heck did I sign up for?”
IMG_4923
People behind me getting impatient.

But the bridge would be the easiest part. What was in front of me was just the first of a succession of very steep ladders.

IMG_4921
The first ladder on the way to the tower.
IMG_4937
The second ladder.

They may look like steps, but look how small the rungs are…that’s a ladder right there. Nice chicken wire below the ladder rungs; my fat ass would go right through that chicken wire if I made one wrong move!

IMG_4959
“It’s now or never!”

One rickety bridge and three steep ladders later, and I was up! And what a gorgeous view it was from the top! A 360-degree view of all of Quito. Definitely worth the trauma.

IMG_4952
“Made it!”

IMG_4915
Quito.
IMG_4985
Luckily you can’t see my stained pants in this photo! Now wait…how do I get down???
IMG_4970
On the other side of the church: the view on the way up to the clock tower. Stairs this time!
IMG_4968
Here’s the tower I just climbed.
IMG_4966
To the tick-tock, ya don’t stop! Inside the clock tower!

Get Your Stroll On
After about an hour at the church, I strolled down Venezuela Street and stopped for a bit at Plaza de la Independencia.

IMG_4992
Plaza de la Independencia.

The giant square was buzzing with activity: from shoe shiners, to ice cream vendors, and lots of little cafés and shops…there was also a very established presence of “tourist police,” which made me feel even more at ease than I already was. With lots of green grass, manicured landscapes, monuments and fountains, Plaza Grande was one of the nicest squares I’ve ever spent time at. There was even free public WiFi. Wow!

IMG_4996
Also known as Plaza Grande.
IMG_5091
Apparently they walk around selling cake too. Yes please.

Let’s explore some more, shall we?

IMG_4980
As my stroll down Venezuela Street continued, more treats!
IMG_4997
Scary mannequin!

Hungry from all the walking and climbing, I stopped by a small, local restaurant–which name I forgot–man, this place was tiny! I think there was only one dish on the menu: lunch, consisting of some type of creamy soup, a plate of rice and meat and a small dish of fruit salad (did I mention fruit salad is big here?) My surprise was when the bill came: $2.75. I had to have the cashier repeat it twice, it didn’t register the first two times; $2.75 for full meal??? Incredible.

IMG_4982
Hot, fresh bread and pan dulce.

Stair Master
Oh, I guess now would be a good time to tell you about my addiction to stairs. Especially random, urban stairs. I love them. I don’t know why, but I always feel the need to climb them, especially when I don’t know what’s at the end. Probably a dangerous habit, but hey, how else am I going to burn off that pan dulce. Vamanos!

IMG_5004
Stairs!
IMG_5008
A stop on the way up to admire the city. I didn’t see any tourists. Uh oh.
IMG_5085
Okay, now these stairs are kinda sketchy. But I’ve come this far…

Sittin’ in the Park
I was enamored by this park which seemed to be just hanging off the cliff, overlooking the city. How nice that these kids can get away from the hustle and bustle of busy street life and play. So close, yet away from it all.

IMG_5015
What a cool place for a park!

It’s better with sound, here:

IMG_5080
Level two of the park.
IMG_5031
Top of the hill.
IMG_5049
The Ecuadorian flag flies over the city.
IMG_5079
I was greeted by the Virgen de Quito at the top.

Like a Virgin
At the top is the Virgen de Quito. You can go inside, and up to the tower, just below the globe. Luckily, stairs get you there; no shady bridges and ladders this time There’s also a small museum inside, which explains the construction of the giant statue.

IMG_5056
Overlooking Quito from the Virgen.

The fun doesn’t stop at the virgin though! El Panecillo is a 200-meter high hill that, along with the virgin, features a big grass area, a restaurant overlooking the city, and a dozen shops and kiosks selling all kinds of good local food and drink. These are the surprises that really make my trips memorable.

IMG_5067
Quality time. on El Panecillo.
IMG_5090
Oranges, mangos, and maracuyá.
IMG_5059
Maracuyá with mango.
IMG_5064
Unconditional love.

What you didn’t see was this puppy giving this little boy a kiss on the face before settling in on his lap. So precious!

After sightseeing, I crashed early at the hotel. Chuck Norris was on the Ecuadorian cable TV. What a nice first day!

Pedro Pan
I awoke early, chilled for awhile, and had breakfast at the hotel before cabbing it over to catch the teleferico up to the mountains. My cab driver, Ronnie, ended up becoming my guide for the day. He was super cool and very kind–like everyone I ran into so far in Quito–and drove me all over town for a fun day of touristy-activities.

IMG_5134
Riding the teleferico.
IMG_5122
At the top: Lookout Cruz Loma.
IMG_5131
Church.

Geography Class
Next, we were on our way to La Mitad Del Mundo: a.k.a. the equator, stopping first at Pululahua Volcano. I wasn’t too excited about Ronnie’s recommendation to visit a volcano–once you see one, you’ve seen ’em all–but was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. This was not what I was expecting.

IMG_5156
Overlooking the giant crater.

Planned Community
What was so spectacular about Pululahua, was that this is the only volcano in the world that is active, with people living on top of the crater! The farmland, fields and houses you see below–this is all sitting on top of an active volcano, inside the crater. I’m not sure how it all works, and how the crater got filled and can support that land, but there it is! Fascinating, and what a breathtaking view. We had coffee at the overlook before heading over to the equator.

My sources tell me that the giant La Mitad Del Mundo park and exhibit is not actually on the equator, but off by about 250 yards. So here they built this giant attraction, just to later find out with more sophisticated GPS tools, that someone goofed! According to the experts, you can visit the actual, correct equator at the Inti Ñan Museum…so that was our first stop!

IMG_5177
Standing on the equator at Inti Ñan Musuem!
IMG_5176
I’m thinking something dirty that I cannot type, because my mom reads this blog.

Drain-O
Claudia was our guide at the museum, and while museum tours aren’t usually my thing, this was actually pretty damn interesting. Among the things we saw was a display of how water drains in different directions depending on what side of the equator you are on. Really cool!

IMG_5168
Water draining clockwise in the southern hemisphere…
IMG_5165
…and counter-clockwise in the northern hemisphere!

The coolest part was seeing the water fall straight out of the drain while it was directly over the line. I’ll probably never see that again!

IMG_5163
When draining directly over the equator: the water just falls straight out–no swirl at all!

Equators Gon’ Quate
Next stop was the “major” equator exhibition, La Mitad Del Mundo, which was a pretty grand park–much bigger and flashier than the quaint museum we just came from. Although the giant monument at La Mitad was cool, I preferred Inti Ñan.

Version 2
At the “fake equator,” La Mitad Del Mundo.

From Quito, With Love
Back to the hotel we went, and was it weird that I had Quizno’s before my afternoon nap? It just sounded good.

I have many takeaways from Ecuador, but without the doubt the biggest, is the people. I don’t remember ever being taken such good care of anywhere else; with such kindness, attention, hospitality, and honesty. Almost everyone I came in contact with was overflowing with kindness, modesty and appreciation. Maybe it’s because they are taught that tourists are valuable for the economy here, or maybe it’s just the sincere way of life here. Whatever the reason, I felt well taken care of during this entire trip–like I was visiting a long lost aunt, who just wanted me to enjoy myself, be safe, and even learn a little.

I’ll leave Ecuador tonight with fond memories of the beautiful sights, and even fonder memories of the people, who are even more beautiful than any church or monument I could ever come across.

This entry was posted in South America
Share

Related Posts

  • Colombia: Compare and Contrast
    Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cartagena and Medellín

    July 10, 2016April 18, 2020
  • Inside Venezuela

    July 3, 2016June 1, 2019
  • Bolivia

    November 24, 2015April 4, 2020

Post navigation

  Taiwan
Inside Venezuela  

4 thoughts on “Neato Quito”

  • Ray July 6, 2016 at 3:39 pm Reply

    That’s amazing how much you packed into Quito in only two days! Guessing it’s one of those countries that you will want to revisit more thoroughly once you have completed your mission of visiting every country in the world?

    • Ramblin' Randy July 7, 2016 at 2:55 am Reply

      Two days was enough. I liked Quito…reminded me of a “Bolivia Light”…Bolivia is one country I needed way much more time in!!!

  • Pingback: Where I’ve Been – Ramblin Randy

  • Pingback: Syria…Kind of? – Ramblin' Randy

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Donde Está Randy?

San Diego, USA

Next Up:

Beirut, Lebanon

Progress:

99 %

Randy has seen:
192 out of 193 countries
(226 TCC)

Social Studies

Recent Comments

  • Ramblin' Randy:

    Thank you my friend!
  • Eff Emm:

    What an interesting read and so much useful information.
  • Ramblin' Randy:

    Ahh thank you so much! I'd love to hear about
  • Evelthon V:

    Randy, great report and it seems things haven't changed in
  • Ramblin' Randy:

    Thank you so much!

Newsletter

Explore:

  • My Mission
  • About this Website
  • About Randy
  • Best Of!
  • 50 Travel Tips
  • Misc.
  • Ramblin’ Links

Recent Posts

  • My Micro Trip to Micronesia
  • Palau…Ask me How!
  • Papua Don’t Preach
  • Solo Mon in the Solomons
  • Yo Quiero Kiribati

Ramblin' Randy Hotel Deals:

Destination

Check-in date

Tue 28 Mar 2023

Check-out date

Wed 29 Mar 2023
Booking.com

© Ramblin' Randy. All Rights Reserved.