Laura is attending a writer's workshop in Washington State. Instead of moping around the house while she's gone, I'm spending a week in Quito, Ecuador. Well—I felt like I had to do something.
From Mexico City Laura flew north on American Airlines; I went south on the Costa Rican carrier TACA. My ticket cost way less than Laura's. TACA fed me meals and provided roomy seating. The airline is totally professional and efficient. I had forty minutes to make a transfer in San Jose; it involved no more than a relaxed walk from one gate to another. It was like air travel in the '60s. Just get on the plane and go.
The air's thin here. Quito's altitude is over 9,000 feet, half again as high as San Miguel de Allende. I'm better off than most Norteamericano visitors since I'm partially acclimated, but many of them live close to seal level. Still, I'm having to take it easy as I walk through the city.
San Miguel de Allende boosters claim the weather is springlike year-round. It isn't. But Quito's is. A light sweater and an umbrella is all you need anytime, day or night.
This view of Quito is to the south overlooking the Old Town. The hill in the distance is the Panecillo, the Little Sugarloaf, in deference to the big one in Rio de Janeiro. A winged statue of the Virgin crowns the hill. Quiteños are very proud of it.
I did what you do when in any Latin America city: I visited churches. Lots of them. This is the Plaza and Monastery of San Francisco. Building commenced in 1534, when Quito was founded. For the Spanish invaders, first things first meant get the church built right now.
The plaza is a pleasant open space, and my favorite restaurant, Tianguez, has outdoor seating there. You can just make out the umbrellas on the left of the yellow building.
The conquistadores scooped up all the Andean gold, and they stuck a whole lot of it on the walls of the Jesuit Church, La Iglesia de la Campañía de Jesús.
Responsible for this kind of thing were guys like Sebastián de Belalcázar. He looks pretty tough to me. I'm a little mystified that in Latin countries where most residents carry indigenous blood, statues of their conquerors are tolerated.
Quito managed to preserve many old buildings like this 16th-century mansion. Lack of economic growth hindered redevelopment which ultimately worked to the city's advantage. Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so recognized because it had the best preserved historical center in Latin America.
Quito has more hills than San Francisco, California. You don't stroll here, you climb. Situated in a valley surrounded by volcanoes, the terrain is rarely flat anywhere. But I enjoyed lovely climbs up narrow streets and stairways past beautifully preserved old buildings.
With artful photography and carefully chosen words it's possible to paint a picture of Quito as a quiet cultural gem. It is that—and it isn't. Quito has all the ills of a modern city, perhaps even more than some. But I was able to get away from the tumult to find the attractive side of the city.
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Posted by: Hotels Quito Ecuador | 12/29/2009 at 07:22 AM