Quito and around

So after 24 days in the exploration camp in the southeast jungle of Ecuador, I came back to civilisation, to Quito, for 3 days, to get a resident worker visa for Peru. I was lucky that the paperwork went fast and smoothly and I got my visa earlier than I had thought. On the first day, I couldn't leave Quito because I had to go to the peruvian consulate both morning and afternoon. So I visited Old Quito, the colonial full of charm Quito. I took a taxi to Plaza Grande, also known as Plaza de Independencia, the equivalent of our peruvian plazas de armas and of the Grand' Place of Brussels. Although it was raining I took my time to figure out what the 4 large buildings around this square were: the Cathedral, the Palacio de Gobierno (with the funny hatted guards in front), the Palace of the Archbishop (which houses a nice patio with restaurants, like Café Papaya, and souvenir shops - public toilets costs 10 cents) and the Palacio Municipal (with a tourist centre in the corner it shares with the cathedral). It was raining steadily but not pouring buckets. Where are the paraguas vendors when you need them, ay?

A nice lunch in Café Papaya followed by a little walk and a visit of the city museum, Museo de la Ciudad, was all I managed to do in the afternoon. After returning from the consulate I collapsed on the bed of my hotel room (Reina Isabel) with a takeaway fajita of Mango Tree Café in front of Friends episodes and other films and series. The night before I had tried a vegetarian meal from The Magic Bean, which is bound to become my favourite quiteñan place.

After watching TV late the previous night, I still wanted to make an early start on my second morning. Managed to get to Otavalo by 12 (give or take) and spent the whole afternoon shopping - LUSH! Quick break at Café Buena Vista for lunch during rain showers for a yummy aguacate sandwich (aguacate is avocado in Ecuador, but it's known as palta in Peru).

Got back to Quito after dusk, and tried to contact a colleague met at the exploration camp who was meant to be in town but couldn't get in touch. I ate dinner near Mama's Clorinda (which I'd been recommended but seemed too conventionnally ecuadorian, and not vegetarian friendly), at the psychedelic seventies teenage Café Butterfly which served a good fried fideos (pastas) and vegetable stir fry with sesame sauce. It was good, unlike their orange carrot-juice featuring grated carrot (not juice). Watched TV late again, Pequeñas Grandes Amigas was on.

Right, last day in Ecuador. I tried delivering an enveloppe to Aurelian (the firm who owns the exploration camp) but I had the wrong address and thought "Sod it!" and went to La Mitad Del Mundo, i.e. the middle of the world: the equatorial line! I was aiming for the museum Inti Ñan, which means path of the sun and where they demonstrate that this is really the location of the equator. I adored the experiments with the coriolis force and balancing an egg on a nail, walking in a straight line etc... Not the best guide but tipped her anyway because it's such a cool museum and it's a one-to-one guided service.

Back in town, it starts pouring buckets (what a surprise, it rains all the time in this country!!), no, actually, it's more like drowning Quito, and the streets are flooded within 10 minutes with water coming out of the ground. I wait for the rain to calm down for at least 20 min, watching 2 lovers who stayed out in the rain, kissing - so romantic. As the rain did not calm down, I jumped in a bus, to Plaza Grande, at a traditional locro de papas (potato soup with avocado and mozzarella) in Café Papaya, visited the jesuit church La Compañia which is beautifully decorated in gold leaves in baroque style, well worth the $2 entry! This church was founded by Saint Ignacio de Loyola, the same as the street we live in, in Lima!

Hurried to (the correct this time) Aurelian office to deliver their enveloppe and rush to a supermarket Megamaxi to buy some ecuadorian chocolates. Jump in a cab again, to drive to the airport after stopping by the hotel to pick up my bags, and get there at 7.15pm (instead of the 6pm I had planned...). Nonetheless have the time to savour a quimbolito, sweet corn and sultanas snack, steamed in a large leaf, and a cappucino in this non-air-conditioned airport (HOT!) before boarding the plane to Lima.

All in all, Quito and its surroundings is a really nice place. The road to Otavalo by bus was very pretty and it's impressive how many volcanoes there are. I didn't get a chance to see la Ronda or San Francisco church in old Quito and I definitely need to go to the Galapagos, so I'll have to return one day!