The Centre Of The World

Welcome to Ecuador!

Historical centre of Quito.

Gold in churches.

Leaving Baños just in time for the weekend school crowd, I left all the noisy teenagers behind, they yelling and screaming, me with my 'bus music' on up loud, drifting away and looking out the window excited about my next destination. Cuenca had been a great stop, some culture and the sights and sounds of my first city in Ecuador, and Baños for the nature side. Ecuador had already won me over, and I had also met some great people here too, now it was on to the capital - would it be any good, or would it be like Lima, dirty, noisy and dangerous? The bus trip wasn't a long one, only 4 hours, but I was dropped off right at the bottom of the city. Feeling slightly lost (I hate bus terminals!), I asked a few people and eventually got pointed to the local buses that would take me into the city and onto my hostel. A very friendly woman helped me on a bus and told me when to change and get off. We chatted for a while about various things, including my next destination, the Galapagos. Quito is a long, thin city nesttled between mountains, so although you could walk around it in about an hour or so, from top to bottom is a long way. The bus system is quite good though - a stretchy bus that runs along it's one closed-off lane on the road. The buses and cars still spew out black smoke, but at least the traffic jams aren't too bad!

Mary on her hill above the city.

The 'unfinished' basilica,

Another church and plaza in Quito.

Ecuador's capital is right in the Andes, with an altitude of 2,850m, making it the highest capital city in the World. Nowhere near as big as Lima, Quito has just over 2.5 million people and feels far less crowded too, and not as polluted either. The city was founded in the 16th Century by the Spanish, and like a few other cities in South America, it still has that Colonial look and feel to it. In fact, Quito has one of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centres in South America. I arrived late in the afternoon on a Friday, and decided that the next day would be best to hit the city. First stop was the market for brunch - $2US got me the run of the mill (but very good) chicken soup and a main dish of beef with rie and veggies, as well as a chicha (black corn drink). Full belly and content, I walked over to the tallest thing I could see in the city - the city's Basilica. Built in the Neo-Gothic style, construction was started in 1895, money raised by the city and aided by donations from believers who gave stone for the church in exchange for being able to carve their name on them. A tax on salt was even introduced to help with cash. Technically the basilica is unfinished, and it is said that when it is finished the End Of The World will come. I climbed up the stairs to the top of one of the towers, getting a good view of the city and the hills, and from here I chose my next destination - the Plaza de Armas.

The historical centre of Quito.

El Panecillo and Mary.

Traditional costumes and dance.

Walking though the city, I decided that I liked it. Not too busy, not too modern either, and I felt completely safe. The main plaza is a large and has the Cathedral as well as government buildings - the standard for Spanish plazas. It was only a week before Easter and things for happening everywhere - there was a dance performance, the dancers dressed up in tradition clothes and getting jiggy to traditional music. There are also numerous churches around the city, some of which I went in, and museums too - free or very cheap for locals but prices set higher for foreigners, and I hate paying to get into museums and churches. The top thing to see here (according to good old Trip Advisor...) is the Iglesia de La Compania de Jesus - I didn't go in as I thought it was too expensive, but it is known for it's gold doors and decoration. I looked in and all I could see was gold statues, gold on the walls and ceiling and just everywhere - the didn't need my money clearly, they were doing just fine. There is something about South America and big statues of Jesus on hills - Quito on the other hand has one of Mary. It sits on a hill in the middle of the city, and I was told to get a taxi up there as you are nearly guaranteed to get robbed on the way up - locals get done too apparently, even in broad daylight. I'm sure there was much more to do here, but this was just a stopping point before moving on, but I did visit the Equator.

El Mitad del Mundo - The Middle of The World monument.

That's a big hat!

0 - 0 - 0

Ecuador is Equator in Spanish, and just north of the city is the "Mitad del Mundo," or the Middle of The World, monument. Easy and cheap to get to, it only took me 2 buses and about 40 minutes. Although it was very touristy and a bit cheesy, I felt that I was here and I do like these silly things - middle of the world, tallest this, most southern that. $3 to get entry to the park, I wandered around and snapped a few photos of me standing on the Equator line. In actual fact, this line varies by about 5kms, so this it isn't a clear-cut line, but hey. A few interesting facts for you - did you know that with the centrifugal force here, you actually weigh 1 kg less? The effect of the North and South Pole on water, the water going down the drain clockwise or anti-clockwise (The Corolios Effect), only effects large bodies of water, like oceans, and not your toilet or sink? You can balance an egg on a nail here? I felt no lighter ($3 lighter really), didn't believe (or care) about the water down the loo thing and I couldn't even do the egg trick. Not much to do but walk around, take a picture of yourself straddling the line and politely say no to all the shopkeepers who desperately want you to come and in buy souvenirs. Photos I did (you have to!) and a picked up a few postcards too, then went back to the city.

That damn egg just didn't want to sit on that nail!

My ride to Tigua - a guy, a school kid and some bananas.

The Quilitoa Loop.

Something else to do while in the area is the Quilotoa Loop. You can do it in 3 days, staying in small hostels along the way, but I decided to do it in 2 days. You start from the town of Latacunga, a short bus trip south of Quito. Most people take the local buses along the route to speed things up, but I decided to break things up a little by walking parts, busing some and hitching the rest. I walked 10kms from Latacunga to Pujili, which in hindsight I probably should have caught the bus - it wasn't that long a walk, just not very pretty and all along a highway. Lunch at Pujili was a welcome break, fill up my stomach and buy more water, and then I hitched the hard part - 45kms of uphill, windy roads to the very small village of Tigua. I was going to get a bus, but the buses here aren't that regular and even less so on a Sunday. A man in his ute was harassing me in town, saying he would take me, but I wanted the bus and so refused him politely. He tried again and again, followed me in his car and beeped and called out to me - I didn't really want to get in the car with him, as I thought it would be just me and him, he was very persistent to take a foreigner for some reason, and so I thought that maybe it would be my last car trip ever. I started hiking up the hill to the bus stop, wondering at this point what I had got myself into (as I hadn't planned anything... as per usual), when we came back, this time with a woman in the front and a couple of school kids in the back. I felt safer and decided to take him up on his offer and jumped on. Glad for the ride, and the break, I hopped off at the village, deciding to do the last 8kms for so on foot - the sun was out, the hills were green and welcoming, and that's what I'd come here to do! It was a pleasant walk to Zumbahua, the town where I would stay the night. I found a cute little hostel, paid the $8 for my room, showered and sat on the balcony with a few beers and watched the sunset.

Sunset in Zumbahua.

Markets at Saquisilí.

All dressed up and nowhere to go.

Heading out early the next day, I decided to walk 17 kms to the crater - the thing most people come for. Laguna Quilotoa is a big volcanic crater that is now full of blue-green sulphuric water - it is becoming more popular with the tourists too. I was enjoying my walk, snapping pics along the way, when a car stopped full of Ecuadorians who offered me a lift. They spoke English too, which was a change in South America, and so I jumped in. We visited the lake together, Carla, Adriana and Marcelo. We decided only to walk to the water (at 3,200m above sea level!) then back up, and even that was a bit tough on the way up - you can also walk right around the crater, a full 10 kms which I did not have the energy for. Cold and a bit windy but the sight was still beautiful. My new friends offered me a lift back to town, which I accepted, and spent the afternoon with them chatting (in English and Spanish), and even had lunch - a very yummy roast pork salad! Sometimes when you meet new people you feel the need (or they do) to become Facebook friends, swap numbers or something else as silly like "come to my house when you next come to my country!" Sometimes though, you meet people, get on well, have good conversations, say thank you very much and part ways - that may sound sad, but it always puts a smile on my face as it feels so natural to share time with someone then you both go off on your own journey - there is no need to make things last past their used by dates. Thank you, my new friends for the day.

Laguna Quilotoa.

Making the serrations on knives.

Chicken for dinner.

The following day my plan was the Saquisilí markets, which are only held every Thursday and are famous for it's sheer scale. I'd met two lovely people at the hostel in Latacunga the previous night, a Canadian guy travelling with his sister and her son, and so we went together. 25c and a 15 minute bus ride later and we were hit with the noise and mass of people that is the Saquisilí market - 8 plazas choc-full of people, animals and everything you can imagine (and things you would never have thought of, or even knew existed!) being sold and bargained for. The first thing we saw when we got off the bus was a pig being pulled into markets - so far living up to the reputation of a great market to visit. There were people everywhere, stalls selling watches, shoes, kitchen utensils (and a woman making serrated knives) and just about everything - the local hill tribes come in to buy and sell amongst themselves. The animal market was also busy - guinea pigs, puppies, chickens and kittens as well. Unfortunately we had some bad luck - the guy had his phone stolen from his pocket while we were wandering around the markets. This is just one of things that can happen while in a busy place, no matter where you are. While travelling, and not just in South America, you have to be very careful and keep everything close to you and not in back or side pockets. We did our best to find the phone, using GPS to track it and I even got a ride on a police motorbike while hunting the thief, but it was gone - too many people. Many good things can happen while travelling, but sadly bad things happen too. On the bright side, it was only a phone and nothing serious - just one of the pitfalls of travel, but nothing that should stop you from getting out there and doing it, these things can happen anywhere.

To market pig!