Sunday, March 6

This morning, Andi arranged for a private tour guide to take us around Quito’s Old Town. Gustavo, the very first driver we hired when we got to Ecuador in January wasn’t available to take us today, but his wife named Elizabeth was free and she is also a guide.

Before we met Elizabeth, we ate breakfast at Cafe Mi Amor located in the main floor of our condo building. The food wasn’t the greatest, but it was convenient to eat there before meeting Elizabeth at 10:00am.

Elizabeth is born and raised in Quito & shared a wealth of information with us about the city. Our first stop was to the Basilica del Voto Nacional — the largest neo-Gothic church in all of South America. Elizabeth pointed out subtle nods to Ecuador throughout the building: stained-glass windows in the shape of Galapagos turtles and iguanas, parrots and turtles in place of more traditional gargoyles. It took over 100 years to build the church and construction projects still continue to this day. Locals believe the end of the world will come if/when the Basilica is completed.

We paid $3 each for the opportunity to climb to the top of the Basilica’s towers. Walking up the first few flights of stairs had our lungs burning for oxygen. The city of Quito is at 9,350 ft. elevation. We stopped at several overlooks along the way up to the top to catch our breath and see the city from different viewpoints. There was a gift shop on one level and even a bar where you could order a beer & sit out on a patio — inside the church! That’s not something you see everyday. We didn’t stop for refreshments, through. We kept on climbing to the top of the tower.

The higher we climbed inside the Basilica’s tower, the more narrow the stairway became. A metal spiral staircase began on the “bar” level of the tower, and was very tight to walk up. A claustrophobic person would not enjoy this part!

Eventually, we made it to the top of the tower where we admired “Old Town” Quito spread before us. From this viewpoint, we could see the El Panecillo hill which translates to the “The Little Bread Loaf.” This hill in the middle of the city separates North and South Quito.

Getting from place to place in Quito’s Old Town was a snap because Elizabeth’s father-in-law picked us up and dropped us off in front of each stop. He waited in the van while we explored the sights. This was especially nice since it was raining he morning we turned around the city.

Our second stop this morning was Plaza de la Independencia, or Plaza Grande. This square is the heart of Old Town with Ecuador’s Presidential Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito and the Municipal Palace on all four sides. It was neat to see guards dressed in red and blue standing at attention outside the presidential palace, but Elizabeth said the current president doesn’t reside here — believe it or not, he lives in the Hilton! It used to be that the president of Ecuador would come out every Monday at 10:00am to wave to the people in the Plaza Grande, but Elizabeth said the current president no longer does this ceremony.

From the Plaza Grande, we entered into the Archbishop’s Palace. This building is no longer home to the archbishop, but now has a variety of national and International restaurants inside its courtyard.

Elizabeth led us through the inside of the building’s corridors to a candy stand. There, she handed Andi and I each a round, sugary piece of candy filled with liquor & explained that long ago is was distasteful for women to drink alcohol in Quito, so these candies filled with alcohol were created. The women would sit around & eat these candies never revealing that they were actually consuming alcohol. Now, mistelas are sold in Quito’s historic area and often served at Ecuadorian holiday gatherings.

Even after hearing Elizabeth’s explanation, I was still surprised when I bit into the candy and a shot of booze squirted into my mouth! I wasn’t expected the strong flavor of clear liquor to fill my mouth. The candy store provided Tory and Aden with a non-alcoholic version so they could try the traditional treat, too.

Next stop in Quito’s Old Town was San Francisco Square where San Francisco cathedral is located. San Francisco was the first church built in Quito in 1535. The Spanish built it directly on top of Incan ruins that proceeded its rule. The church has a commanding presence in the square, sitting higher than everything else around it.

Inside San Francisco cathedral, mass was taking place as it was Sunday morning when we visited. Still, we were able to very quietly walk into the church to admire the gorgeous paintings and gold leaf covering the walls, ceiling and the alter itself. The original La Virgen de Quito (The Virgin of Quito) sculpture is on display in this church.

A flurry of activity was taking place outside the cathedral from vendors selling food and religious candles, to religious activists spouting information on a microphone, to locals & visitors alike passing through the square. One of Quito’s most expensive hotels called Casa Gangotena is located in this square.

Down the many streets intersecting with San Fransisco Square, shoppers were buying all kinds of different goods. Elizabeth explained that each street section sold a certain kind of product. For example: one street only sold party supplies. One street sold household tools like brooms and kitchen supplies, and one section sold fruits or vegetables exclusively. She also said that this is one of the cheapest places in the city to buy goods & that you can find absolutely everything you need in this area which is why locals come here to shop. It was such a juxtaposition to see very old buildings displaying today’s latest Disney characters on party balloons and piñatas.

After walking around San Francisco Square, we hopped into Elizabeth’s van and drove to the top of a dome-shaped hill in Quito called El Panecillo (or little bread load) — the same hill we saw from a distance this morning when we were at the top of the Basilica tower.

Many people visit El Panecillo because the hill provides a great 360 degree view of the city and Pichincha Volcano. Perched on top of the hill is a huge Virgin of Quito statue. There was a lot going on here as it was Sunday morning — vendors selling salchipapa (hot dog & fries) and other Ecuadorian fast-foods. We bought a cup of ponche to try which cost us $.50. Elizabeth explained that ponche is a beverage she drank as a child growing up in Quito. Ponche is made of eggs, malt barley, sugar and vanilla and then topped with blackberry syrup. It tasted foamy and sweet with a slight beer flavor which was quite odd, actually! Vendors who sell poncho dress in white uniforms and sailor caps and are a bit of a dying breed, she told us. There are only 22 people left in the city who sell this traditional drink.

We saw traditional Ecuadorian and Bolivian dancers entertaining a crowd on top of El Panecillo hill. I’m surprised how many Andean women still dress in traditional clothing. Colors and patterns of clothing differ by area, but it’s evident that history and culture are important to the Ecuadorian people.

We asked Elizabeth to take us to a typical market in Quito. There are several, she said, but some aren’t very safe to walk around due to frequent pick-pocketing. The market she took us to was called Mercado Central. It was very similar to other markets we’d see in other Ecuadorian cities like Cuenca and Latacunga. Vendors sold a variety of foods & beverages including fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs. It was neat to visit the market with Elizabeth because she’s a home cook & pointed out all sorts of local ingredients. She also said Ecuadorians do not waste food, so every part of the animal is used in cooking (including the animal’s head, hooves, tongue, skin, liver, and stomach). All those items were being sold in the market.

The 3rd floor of Mercado Central was a big food court selling hot meals and juices. During Lent, Ecuadorians eat a specific dish called Fanesca which was for sale inside the market. Elizabeth said Ecuadorians get excited this time of year because this dish is available. It’s made with fish and 12 different beans and grains which represent the 12 disciples in the Bible. Fanesca is served with hard-boiled egg slices and fried plantains.

Our last stop in Quito was Calle La Ronda, a beautiful well-preserved street in the historic part of town. La Ronda is a pedestrian-only street so we took our time wandering along the old brick road, peeking into shops and cafes along the way. I’d read that Calle La Ronda can be quite busy on the weekend evenings, but on a Sunday afternoon it was very quiet and peaceful.

We’d learned so much about Quito’s history in our few hours walking around Old Town. The four of us were starving, so we said good-bye to Elizabeth and thanked her for a wonderful tour. Then, we ducked into a typical Ecuadorian cafe near San Francisco Square for a late lunch. Andi tried a bowl of the traditional locro de papas soup for his meal which is made with potatoes and cheese and served with avocado and tostadas (corn kernels) as garnish.

After a day of walking around the city, the four of us were ready to return to our Airbnb and relax for the remainder of the evening. None of us were very hungry for dinner since we’d eaten a late lunch, so we scrounged up some leftovers from the fridge.

Andi and I watched church on the computer before bedtime while Tory and Aden lounged on the sofa with their iPhones.

Today was a fabulous day exploring the city of Quito.