Day 1 (Saturday, May 6th)
We left Pitt around 9:30am and boarded our first flight to take off at 1pm. Even with a few minor setbacks, our flight still arrived on time to make the next flight to Quito from Atlanta! I was in the middle seat for both flights (all 7 hours, woohoo!) but I ended up learning a lot more about Ecuador’s geography thanks to Skip’s the flight tracker screen. We arrived in Quito at 8:15 and I went through immigration and customs for the first time, as well as got my first stamp in my passport! We got on our bus to the hotel for about an hour, and we arrived at Hotel de San Francisco around 10pm.
Our very first night in Quito started off with a bang! The entire group decided to check out the colonial city and get a late dinner (the airplane food wasn’t cutting it). We headed outside and followed the street music until we came across a stretch of local restaurants and shops.
Day 2 (Sunday, May 7th)
For our first full day in Quito, we woke up around 6:45am to make sure we could get to breakfast on time! I ate a delicious breakfast of papaya, bread, and my first cup of black coffee (also my first cup of hot coffee…this trip is helping me experience a lot of firsts). Right after, we raced up the same steps as we did last night to see the view from our roof. It was completely different in the daytime, and the sun was so bright! I was amazed by the beautiful green mountains and bright blue sky, they painted a perfect background for Quito. I couldn’t stop myself from getting some pictures on the roof in my Sunday best!
We had a very busy day ahead! Our first stop was Iglesia de San Francisco, the most beautiful church I had ever seen. Construction of this iconic church took place from 1540-1580, and renovations began in the late 1890’s. While we did not actually attend mass, we were able to observe the service from the sides of the church. Because I grew up Catholic, it was amazing to see the same mass that I am used to in a different language and with different cultural customs.
Next, we got a tour of the Museo de San Francisco, which was filled with art pieces that took us through years of Catholic history revolving around Saint Francis. We also got to hear the story of Catuña, an Ecuadorian tasked with building the wall and platform outside of Iglesia de San Francisco. He made a deal with the devil- if the devil builds this wall for him, he will have to sell his soul. Fortunately, Catuña was deceitful and kept one brick so that construction would not be completed! It is said that the brick is still missing from the wall today, and the many birds flying around outside of the church are actually the miniature devils that were punished for allowing Catuña to trick them.
Next, we got some yummy churros from a street vendor and grabbed lunch (some amazing chicken and rice) then headed to our first chocolate tasting! At Yumbos Chocolate, we learned that chocolate’s origin is actually Ecuador. Cacao is native here, while it is not in other major chocolate-producing countries! We got to try 6 different types of chocolate, and had a delicious chocolate brownie that we washed down with hot chocolate. My favorite chocolate that we were able to try is made from cacao grown in the Amazon, and this unique location gives it a “fruity” and light flavor! I had to buy some to take home with me.
We had some free time to explore Quito, so the girls (and George) decided to try our hand at bargaining in Spanish with the street vendors as we shopped. We negotiated prices on bracelets, or pulseras, and got some unique souvenirs to take home with us. Maddie and I also heard some street music and of course the dance floor was calling our names. We had so much fun with the couple who was dancing next to us!
Next, we walked up to the Basilica del Voto Nacional! The architecture was gorgeous and so detailed. 16 flights of steep and winding stairs later, and we felt like we were on top of the world. The view of Quito from so high up blew my mind; I had no idea the city extended so far!
We weren’t ready to stop quite yet, so we hailed some cabs to take us up the mountain to the statue of the Virgin del Panecillo. This was the first time I truly felt altitude sickness, but I still managed to climb the steps inside the statue to get one last aerial view of Quito.
I cannot believe that we have been in Ecuador for less than 24 hours and already experienced so many things! I’m so excited to see what comes next on my Ecuador Adventure.
Buenos Noches,
Anna