My first day in Quito started with a hefty breakfast at our hotel. We had eggs, coffee, juice, and a fruit bowl of papaya and watermelon. Breakfast was amazing and then we quickly got on our way to the Plaza de San Francisco which was only a couple of blocks away from the hotel. We got to go inside the Iglesia Catòlica San Francisco which was the church in the plaza. Since it was a Sunday and mothers day the church was packed and it was so beautiful. After the church we went on a tour through the Museo Franciscano which was an art museum attached to the church. There we learned about some of the cultural significance of the church and some of its historical background. The museum also included the oldest brewery in the new world which was very interesting. Our tour guide was so nice and I was so grateful to have this experience.

After the church we checked out some of the local markets in the area and I got the best churros I’ve had in my life! After the churros we walked around a little bit more before coming back to the hotel for lunch. For lunch we had chicken with rice and potatoes with a salad. Lunch was very good but I was feeling a little tired afterwards so I had a small siesta before hitting the road again. We had some free time in our afternoon so I went with a couple others and we got soccer jerseys for some of the local teams at one of the market shops. After this we made our way back to the Plaza de San Francisco where we saw our tour guide again. We stopped and talked with him for a little while before bringing him with us to get a quick bite at a local restaurant called La Capilla.

We then made our way back to hotel before leaving again as a group to see the Basílica del Voto Nacional. The Basilica was so beautiful and after climbing up some very steep steps we were able to see Quito from the top of the Basilica. Sadly, it closed at 5:30 so we had to make our way back down and went back to the hotel for our dinner at 7:00. For dinner we had a beef stew with rice and a salad and it was so good.

Following dinner we split up and took Ubers to the Virgin of Panecillo which is a statue that overlooks the city of Quito. It was a bit of a struggle to get up there but it was so worth it! We got to see the city from the height and also got to play volleyball/keep it up with some of the locals at the statue. We made our way back down from the statue and after a long day of traversing the city I was very ready for bed. My first day was absolutely incredible and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store!