Unfortunately, my first morning was not quite how I imagined it. I woke up lightheaded, nauseous, and with a pounding headache – all telltale signs of altitude sickness. While feeling this way is not uncommon at an elevation of 10,000 feet, I admit I did not hydrate nearly enough in preparation for our arrival (I will not repeat that mistake). As a result, I missed breakfast and the initial tour of the Iglesia Católica de San Francisco. However, I thankfully recovered after a couple extra hours of rest and was lucky enough to receive a condensed tour of the church and monastery, courtesy of Skip. The plaza and vast collection of artwork were beautiful!

Following the tour, we all got tasty churros filled with caramel and chocolate from a local vendor before splitting up for lunch. A group of us ended up at a small, local restaurant, where I ordered two large empanadas filled with cheese. From there, Natalie and I trekked up a hill to see the famous Basílica del Voto Nacional, otherwise known as the biggest Gothic church in South America! The two of us met up with some others from our group and climbed our way to the top of the impressive stone cathedral, where we were greeted with a breathtaking panoramic view of Quito.

After a brief pause at a local chocolate shop (where I had possibly the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted), our next stop was El Panecillo, or the statue of the Virgin Mary. In an effort to beat the gradually setting sun, we sprinted back down the hill and hopped into a taxi, which took us to the top of the mountain. Before, I did not think the view from the Basílica could be beat – El Panecillo proved me wrong. I was astonished by the sight of the lush green mountains and colorful hillside homes. I struggled to grasp the true size of the city as it stood laid out in front of me. Once we returned to the hotel and ate dinner as a group, we visited a nearby restaurant and ended the night dancing with some locals!