After flying over Mexico and Central America from Houston I arrived in Quito's Mariscal Sucre airport just before 2300 local time. Customs was a breeze as was obtaining a city map and booking a taxi. They have a very good system for taxis. While still inside arrivals you go to a window, tell them your destination and they tell you the fee. Then they radio a driver who meets you out in the hall and you give him the receipt. My driver had a large van and I felt like arriving royalty sitting in that spacious vehicle all alone while being called señor in every sentence and given a guided tour of the city en route to the hostal. I rang the bell and was let in only to be greeted by four flights of stairs and of course reception was on the top. The long trek in city at 2800 meters above sea level was rewarding with amazing views of the lit-up city from the hostal terrace. I was to spend many hours on this terrace just gazing at life passing by in this beautiful capital city. But for now it was a large bottle of Pilsener and straight to bed.
My first night's sleep in Ecuador was not a good one. I think the altitude was having an effect on me and I tossed and turned all night. I emerged from the dorm onto the terrace to get breakfast and there before me was my first glimpse of Quito in the daylight. The city is located in a very long, narrow valley so looking to the west you can easily see the structures on the opposite side. Down below is the beautiful Old Town, full of colonial architecure, churches and squares and a great place for wandering and exploring. Soon after breakfast I went round the city with this Chileno guy who had a car and saw a lot of things I might have otherwise been to lazy to get to. First we visited the Parque Metropolitano, the largest city park in South America. There are amazing views here but you have to hike a bit and with Quito already being at 2800 meters, it's best to make sure you are acclimatised first. After that we drove to El Panecillo to see the Virgen de Quito and wonderful city views, then through the Old Town and New Town on the way to Guapulo. After Guapulo we made an interesting drive north of the city to the rich suburbs. The area here looked like the rich areas of Los Angeles. Huge mansions with guard towers, security guards with machine guns, boutiques and cafes and lots of SUVs circling about was about the biggest contrast imaginable from the Old Town and the soutern parts of the city. It's mind-boggling how so few people can have so much while everyone else has so little. After the initial feelings of shock and surprise followed by those of anger we drove a little more and got some great views of Volcan Cayambe, the highest point on earth along the equator.
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