Quito, one of the first UNESCO Heritage Sites.We travelled back to Cusco from Aguas Calientes - a long tiring journey, full of massive hill climbs and descents, kids, dogs, taxi-bikes and cattle, but helped by the safe, steady driving of Mr Max! The next day - Sunday 18th April found us transferring from Peru to Quito. The hotel, Patio Andaluz,
is actually an official 'National Treasure', and holds centuries of history within its walls. It was part of the original Solaris or original buildings, that made up the city of San Francisco de Quito (as Quito is more properly known), at the time of its foundation. The old town of Quito lies at 2,800 m (about 9,000 ft), so it's the second-highest administrative capital city in the world after La Paz, Bolivia. It was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1978 (along with Krakow). The central square is called Plaza de La Independencia and is only located about 15 miles south of the equator. (A monument // museum marks the equator are 'la mitad del mundo' (the middle of the world) - so-called to avoid confusion, as the word ecuador is Spanish for equator is ecuador!
Walking around Margaret found the area somewhat intimidating, probably thanks to the protesting going on in the central square and the para-military look of the police keeping an eye on proceedings. We ate in the hotel, rated as one of the best, but in the tapas bar; splendid.
The next day we given a tour by Bonnie, (a Metropolitan Company guide) taking in
* the Cathedral of Quito
* the Church of the Society of Jesus (La Compañía) - but only the outside ... it was a feast day and tourists were not allowed (even practising Catholics!).
* Church and Convent of St. Francis (San Francisco) and
* El Panecillo - which is a hill located towards the west of the city up at altitude of almost 10,000 ft, with great views and where there is a monument to the Virgin Mary by the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras (a 41 metre aluminum Madonna, ontop of a globe, standing on a chained snake, but ... with wings! Inspired apparently by the famous "Virgen de Quito" (Quito's Madonna), by Bernardo de Legarda, 1734, which is in the Church of St. Francisco. This Madonna represents a turning point of the Quito School of Art - one of the most renowned of the Americas.
After the tour, we had a late lunch at the rather grand Hotel Plaza Grande, which rises majestically overlooking Quito's Plaza de la Independencia. My first experience of Ceviche - which in this case was shrimp, marinated in a citrus-based mixture, with lemons and limes, served in a bowl with popcorn as a side dishes; fabulous! Walked through town after lunch, looked for some wool for Margaret ... no luck. Met John and Nina (Maynard), first seen at Sol Y Luna, who were to join us on Isabella II, for our Galapagos expedition. Next day the transfer to the airport and onto Baltra Island, to board our ship. All done by lunch time on 20th April.
