Well that´s it, its confirmed now, I have done all there is to do in Quito!!! As related by the receptionist at the hotel this morning - if you´ve done the Teleferico (cable car), Mitad del Mundo (Equator line) and you´'ve walked around the Old City, then that is really it!!! Useful to know when you still have 2 whole days to fill here - sigh - .....
On Tuesday, I got up very early for an epic journey - first stop Pulalahua volcano crater where people now live and farm, but it very high up and very cold especially at 8am :S Onto the clour forest on the other side of the Pinchicha volcano which faces the coast and is very hot and humid. Amazing orchids, birds, plants and clouds just above the forest!! Along a very windy road to Mindo which is a small town popular for trekking and extreme sports. Visited a mariposario (butterfly farm) and hummingbird feeding station. Was just amazing to see everything up close!!
On the way back from Mindo along the windy roads, visited the Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world - the only place where the Equator meets a main line of longitude on land). In the 1800s a French expedition came here to prove the world was round. Unfortunately the got the equater line wrong by 240m (trust the French ;)! ) and so there is a monument on the "fake" equator and a museum on the real equator, with the water experiments to show the Coriolis effect, sun dials etc.
There are 3 dogs in the building next door and a mysterious cockerel that have done their best to disturb my beauty sleep over the last 3 nights (you should see me now!!), so consequently (and nothing to do with being supremely lazy) I have taken to the afternoon siesta :)
Yesterday, having met up with a fellow Tucan Traveler, we decided to tackle the Teleferico cable car which takes you up to 4100m above sea level, it was an interesting experience, and we got free colada morada & guaguas de pan at the top!! Colada morada is a trad Ecuadorian drink served only at this time of year around the Day of All Saints (today) and is made with black corn flour and fruit, so it sweet and quite viscous. The guaguas de pan are small loaves of sweet bread made in the shape of babies, with jam in the middle and decorated with icing.
More info here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guagua_de_pan
We also tried te de coca - but didn´t seem to have any effect, though I did feel quite lightheaded in a pleasant way after we had walked around the view point a bit. So far, most lunches and dinners have been spent in Plaza Foch, the main tourist restaurants area, eating fondue, argentinian food, and burgers.... I know, not very Ecuadorian, but apart from the ubiquitous Cuy (Guinea Pig) there isn´t much to write home about when it comes to Ecuadorian food. And needless to say, I am planning to nibble on a Cuy before we leave Ecuador :D
So this morning, after the vote of confidence and help from the receptionist, we set off in the sunshine for the old city, went into the Basilica and the San Francisco Church, chilled out in Independence Square with more colada morada & guagua de pan....... and that´s pretty much it. Momentarily got lost after visiting La Ronda - which is supposed to be a buzzing area, but evidently it being the Day of All Saints, everyone has left the city!
So that´s Quito and that´s it for now. I´ll do my best to put up some pics before I go offline :) Will be in Otavalo, then the Amazon Jungle until the end of next week when I´ll be in Banos (should be net there).
Adios amigos - have a great weekend :)
