High on Quito - Blogabond

I arrived in Quito late at night after a long flight from Buenos Aires. The flight actually went by fairly quickly, and I had a bit of a chat with an Ecuadorian guy sitting next to me (some of it was even in Spanish!).

View from the hostel

I got up early the next day to have a look around the city. But first, I had breakfast at the hostel, which has an outdoor terrace with an amazing view of the city (see the photos). Quito is about 2800 metres high, and is surrounded by even higher peaks, so there are plenty of views to be had. The old town has plenty of architecture, and a chilled out feel. A lot more South American than B.A. And despite it's reputation, I feel completely safe walking around the streets, and there's a surprisingly small amount of hassle.

View from TeleferiQo

I was a bit worried that I'd run out of things to do here, as I'm in Quito for 6 nights (I usually find most cities get boring after 3 or 4 days, if you're lucky), but that hasn't been a problem. Other than just chilling out in one of the parks, there's heaps of stuff to do, like the TeleferiQo, which is a 2.5km cable car, going to a peak about 4100m high. Needless to say, the views are stunning.

The hostel I'm in is another good one, very social, and they serve dinner, which is pretty convenient (and probably a bit healthier than most other cheap options). The only worry is everything (including beer) goes on a tab, so it might be pretty expensive when I cash up. Still, I'm starting to think my daily budget is a lot more than most other people's, (and probably more than I need).

The town is safe, but the guy with shotguns probably help that

Today has been the best day so far weather wise, sunny and around 20 degrees. I'd heard there was a festival in a park near the hostel, so I walked up the couple of hundred steps (not easy at altitude!) to have a look. I was expecting some sort of folk or traditional music, but instead discovered it was a heavy metal festival! The setup was good – it could have been a festival in any western country, except that it was free to get in, and no alcohol served. All the bands were locals, and everyone was wearing Metallica and Iron Maiden t-shirts. Who knew there was a metaller scene in Ecuador? I didn't stay too long, but did watch a bit of the moshing action, which ended up in one guy getting stretchered off by an ambulance crew. Not the sort of thing I was expecting to find in Quito, but definitely interesting.

I've now got one more day in Quito before another flight, leaving at stupid o'clock. But since this one is to the Galapagos, I think I can handle it. I've got an 8 day boat cruise, and then another couple of days on the islands before flying back to mainland Ecuador. You're unlikely to hear much from me until then. Everyone I've met who's been has said it was their highlight of South America. Expectations now unreasonably high.

written by

Sam_C on September 11, 2009 from Quito, Ecuador

from the travel blog: Epic Detour

Send a Compliment

comment on this...