Quito has a very interesting history, as do many of the South American capitals. The common theme, given my readings, are Indigenous conflict, followed by Spanish meddling, intertwined with Jesuit and/or Catholic teachings.
With this in mind we proceed to the Centro Historico (The Historical Center) of Quito. Diego, our driver arrives early before our scheduled 9am pickup time. I love it when people are early! There are several of you rolling their eyes and/or laughing now.
The 15 minute drive through the bustling streets of Quito led us to The Basilico del voto Nacional. This large cathedral is our first picture of the day. We spent quite some time there, mostly due to the lengthy climb that yours truly made to the top of the tower shown as the highest point in the photo. It is somewhat surprising to us that people are allowed to climb up there. There are stairs on the main floors, however the towers require climbs up ladders. Once in the top tower, I found the "rails" in the tower to come up only to my knees. This climb and view is not for the faint of heart or those fearful of heights. When I asked Diego if he would join me in the tower he quickly replied "No sir, I am afraid."
The terrain of the Historical Old Town is like a bowl. There is a high point at the Basilico leading down to a flat part at The Plaza Grande. This main square houses the Presidential Complex which essentially surrounds the Plaza Grande. We were lucky enough to view a memorial service in honor of a previous conflict with the Spaniards decades ago.
Our next stop was a church, La Compania de Jesus, that was constructed by the Spaniards using 7 tonnes of gold! This certainly captured our attention. Every square inch of the place is covered with a 23-karat gold laminate. Perhaps even more impressive is the art collection. As a confirmed Roman Catholic I was also thrilled to see that my confirmed sponsor saint, Ignatius of Loyola, was one of the inspirations for the church. This is not surprising as Ignatius was a main leader of the Jesuits. As an aside, Ignatius was very scholarly and well respected as an educational authority, authoring many volumes during his life. I chose him for this reason, as the patron Saint to guide me through my life.
After completing our tour of the main Old Town we then proceeded to one of the highest points in Quito, el Panecillo. This 45 meter tall monument of the madonna is apparently the only one in the world with wings. From the Apocalypse, the image of a virgin with a serpent at the feet, is an image that was reproduced here in Quito in 1976. This is a very important monument in Quito, symbolizing not only the religious icon, but however the progressive art culture here in the 70's. Here we are standing at the foot of the monument at 9300 feet.
After completing our tour of the main Old Town we then proceeded to one of the highest points in Quito, el Panecillo. This 45 meter tall monument of the madonna is apparently the only one in the world with wings. From the Apocalypse, the image of a virgin with a serpent at the feet, is an image that was reproduced here in Quito in 1976. This is a very important monument in Quito, symbolizing not only the religious icon, but however the progressive art culture here in the 70's. Here we are standing at the foot of the monument at 9300 feet.
We returned to the New Town for lunch before venturing out into the area surrounding the hotel. Here is where the amateur travel writer in me came to life. I was severely disappointed by the coverage of this very excellent part of Quito. The main avenue in front of our hotel is the southern border of the New Town and also lies several blocks south of the Mariscal, also known as Gringolandia (or, roughly translated, White Tourist District). I am therefore not interested in Mariscal outside of a few compelling restaurants. I want to be where the locals are, and that is New Town.
Our part of the New Town, I have discovered, is where the upper echelon of Quito dine and drink. This was not evident to me in any of my readings on Quito. Prices are more in line with those back home, for mid-range meals, so still a discount, given the area. We explored a side street, Isabela de Catholica, and found a great number of converted houses that are now cafes and restaurants. This is where doing a little bit of smart exploration in a new city pays huge dividends. Further down October 12th Street we found some very nice 5-star hotels and also a SuperMaxi grocery store that would rival any of ours back home. This has changed our view of Quito and also our recommendations for where to stay and eat while here. For those seeking more American 5 -star accomodations, I recommend the Swissotel. The Hotel Quito is nice, if you get a renovated room. Also the price, at our discounted rate of $57 per night is probably a 60-75% discount to the Swissotel.
Hotel Quito has an excellent restaurant with 5+ star food for 3 star prices. Tonight I had a beautifully presented shrimp dish in a fried plantain basket with salad for $9. I have also sampled the house red wine, a Malbec from Argentina, for the reasonable price of $4.50 per glass.
Here in the New Town of Quito you can get absolutely anything you want, from North American groceries, to local produce, to International cuisine.
Did You Know: The New Town is only about 40 years old despite Quito being in existence for hundreds of years. The reason? Oil exports to the USA in the 70's and 80's brought business and, of course, money to the area, leading to expansion, and perhaps more importantly leading to a need to cater to international guests.
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