The Quito Quickie
Before I started the sightseeing rat race, I had grab some breakfast at the hotel. I ordered a coddled egg which is just a fancy schmancy term for a soft boiled egg. It was pretty early in the morning so most of the sights were still closed. So I hailed a cab to El Panecillo otherwise known as the Little Bread Loaf to see the famous Virgin monument of Quito.
The view was absolutely breathtaking. And I was glad I went early in the morning, when tourist were scarce. After snapping a few pictures, I made the hustle over to the Teleférico to see the panoramic view of the city of Quito. I started to hike up the trail when I started having issues with the altitude.
So I left to hit my next sight, the Basilica del Voto Nacional. It’s suppose to have the deadliest view of the city. And after climbing 300 steps to the top of the tower, I had walked down the creaky wooden bridge leading to the ladder. While I was climbing up the ladder, I notice one of the wires was a bit loose. I made the mistake of looking down, and had dropped the cap for my water bottle. That really didn’t help to calm my nerves. So I retreated. But I really wanted to see the view. Oh wells. Maybe next time. I was trying to hail a taxi to the Monasterio fe Santa Catalina from the Basilica, but I couldn’t find a cab for the life of me. After about 30 minutes, and with the help of one of the guys from the Basilica I was on my way back to the hotel.
I was in a bit of rush to get back in time to meet up with Gaby a Quito local. We went to a 24 hour coffee shop near Foch street which is the heart of Mariscal. It was a bit weird seeing armed guards on the streets. According to Gaby, Mariscal has gotten super safe in the past 6 years, and that armed guards only patrol a 3 block radius. Quito is a big city, yet it’s such a small town. When we we were walking down one of the streets, we saw her mother’s car past by. And we ran to flag her down. It was very nice to meet her mom and grandfather who thought it was very brave of me to be traveling solo. In the end, it was a semi-productive day. I met up with a Quito local and saw the most magnificent views of the city.
