Quito: History, culture, and environment at elevation

Spring Break 2019: What to do with the kids? I went to Ecuador many years ago for medical missions, but never made it to many areas. We have been hoping to start exposing the kids to much needed non-whitebread activities, so the Galapagos seemed logical, right?

South America 101: The people are lovely and helpful, but there is an underworld of pickpocketers so just be mindful of not leaving things where they can be snatched. This exists everywhere, of course, but it is particularly prominent in crowded places. Quito uses dollars, so no need for conversion. This occurred after an economic collapse in 1999 where the ecuadorian dollar lost essentially all worth after a massive inflation boom. This corrupt government was exchanged for a slightly less corrupt government, which really shows why by experience in 2005 was quite different than today.

Do not expect things to be done in a speedy fashion. Things are going to be late...waitstaff will forget you are there unless you almost stand on the table for the check, and most food is prepared fresh...so you ARE going to wait. Allot over an hour even for a simple meal, or just do street food in a bind.

Either way, I would highly recommend a visit to Ecuador, even with small kids, as they have really stepped it up and made it hospitable.

Me, South America...sometime in my 20s

Quito Day 1: We landed at the new airport (8 years new) that I didn't even know existed. My prior trip was in the 'old airport' which was antiquated and in the city surrounded by a giant bowl of mountains. This, needless to say, was quite scary for landing. It was the only flight where I thought, 'oh crap. I might die'. So, I was pleased at the new and improved version. We landed fairly late so nothing exciting to report: EXCEPT. Our hotel rooms were situated immediately off the lobby desk, in an old building, with alarms and people talking in the halls loudly, and a front gate notification that sounded like an 80s style car alarm. In saying this, I would not recommend staying at this hotel, La Cartuja. We complained and our room was changed on the way back through, but we mentioned the noise many times to the manager and were initially told there were no other arrangements. So, 3 days of the kids not sleeping was unpleasant to say the least. To their credit, Intrepid Travel was very helpful arranging a change in location on the way back, but on viewing the TripAdvisor reviews, it appears the lobby rooms have been a huge problem for years and the owners of the hotel have just decided not to address it. Luckily, Intrepid now has asked that people not be put in those rooms for future trips, so y'all will be in good shape. You are welcome.

Quito Day 2: Officially our first day, we decided to explore the city via a hop-on/hop-off double decker bus. The Quito Tour Bus is really a great opportunity to explore without renting a car or getting taxis with kids. The price is reasonable and they are fairly on schedule with stops.

Our first stop was the cathedral Basilica Nacionale Vote. A gorgeous Neo-gothic church with an amazing opportunity to hike up to the higher towers (which can also be a bit terrifying when you have kids...you kind of just hope they have coordination and go with it). The entry price is only a few dollars, so really for an hour of great views and interesting church scenery, it is a win-win.

Next Stop: El Panecillo (The little bread loaf)

El Panecillo is the quintessential view of Quito in travel books. It is a mountain within the city basin that is home to artisan crafts, food stalls, and the famous Virgin of Quito statue. We had lunch on top at Pims which has an incredible view of the city and some interesting local food boards to get the palate started for 2 weeks of fabulous grub.

Following lunch, we returned to Mariscal (where our hotel was) for a quick cerveceria stop. Dinner that evening was local, but I failed to remember the name. We had an argentinian style meat and veggie platter that could have fed 6 people, all for 16 bucks. Seriously. Stay Tuned for day 3, Termas de Papallacta!