Finding our Feet in Quito

La Basillica

I have been slow getting this blog going because it has taken me a while to find my feet in Quito.  That may be because they are now 9,500’ above sea level.  We took a couple of days just to do some walking up and down in the Old Town to acclimate to the altitude.  

By “up and down” that is exactly what I mean.  


A man in our first hostal recommended we check out a park a few blocks away.  “It’s only about 400 steps.”  He meant a staircase with 400 steps.  We went to a restaurant instead.

The “Old Town” of Quito is a wonderful maze of narrow cobblestone streets littered with 16^th to 18^th century buildings and it was the first city to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

It is a delightful city in many ways, with a great richness of culture – and such a melding of musical traditions: Latin and jazz and pan pipes played together in the streets.

Quito is built on hills

Our first few nights were spent at hotel that is essentially a youth hostel.  It was fun to take a look at the backpacking crowd from a few years away.  They partied hardy into the night (above our ceiling!) and the conversations were often odd to my aged ears.  One young lady regaled the young man at our table with a detailed account of how often she changed her panties.  Mostly these little dialogues were coquettish patter between men and women, but one man felt such an appetite for dalliance he loudly offered himself to any man in the room, then as an afterthought decided he meant “all” the men in the room.  I suspect alcohol was involved.

We moved to a nice little place beside a church where the only sound is church bells and pigeons cooing.

But on the subject of sex, I have come to the conclusion that it is bought here like tropical fruit or cheese – by the pound.  Ingrid first noticed the hookers, but once I caught the “look” it was clear that (as in poultry) there is a market for plump. 

As part of our acclimatization, we took a “telefeirico” (enclosed chair lift) up to 13,350’ where we found little traction for our lungs.  I doubt we will be hiking much higher than that, but it was sobering to know we must spend more time at altitude to be ready for it.

The equator runs through it.

Yesterday we took a cab to the edge of town to “El Mitad del Mundo.”  This is a park through which the clearly-marked equator runs, so you can put a foot in each hemisphere.   Oddly, it is often cool at this altitude at the equator, which is misleading to many – those who mistake cool weather for lack of UV rays pay the price with blazing red skin.  

Mother Mary at the market.

Finally, to put to rest the Great Canadian Debate about breastfeeding in public, I offer this proof that the Virgin Mary openly nursed the Baby Jesus with a bare breast.  Let’s hear the warbling now!