MachuPicchu & the Galapagos 2019
Part D: Quito, Ecuador
Adios and muchas gracias, Andres, but it's on to the Galapagos!
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Our first full day in Quito (pop: 2m; elev: 9,350'), and our guides, Luis & Andres (our Quito expert), take us to a market, then a lengthy city walk and, perhaps, the most gorgeous setting for a meal (above). So why, exactly, do we need to spend two full days in Quito? The answers next....
Our primary Ecuadorian guide, Luis (left), met us at the Quito airport. He was born on the Galapagos and spent most of his life there; he now lives in the coastal town of Guayaquil. He was a little under the weather, and the higher altitude did not help! Fortunately, Andres (from Quito) was supposed to do the bulk of the guide duties for our two full days in the capital city. A nice backup to have because Andres was terrific. We were never lacking in expert guides.
The public markets are huge in Ecuador, as well as Peru.
Little known fact: Ecuador has used the U.S. dollar as its official currency since 2000 (following huge inflationary years).
Looking for Sacagawea gold dollars? Look in Ecuador! Worn to the nubs. And any of the Presidential Dollar coins unpopular in the U.S....and JFK half dollars!
When you buy roses for your sweetie, they may very well be imported from Ecuador. They're considered the best in the world because of their size, quality and staying power. There are more than 400 varieties. Flowers comprise nearly 10% of the country's agricultural output, with roses 3/4 of their floral production. The United States is their #1 importer.
Downtown Quito is a hub of activity; it's easy to fall in love with its quaint streets and Ecuadorian/Spanish architecture.
No downtown trip is complete without the requisite church visit, this time to the Church of the Jesuits, built in 1605 (well, started, at least).
We even had time to visit the Museo del Cacao, where we learned about the making of chocolate and got to sample a number of varieties; the hot pepper chocolate was as advertised. Then we got to plunk down our cash for coffee and chocolate, threatening precious room in our luggage.
For me, at least, nothing matched the "wow" of MachuPicchu or the overall magnificence of the Galapagos; they were why we came on this trip. But, given that, our second day in Quito may have been one of the best days of our trip.
After breakfast on Sunday we visited a special-needs school in Quito supported by the Grand Circle Foundation (the non-profit arm of OAT): Sinamune Project. We knew we were to be entertained by a school orchestra, but none of us expected quite what we saw. We were completely charmed by a small orchestra and dancers from the school. The joy and enthusiasm these kids and young adults (ages 12 up to their 40s) embodied clearly had an effect on us all. One of our travelers, Rebecca, has an autistic son at home; so, perhaps, that made it more powerful for all of us.
The school specifically provides therapy, musical education and training, and participation in dance and orchestra - an orchestra that performs internationally - to young adults with many types of disabilities. We felt privileged and honored that these young, talented and enthusiastic musicians would assemble on a Sunday exclusively for our group. Emotions ran high as they drew our group into their dance, with many of their parents joining, too.
The guiding light behind the orchestra is 78-year-old Maestro Edgar Palacios, a renown Ecuadorian composer and musician, who works with the school as his life mission. Our hats off to the Maestro (way below, right) and to OAT for sponsoring this incredible and uplifting project.
We left the school emotionally spent as we headed north toward the Equator! Now, all of you have spent some time at a border crossing, whether it be between countries or between two, three or four states; you might have crossed the International Dateline or the Arctic (or Antarctic) Circle. But none of these places has any real effect on you, your body or your surroundings.
Not so at the Equator.
It looked normal: a line on the ground that indicated the exact spot of the Equator. But it was not so normal. Our guide took us through several experiments to show that there really are cosmic forces that delineate the center of our globe.
Clockwise from above: Like all of the rest of us (except David), Ellen & Sherry flunk the balance-an-egg-on-the-head-of-a- nail-at- the-Equator test; after 68 years of searching, Mason finally finds inner peace as he straddles the Equator; Rick & Tracy posing with the God of the Equator; and we're entertained by a native dancer.
Frankly, this excursion to the Equator, as fun and informative as it was, was one of the few places I felt rushed on the trip. I could have spent more time here.
For example, we all know that water going down the drain in the Northern Hemisphere swirls in a clockwise direction; and most of us have heard that it goes in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere. We experienced that when we were in Peru (and Quito). But when the guide used a portable bowl to demonstrate that just several feet on either side of the Equator, it's just a wee bit weird. Then when she did it right on the Equator, the water descended straight down, as if it's Niagara Falls going over the cliff into the abyss.
After lunch atop the mountainside (see lead photos), we had the afternoon off. Half of the group decided we could "pace" ourselves when we returned to the States; it was time to take the tram (TeleferiQo) up the side of another mountain, which rose to 13,400' above sea level or more than 4,000' above Quito. The sights were unsurpassed (that's Tracy taking in the view), but a little more of a climb and we came across even more unexpected, local color.
Just past the church, up the hill, we came across a local with a llama and alpaca, all set up for pictures (for a small fee, of course). Sure, why not? So Melinda gets her smooch; Pat & Rick both get in poses worth remembering.
It was an exclamation point to the end of a long day, but it was the next day that I believe would trump the rest.
Oh, what the heck; we haven't done enough today? After yet another delicious Ecuadorian lunch, a bunch of us decide to hop in a couple of cabs and make it out to Quito's Botanical Gardens.
Far left, below: We saw plenty of private protection in both Peru & Ecuador: fences topped with razor wire or spikes or glass (or all of the above). Leftover remnants from more violent times.
