San Francisco de Quito
Quito, the capital of Ecuador, was the first city to be declared by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. It is also the second highest capital city in the world, 9,350 feet above sea level.
It sprawls across a valley, flanked by volcanoes on either side.
Iglesia y Monsteria de San Francisco
Imagine meandering through a city and accidentally walking into this.
La Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús
I have not seen such an opulent religious building anywhere else, not even in India. Every inch is covered in gold and my camera just couldn't handle it.
In contrast, the outside is white and grey, almost as if it's been tasked to tone it down a little.
El Panecillo
This statue, Virgen de Quito, is visible from various street corners and churches.
Warped
It feels like the city of Quito folds up on itself.
Calle La Ronda
La Ronda is what used to be a shady alley way, now converted into a beautiful promenade lined with colonial buildings, restaurants, shops and policemen.
Culture
A free helping of traditional folk and pop-cultural dances at street performances around Old Town.
This particular one had a young scrawny man who transformed over time into a latina woman and danced provocatively the rest of the time. People seemed to enjoy it a LOT.
Apothecary exhibit at Museo Ciudad
Mindo
Mindo is a world class paradise for birders. It lies west of Quito, lower in altitude, but the clouds can still graze one's shoulders.
Toucan
Toucans and Quetzals are flagship birds of this area. We saw several toucans but no Quetzals were sighted.
La Avenida de los Volcanes
The Andes is littered with volcanoes anyway, but in and around Quito is what seems like an avenue with volcanoes on either side as you drive south on the pan-american highway.
I took this picture from the plane on our way down south to Guayaquil.
Cotopaxi
Cotopaxi is the second highest active volcano on this planet. We didn't pick the best day to see it in its icy cape, but our guide informed us that Cotopaxi looks very different from the photos we saw back in our Geography textbooks because the glacier is fast receeding.
Cotopaxi as seen from Lake Limpiopungo.
