Ecuador Equator Walk
Ecuador | Country 7 | 4 day |
I am finally traveling again after COVID. Throughout the journey, I was very apprehensive about testing positive, as this would have meant being stranded outside the US.
I landed in Quito later in the day, checked into my hostel and had a filling arepa (extremely soft buns with juicy stuffings).
Ecuador uses the US dollar, with its own twists, like this half dollar coin.
Quito
Quito is dense and busy, with meandering hills just like San Francisco where I was coming from.
A beautiful monument overlooks the city.
Middle Earth
Named after the equator, Quito has a monument dedicated to its namesake, although the monument is actually a few kilometers off the true equator.
The city is at 2850m above sea level, which gives it the temperate climate even situated right on the equator.
It’s something seeing that yellow line which splits the Earth in half.
Eating … a Guinea Pig
I tried the local Andean delicacy - the guinea pig (cuy). It tasted horrible - like extra dry chicken.
I only have good things to say about Ecuadorian food.
Something like a mix of Peruvian and traditional spanish.
City Life
Everyone is busy. My uber driver was kind enough to converse with me while practicing English.
Quimbolitos - cornflour in plantain leaves
Chifa, like Chaulafan, seems like the perfect fusion between Chinese and Ecuadorian food.
Did I climb Cotopaxi?
No, I did not. Given its popularity as a clothing brand, I was naturally curious. I wasn’t fit enough to join the hostel climbers who wanted to submit.
However, I did take the cable car with a couple of folks from the hostel to the other mountain near Quito.
Nightlife
The nightlife was something interesting. I will just leave it at that.
Otavalo
Otavalo is in the Andean highlands, and I visited with a tour group. A crafts person taught us about their textiles and sang a traditional song for us.
The market had quite a few crafts and I was glad to see the indigenous groups in Ecuador thriving.
I said my goodbyes to the city after passing the COVID test at the airport. I certainly hope to return for Galapagos and beyond.
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