Ciudad de Los Cielos

“Light of the Americas” – “Little Face of God” – “City of the Heavens” – “The Florence of America” - with these reverential nicknames, and its notoriety as being UNESCO’s first World Heritage Cultural Site (along with Krakow, Poland); it’s understandable if Quito, Ecuador had buckled under such reputational pressures. Had it become a tourist trap with a Disneyesque Centro Histórico, or left to ruins under population and modern economic pressures? Well, the answer is no . . . and yes.

We fly in above a stunning city nestled between mountains draped in Baroque-era clouds. It really sparkled below! Our uphill car ride to Casa Joaquin, this stop’s home base, gave the perfect overview of both the modern and the remaining Colonial village that make up the foothills of Quito. Even as the night sky took hold, it was easy to see we were going to love exploring this gem. All of that giddy excitement took a quick turn with warnings from our driver of the current crime problem the city was facing. Problems began with intense turf wars by rival gangs that gripped the city since COVID, and it cast a pall over what first appeared to be a shielded international destination - geographically the gateway to the cherished Galapagos Islands. There was a looming election and the population was frustrated. We got a bit nervous, not overly, but wondered if this was the right time to visit.

The first comforting moment and a highlight of Quito was Casa Joaquin. Our hosts, Patricio and Valerie, warmly welcomed us and it felt like stepping back into those charming European inns, B&Bs, and “Pension de famille” from our '90s travels. We even had to ring the bell to get in, which was the first hint that we’d be well taken care of. They gave us tips on where to go, what to avoid, the safe times to wander, when to hire a driver or Uber, and pointed out the most well-priced and tastiest restaurants nearby (Miskay and Achiote). They even offered to show us the safest route around La Mariscal. It was just perfect.

From Casa Joaquin, we could easily venture on foot to different parts of the city - as long as it was daylight. The Centro Historico was built by the conquistadors in the 1500s and as UNESCO said when declaring it’s world heritage status in 1978 “the city has the best-preserved, least altered historic centre in Latin America”. When we meandered about, the European feel was unmistakable- we could have been in Italy or Spain or Portugal.

The Plaza Independencia is where the tourists congregate to sip a canelazo while admiring the pristine white edificios that surround the square. It’s a short stroll up to another grand plaza that sits in front of the old San Franciscan monastery and a further stroll down to the Teatro Bolívar, a visual reminder of the Castro Theater in SF. The theatre is still under renovation after a fire destroyed much of the building in the late 90s, but the front houses a number of shops. We both popped in for a much needed haircut at La Barberia.

Up one of the many hills that lead out of the old town sits the massive Basilica del Voto Nacional - its architecture rivals any gothic cathedral in Europe. At night, when it’s lit, it’s even more spectacular and a beacon for the city. And this is just the grandest of the 60 churches and ecclesiastical structures scattered throughout the historic area - easy to see why another one of Quito's nicknames is the "City of Churches".

We strolled through affluent parts of town (where some towering residential architecture reminded us of Sydney), wandered around colonial barrios, checked out the Contemporary Art Center housed in the former military hospital and ended up at miradors, overlooking all of them. In the evening, we hiked up a hill to a popular spot at Cafe Mosaico, which got our hearts pumping and gave us a much-needed workout. The historic center was spread out before us, and we enjoyed a laid-back meal, made even better by a surprise romantic Mariachi band playing for a couple nearby . . . we fell even more in love with Quito's charm.

In one of those "wait, what?" moments, we accidentally stumbled across Cafe Dios No Muere after a Google search tantalized us with its promise of a Louisiana and Ecuadorean food mashup. The gumbo was well-spiced with an excellent rich dark roux, the jambalaya was stuffed with sausage and chicken and the yucca fries kept us a bit flavour-grounded to the region. All of this was washed down by a refreshing pisco sour and quality craft beer. The expat owner hailed from Hammond Louisiana and back in the day, his uncle served on the city council with Robert’s dad. Really! How random is that! El mundo pequeno.

We never plan it, but somehow we end up making unexpected connections with people while exploring new places around the world.

For just an hour or an evening, our paths and pasts collide with another committed traveler resulting in stories, dos-and-don'ts of places to visit and usually some wine consumption. In Quito, we had one of those connections catching up with a friend from Erik’s university days. She was in town guiding students on a two-week-Spanish-speaking,-volunteering-and-sightseeing-adventure. This was true immersion and we met at the home/school of a local family, gaining some first hand knowledge of this amazing experience. Our chat sparked tons of ideas about traveling, working, and living life differently. Let's not wait another 25 years before our next hangout, Carol!

Our time in Quito was limited. We were headed to the Galápagos Islands and it was our “jumping off point”. But even with a compressed few days, we filled our dance card and took in some of the tour-from-town tick-box offers in and around the capital city.

How could we possibly pass up a photo op with each of us standing in different hemispheres less than a meter apart? At the real Mitad del Mundo, quirky little experiments explore some of the unique characteristics of the equatorial phenomenon. Believe it or not, water does actually rotate down the drain in opposite directions on each side! The swirling leaf fragments removed any doubt. While not experiencing jaw-dropping proofs, it was a must-do, geographically-specific experience. Tick!

From Mundo to Mindo, we had a fun day with our guide and driver Javier, checking out the thick clouds and dense terrain of Ecuador's Cloud Forest northwest of the city. We made stops at different reserves to feed hummingbirds, hunt for green toucans hiding in the trees, and admire the crazy patterns on butterfly wings. Our day wrapped up with a speedy hike to splash around in five awesome cascadas. Maybe our energy boost came from the flying gondola that took us across a gorge to start our adventure. It was open, swinging all over, and powered by an old bus engine, with the driver keeping an eye on things using a walkie-talkie. If you're scared of heights, you might want to avoid looking down to keep your heart from racing. After all that excitement, the ride back through the clouds to Casa Joaquin was surprisingly chill.

Each morning after scarfing down a coffee and either Patricio’s or Valerie’s tasty home cooked breakfast, we’d walk outside, look up the mountain and decide if today was the day to take the Teleferico on a 20 minute ride, up the side of the dormant Volcán Pichincha, and view the entire city below. We didn’t have much luck. On our final day, the clouds parted - well, mostly parted - enough to chance the journey up to those peaks that mesmerized us when we first landed and marvel at the city below. Up 3,945 m (12,943 ft), the city is even more spectacular. And all the comings and goings of the nubes kept us entertained long enough to take a hike and relax with some peaceful, reflective moments.

Throughout our time in Quito, we were constantly reminded that there was a looming election - as if we hadn’t had enough politics during our US stops. Every street corner, light post, and business front held some candidate’s promise of a future government delivering a safer, thriving Ecuador. On the surface, all the foundation is already there. Good roads, infrastructure, a recently added metro and updated airport and the amazing culture and people. What lacks is safety and in turn, hope for the every-man. With our own travel street-smarts and willing local’s advice, we had a wonderful few days in this City of the Heavens and recommend a visit for anyone exploring Latin America. The positive outweighs the negative press and hopefully the wheels of change are turning.