Exploring Old Town

Quito, Ecuador

Stray dogs in Otavalo this morning- Otavalo was dead

                         I woke up this morning at 6:45 in Otavalo and quite literally got a rooster wake up call. When I got to my hostel in Quito at around 10:30 there was a German woman in my room who I ended up spending the whole day with walking around Old Town.

Basilica

view from upstairs of Basilica

Patio of Basilica.. picture came out a little dark lol

                    Sundays are the perfect day to explore Old Town because they shut down the streets from cars and are many people walking around. We first went to Basilica, which is a gothic cathedral that you can walk up all the way to the bell tower and enjoy unreal views of Quito. 

Outside patio in a mall in Old Town

dancing while balancing bottles on their heads!

We then walked into this little outdoor mall where we saw a bunch of people sitting around a stage so we decided to wait around and see what people were waiting for. There was a show with traditional Ecuadorian dance and costumes that gave a remarkable glance at the traditional culture.

Old Town has an evident European influence and it is really beautiful. Anyone who goes to Ecuador has to see Old Town. We randomly walked into Iglesia de San Francisco which was one of the most marvelous churches I have ever seen.

Iglesia de San Francisco

Iglesia de San Francisco

The statue overlooking Quito is El Panecillo or "The Virgin of Quito," which is a major landmark, but apparently it is very dangerous to walk up the steps to El Panecillo.. which I think is rather ironic.I also tried jugo de tomato de arbol today which was very delicious! Juices are the thing to get in Ecuador.

When we got back to our hostel we were pretty tired and so we relaxed, had some tea, and enjoyed dinner and games with other backpackers on the rooftop of our hostel. Tonight I hungout with women traveling alone from Germany, Holland, and Canada! I also met a guy from Orange County at dinner and he asked if I was a "valley girl" when I said where I was from.

Things I have learned so far in Ecuador:
-Ecuadorians are lax on stoplights and using their horns- which I think they use more for a warning here.. I think of it as they are saying "i'm coming!".
-Hostels are the best place to meet people from all around the world and everyone wants to meet each other!
-It is very common for a man to ask you if you are "single or married" in the very beginning of your conversation
-If you dress appropriately (including staying away from tight clothes in my opinion) you will feel completely comfortable when walking around in the day time.
-Scarves are really an essential for making you feel less frumpy, covering up if you are cold and don't have a sweater, or if you are visiting churches (which are everywhere in Ecuador)

 p.s. most pictures are on my disposable camera so this isn't it!

Tomorrow: more exploring in Quito and then off to Cuenca!