Quito, Ecuador

The next day we moved to a small hotel in a little bohemian neighborhood, I can’t remember the name but a bit similar to the Candalaria in Bogota. Lot’s of cafes, hostels, bars and cheap restaurants. Also lots of tourists, but more of the backpacker type then the business crowd at the Sheraton. We spent a few days in Quito, most of them were pretty lazy. Sleeping in, checking out some of the neighborhoods and lots of time in coffee shops.

We went out to the Media del Mundo, the monument that marks the equator. Well, at least where they thought it was 30 years ago when they built it. It was later discovered that it actually passes a few thousand meters to the south. The monument wasn’t all that exciting, but worth the ride out there. We also hiked to the top of Pululahua Volcan. The views from the top were amazing, the crater filled with a few dozen houses and farms, clouds periodically obstructing the view then blowing away as quickly as they appeared.

One day was spent in and out of airline offices and travel agencies trying to book flights to the Galapagos. The cruises boats buy most of the seats on the flights so we couldn’t find tickets. We planned on going out there and booking a boat at the last minute, but ended up finding a good deal and booked it in Quito so we could get the flights. The boat was nicer, and more expensive, then we had planned, but it was half off and it were happy to have it all arranged before we got to the islands. Our flight left the next day and we would meet the boat 4 days later.

I had read about a restaurant, Café Mosiac, that was up on a hill and had amazing views of the city. I thought it would be a fun place to go for drinks on our last night in the city. I got the address, we hopped in a cab, but he driver had no clue where it was. He dropped us in the general area, it seemed like an ok neighborhood, but definitely no tourist wandering around. Actually not many people at all on the streets. And it was pretty dark. The cab left, we wondered around for a while, up and down a few hills, no one we asked had ever heard of the place. We finally figured out where it was and we head in that direction.

We start up the steep hill, soon we’re on a set of stairs. It’s getting darker and darker, and creepier with every step. The stairs take a few turns, there is more and more trash and now there is also a horrible odor. A combination or rotten vomit, urine and burning hair, but we are close to the top. I’m starting to feel a little sketched, though, given that there’s no one around, nowhere to go since there is a wall on one side and a fence on the other. That at I’m a tall goofy gringo walking at night with a small white girl with bright blonde hair.

We turn a corner and there are three homeless looking guys having what appears to be some kind of séance. Something is burning, they all look drunk and pretty scary. They say something, I hurry Shannon ahead of me and up the stairs and we both basically run to the street above.
Finally at the top, the view are amazing and the neighborhood is beautiful. It feels like we are in San Francisco. Very contemporary houses over looking the lights of the city. The city is built in a valley and spreads throughout the hills on all side. It’s really beautiful a night, a sea of lights on the rolling hills.