Quito

I spent some hours wandering about the new town, dubbed "Gringoland" and thought it really wasn't that touristy; a square with many cafes, restaurants and bars, artesan market and some tour companies spread out over a very large area. It bored me and I decided to fall back on a city tour.

It was okay as far as city tours go. We visited some of the many churches in Quito, including "the most baroque church in South America" and "the highest church in South America". We also visited a mirador overlooking the foggy valley where a plane crashed into a neighboring mountain a year ago... the same valley where the government wants to build an airport. The Plaza Grande was also on the itinerary of course, and the Calle de las Siete Cruzes (Street of the Seven Crosses).

Because of city traffic, it took a long time to get to Mitad del Mundo, The Middle Of The World town, situated right on the equator. There were not many tourists at the time, but the small town had some nice looking cafe restaurants and artesan shops. The monument was the thing to photograph and balancing an egg on a nail was the thing to do. Apparently, at the equator equilibrium is at its highest, making things balance optimally.

I was planning to finally try some cuy (guinea pig), after putting it off since Peru, but it was a whopping $18. I went with the pollo a la parrilla instead, which I thought was a safe bet but it was horrible. Not at all like the savory and succulent dish I tasted in Yurimaguas. It was a thin piece of dry chicken fillet that had sat on a warm grill for too long.

When we returned to Quito, it was wet and cloudy so our trip up the cable car was scrapped. We were partly disappointed but also partly relieved as it had been a long day. I was officially over colonial architecture.

Hostel Revolution

Still, I enjoyed my time in Quito, mostly because of the chilled back Hostel Revolution. Situated right in the bottleneck between the old and new towns, it was within walking distance to both worlds. And if you didn't feel like walking, the main bus lines cut right through the bottleneck. The staff were helpful and friendly and the place was super clean. Large dorms, free internet, a clean and well equipped kitchen, and best of all, a comfy tv lounge with shitloads of DVDs.

It was just what I wanted after realizing in Baños I needed a place to relax and do nothing. The hostel made me feel completely comfortable to do just that. The people I met were similarly minded and we spent most nights hanging out in the tv lounge chatting or watching movies.