06/06/2019 – Old town Quito, Ecuador

We woke up, packed up and payed our hostel bill before getting an Uber across to our accommodation in another part of Quito for the next couple of nights. Uber is illegal in Ecuador but according to our hostel host, safe to use (it is also cheaper than the real yellow taxis!) We are meeting mum and dad tonight for the next couple of weeks, so have upgraded accommodation wise quite significantly! When I messaged to ask if we could drop our bags at the new place the host said we would be able to check in because the room is ready. Absolute win. We turned up to the ‘Quito Old Town Suites’ in dirty clothes and ready for a hairwash. We had just run out of bars of soap, plus the shower at the hostel was more of a mild temperature dribble. We met Dirk, our host and got shown in. It didn’t disappoint, complete with slippers, dressing gowns, and a fully stocked kitchen! It is a 2 bedroom self contained apartment in the beautiful old town district of Quito. First stop was a nice coffee and scrambled eggs on toast. Then we danced around with excitement and unpacked our things and got settled in. We showered – there really is nothing like a nice hot shower to make you feel human again, hairwashed and used the brilliant Wifi connection. Josh bought a camera on ebay, which he said was an absolute steal. It is a small compact Sony camera that a photographer on our boat last week had. Hopefully his friend Goldie who is coming to visit in a few weeks can bring it out with him! We are still waiting to find out about the insurance claim but Josh said it was too good of a deal to let it slip by.

There is something so relaxing about staying somewhere a bit more comfortable and secure than a hostel, almost like a tiredness that you could immediately take a nap from. We felt like we could have stayed indoors here for a good couple of days just relaxing! However, by mid afternoon we started feeling a bit guilty for not leaving the apartment so went for a stroll. We walked up a good few sets of stairs to Itchimbia park. There is a gorgeous glass palace in the centre and amazing panoramic views across the historic part of the city. There is also a big sign that says Quito that you can climb on and take pictures of, which obviously, we did! We then wandered the streets a little to find a few supplies to restock what we had eaten already, and to welcome mum and dad with.

Jen on Quito sign.

Glass Palace.

Unfortunately there wasn’t much in the way of shops nearby and it started to get dark so we went back home to finish the last episode of Narcos on Netflix, a much better option! (It’s the thought that counts!)

Mum and Dad arrived around 20:00. We showed them around the flat and they got freshened up before we ordered an Uber to Vista Hermosa restaurant near Itchimbia Park. It is pretty unsafe to walk anywhere once it is dark here, which is quite difficult to get used to as it would only have been a fifteen minute walk otherwise! The restaurant had a great view across Quito, Josh ate his favourite – spaghetti carbonara, and mum, dad and I had steak, which was apparently good value! Good value for us anyway as dad paid! We got an Uber home and then settled down for the night.