07/06/2019 – Mini tour of Quito, Ecuador

We got up leisurely and regrouped on mum and dads bed for copious amounts of coffee. Mum and dad had brought crumpets and marmite with them, which even outshone the fresh warm croissants delivered to the door by our host Dirk. Oh how I have missed crumpets and marmite! I think having a little taster has made me want more, I must be addicted! We slowly got ourselves up and out, and ordered an Uber to Itchmbia park – where Josh and I had visited yesterday, as we wanted to show mum and dad the view in the daytime. We walked over to the big Quito sign for a group photo, and as Josh was setting up the tripod mum tried to jump onto the letter U and twisted her ankle pretty badly and so has been limping since.

Group photo with the locals.

There were a couple of people around that made us feel wary of leaving the camera on the tripod for even just 10 seconds, so we packed up again and stopped at the Pims cafe beneath the beautiful glass palace, for a coffee and juice. Then we navigated our way down the hill to the observatory but it was closed for lunch. We walked up the other side of the mountain up to the museum of contemporary art, which is in an old military hospital. The building was equally as interesting to look at as the art inside it.

Modern art museum.

Inside the building.

We had another pit stop in the café before walking along the road to the huge gothic church, a landmark for old town Quito. We bought our tickets and walked up the stairs until we were inside the roof of the huge church. We had to basically walk the plank to the other side of the roof, then climb a steep ladder up to the tower. This is where dad said enough was enough. Josh, mum and I climbed up a further two flights of steep ladders. There’s definitely no health and safety measures here, it made my knees go weak! Josh accidentally dropped the lens cap of my camera down the church drainage system, never to be seen again!

Inside the church.

Walkng the plank in the eves of the church!

Amazing stian glass windows!

The gargoyles were turtles, iguanas and armadillos. We weaved our way back down and then the rain came down.

Outside of the church.

We wrapped ourselves up in our anoraks and followed our mapps.me app to get to the local fruit veg meat and flower market. It was very colourful. Mum said it reminded her of grocery shopping when she was little. Apparently there was no Tesco back then! There were beautiful cut flowers at bargain prices, hanging pigs heads and trotters and the like, an alterations sewing place. We visited a fruit and veg store on our way out and bought some avocados and tomatoes. We ate them when we got back to our apartment, along with bread and cheese and coffee. We relaxed for an hour or so before going down to the Jacuzzi in our dressing gowns and slippers. Our host Dirk brought us some coconut juice to drink whilst we all swapped along the different massage seats of the Jacuzzi. He also showed us into his apartment – complete with Laura Ashley wallpaper in their bathroom! We showered and got ready before being picked up by a car service for the theatre restaurant, recommended by Dirk. It was in a decadent theatre building but clearly wasn’t where the locals go to eat. It was some of the best food we have had on this trip. Dad had the ceviche, we all shared what looked like ice cream cones with avocado and raw fish (sounds weird tasted amazing), yuca cheese balls and squashed fried plaintain with dips. Mum and I tried the catch of the day tamales – rice, plaintain and a fillet of fresh fish in a peanut sauce, steamed in a palm leaf. It was absolutely outrageous! We got the car service back home and repacked for our adventures over the coming week.