Quito, Here We Are !
Following Argentina, Ecuador is our second stop during this round the world trip. Before landing in Quito, I did not really know what to expect from this country.
In Buenos Aires, we were still in our comfort zone but Quito helped us leave it as soon as we arrived. At an elevation of 2800 m, after any physical effort, our desk-bound Parisian body ended breathless. You can easily lose a lung by chasing a missed bus. But thanks to our 3rd floor (without elevator) hotel room, we were quickly in shape to crawl around.
Anyhow, Quito is quite fascinating. First of all, it will leave you speechless the way it is spread across a very stretched valley flanked by volcanic peaks, which are all day long licked by fast moving clouds.
But what charmed us most here, is the old town. Obviously, we were not the only ones to enjoy it, this neighborhood has been listed since 1978 as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is quite a change of scenery to see in the same small street, Indian ladies wearing typical costumes, business people with a mobile phone stuck to the ear, street sellers, or street artists who will change in a minute a city square into a theater.
It was really great to walk surrounded by buildings in colonial splendor but poverty is quite a reality around here. It is heart breaking to see young kids not be able to afford school and forced to sell candies or be a shoe shiner...
Karim
In Buenos Aires, we were still in our comfort zone but Quito helped us leave it as soon as we arrived. At an elevation of 2800 m, after any physical effort, our desk-bound Parisian body ended breathless. You can easily lose a lung by chasing a missed bus. But thanks to our 3rd floor (without elevator) hotel room, we were quickly in shape to crawl around.Anyhow, Quito is quite fascinating. First of all, it will leave you speechless the way it is spread across a very stretched valley flanked by volcanic peaks, which are all day long licked by fast moving clouds.But what charmed us most here, is the old town. Obviously, we were not the only ones to enjoy it, this neighborhood has been listed since 1978 as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. It is quite a change of scenery to see in the same small street, Indian ladies wearing typical costumes, business people with a mobile phone stuck to the ear, street sellers, or street artists who will change in a minute a city square into a theater.It was really great to walk surrounded by buildings in colonial splendor but poverty is quite a reality around here. It is heart breaking to see young kids not be able to afford school and forced to sell candies or be a shoe shiner...Karim
Post a Comment