QUITO, ECUADOR

Our travels took on a faster pace after hitting the Galapagos. Sitting here now on our cushy bed in Buenos Aires, my memory of Quito is as cloudy as my eyes were from the gritty burs of dirt perpetually in them while I was there. The wind and dust whipped the dry air so much so that our flight out was actually cancelled. We learned that landing in Quito is unusual for aircraft. Apparently, most planes these days land on autopilot. But, because of the mountains that surround the city, the runway in Quito is too short for an auto landing and pilots must land manually; an interesting tidbit of information if you’re not the nervous type. In fact, one could say that there is a lot to enjoy about Quito if you’re not the nervous type. The drive there is the epitome of picturesque. The city is surrounded by volcanoes. I think you can see eight total on a clear day, Pichincha being the closest. To add to the excitement, some of them are actually still active. The colonial city center has charming architecture, albeit somewhat oddly laid out and poorly restored in most instances. And, then, there is Marisol Sucre, the hip, happening “new town” that has a truly fun restaurant and bar scene. If you find yourself in Quito, I recommend dining at La Boca del Lobo. It’s fabulous! And I say that with a double snap because it’s the kind of saucy, spunky place with spot on food that deserves some sort of special punctuation.

The “hitch” in all of this is that Quito is just plain dangerous. First, there is the innocent kind of danger which is usually funny even though it’s still quite dangerous. These little law-suits-waiting-to-happen are everywhere. From the showers with electric wires in them to inadequately set up tourist attractions like La Basilica, a beautiful cathedral near the old city center especially known for its’ fabulous views at the top. In order to get to the top, you need to walk across a seriously rickety plank high above solid ground with only a loose rope as a handrail. After which, you then need to climb three sets of teeny, open-air stairs going straight up the side. Turn around and you’re a monkey climbing up the side of a twenty-story building! One slip is a fall to your death. It was shockingly unsafe but thrilling enough that we did it anyway (after watching two other couples do it first, of course). That’s more of a simile for the real danger to which I’m eluding, though. You don’t HAVE to go up La Basillica. But, for those who want to walk around the city in the evening or climb El Panecillo to the monument of the Virgen Mary by day, you’re out of luck. In Quito, you’ll need to take a taxi unless you want to be mugged. There really isn’t any kind of safe zone. The fact that the areas of interests are spread out doesn’t help. And, when everyone around you is getting robbed, it’s kinda hard to enjoy yourself. Couple that with a city whose natural setting in a valley traps smog from all the 100 year old cars jamming its’ streets and with wind that whips around dust like my Great Granny Russell could sweep up a face full of porch dirt and there is a level of unpleasantness that leaves you searching for alternative cities in which to hang.

Bobby and I enjoyed touring the historical center, the nightlife of Marisol Sucre and even the death defying climb up La Basilica. But constantly watching our backs was another thing entirely. And we were both ready to leave Quito. Which is why it was so ironic that our TACA flight was finally canceled at 10pm after waiting four hours in the airport only to have the wind stir up trouble just as TACA had finally gotten it together to leave. Strategically waiting to have dinner on the airplane to save money had backfired again. I think we are all familiar with the Agee girls’ blood sugar problems…nuff said. I’ve really come to love our travel days : ) .

So I left Quito a little miffed. I was miffed with having to deal with another TACA debacle. But, more importantly, I was miffed with the Ecuadorian government. I don’t know how they could let this jewel of a city be ruined by crime and pollution. Actually, I found myself thinking this over and over during our travels through Ecuador. The lack of civil infrastructure was the biggest crime of all. And the Ecuadorian people deserve better. From water, sewage and trash issues to the crime in Quito, those in charge don’t seem to be paying attention. It’s no wonder that whatever differences you may find from region to region, they all share in and express freely their anger at the corrupt politicians who continue to squander their resources. And I’m with you! Viva Ecuador!

We will always be grateful to the people of Ecuador for the hospitality, warmth and openness they exuded. They are rich in heart and soul. And I know we will be better world citizens having been to this most diverse and interesting little country. We learned so much. Not the least of which is to always travel with toilet paper! Seriously, I would love to come back one day and do volunteer work. This is a great country for that kind of travel and I hate that I only learned about it while in route. If anyone reading this is inspired to go and do work there, I highly recommend it and can head you in the right direction.

PS- We have no pictures of Quito because we were too scared to take our cameras anywhere….it’s a shame but it’s true…