Sightseeing around Quito

Yesterday was our first day in Ecuador. Our driver, Jose came to our hotel at 9am to take us on a tour. We had already had a very nice breakfast over looking Quito, and we're told it was the first day without rain in several days. Jose wanted to take us to Cotopaxi Volcano, he said it was clearly visible as he drove into town to get us.

By the time we got to the National Park, (approx 1 1/2) hours, the clouds had rolled in and we couldn't see the beautiful snow capped volcano. Turns out you must have your own tour guide to get in the park, and we did not. Jose tried calling two students he knows but they weren't available. I couldn't have done much on crutches anyway, so we kept driving. We saw so many different landscapes from the van, and just enjoyed soaking it all in.

The yellow/beige in the above picture is wheat, and we saw oats, broccoli, onions, potatoes, beans and corn. The farmers would bring their bags to the road, and eventually someone would come pick them up, probably on donkey. The bags were this size.

The farmers were all dressed like this, and some of the farm plots were on very steep hills, looked scary. They all had a couple animals, sheep, cows, pigs and dogs. Sometimes the cows and pigs would be tethered by the side of the road.

It was an amazing tour, we ended the drive at a crater lake, Quilotoa, there was a good sidewalk, so I could use the wheelchair to the overlook.

Another large city we saw from above on the way back to Quito. It was a lovely day, but we decided to stick close to the hotel today, Ice and rest for the ankle.We will do some more sightseeing tomorrow as we head to the airport, we have a short 40 minute flight as we make our way to the coast. We have NOT been disappointed in Ecuador so far, certainly will have to come back to Quito after I'm walking again, not wheelchair friendly. Hotel, actually Bed and Breakfast is beautiful, owner speaks wonderful English and it's in a great location, if we were able to walk around. Next time! Stay tuned, the adventure continues...on the coast!!!

Fun facts

Flag description: Three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag. The flag retains the three main colors of the banner of Gran Columbia, the South American republic that broke up in 1830. The yellow color represents sunshine, grain, and mineral wealth, blue the sky, sea, and rivers, and red the blood of patriots spilled in the struggle for freedom and justice.

Coat of Arms: In the background of the oval shield is the mount Chimborazo, while the river originating from its base represents the Guayas. They both symbolize the beauty and wealth of the respective regions (Sierra or Costa). The ship on the river is named Guayas as well. In 1841 it was built in Guayaquil and was the first riverine steamship built on the South American west coast. Instead of a mast it features a Caduceus representing trade and economy. On top a golden sun surrounded by the astrological signs for Aries, Taurus, Gemini and Cancer representing the months March to July to symbolize the duration of the March Revolution of 1845.
The condor on top of the shield stretches his wings to symbolize power, greatness and strength of Ecuador. The shield is flanked by four flags of Ecuador. The laurel on the left represents the victories of the republic.^[1] The palm leaf on the right side is a symbol of the martyrs of the fight for independence and liberty. The Fasces below the shield represents the republican dignity.

Language: Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua)

Religion: Roman Catholic 95%, other 5%

Time Zone: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Electricity: The majority of outlets in Ecuador are 110/120V AC (60 Hz).

Location: Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru.

Area:109,483 square miles (283,561 square kilometers)

Population: 15,439,429 (July 2013 est.)

Capital: Quito

Geography: Ecuador is divided into three continental regions—the Costa, Sierra, and Oriente—and one insular region: the Galápagos Islands. The continental regions extend the length of the country from north to south and are separated by the Andes Mountains. The Galápagos Islands, officially called the Archipiélago de Colón, are located 620 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast.

The main spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish (94% of the population). Languages of official use in native communities include Quichua, Shuar, and eleven other languages. Ecuador has a land area of 283,520 km². Its capital city is Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America.^[9]The country's largest city is Guayaquil. The historic center of Cuenca, the third-largest city in the country in size and economically,^[10] was also declared aWorld Heritage Site in 1999 as an outstanding example of a planned, inland Spanish-style colonial city in the Americas.^[11]

There is great variety in the climate, largely determined by altitude. It is mild year-round in the mountain valleys, with a humid subtropical climate in coastal areas and rainforest in lowlands. The Pacific coastal area has a tropical climate with a severe rainy season. ( except that the annual rainfall is 45" per year, which is the same as NC, so the rainy season can't be that severe! Costa Rica gets 196" of rain a year in certain places...yikes!) The climate in the Andean highlands is temperate and relatively dry, and the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rainforest zones. 

Because of its location at the equator, Ecuador experiences little variation in daylight hours during the course of a year. Both sunrise and sunset occur each day at the two six o'clock hours.

Check out the temperature of the water. It all makes it sound like heaven, we can't wait to check it out in person, we are so ready!! Thanks for taking this journey with us, we will continue to share, hope you enjoy. Bueno Dias!