Where Have You Been???

OK, so it's been a week and no blog posts....what gives?
At the outset we had all good intentions of posting on a regular basis but all good intentions.....
Truth is, it's been a verrrry busy week, what with Dean being here, going and doing to take in all of the Quito area we possibly could in the few days we had there, relocating to the Coast, getting settled in our beach "digs", and acclimated to a totally different section of this beautiful country.
Things have finally settled down somewhat so we'll give you the cliff notes version of our comings and goings of the last few days and bring you up to date.
Our internet connection is, to put it mildly - "spotty" at best so we'll likely have to break it up into a few shorter posts as upload speeds (especially with pictures) can be painful.
When last we spoke we'd just arrived after a looong, somewhat grueling, 18 hour journey. All things considered, it went ok and we came away with a newfound appreciation of most all involved - that was about to change though as we'll see.
Upon our arrival at the Quito Aeropuerto and a relatively brisk excursion through baggage claim, customs, and immigration (thanks again to the "Mom" factor) we were met with the most welcome relief one can face upon entering a completely foreign land and language (to us, at least)...our driver, Patricio hold up his "Senor Ladd" sign.
After a half-hour "ride" through the streets of Quito in what appeared to be time trials for Monte Carlo, we arrived at AndinoHotel our "home" away from home for the next few days.
Despite the hour we were met by our most gracious host, Miguel and escorted to our rooms directly, postponing the minutia of registration to a more reasonable hour.
The following morning (Wednesday) dawned with a much better frame of mind on our part, a beautiful day weather wise, and a killer home made breakfast to die for after a brief stroll through the open air courtyard.

After breakfast it was off on a, self-guided (under the tutelage of our host Miguel) "walking tour" of the city.
Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, is, at once, the second largest city in the country and yet the smallest capital city in all of South America. Geographically it's much larger than we expected. Being located in the "highlands" atop the Andes Mountains NOTHING is flat and navigating the hills at an elevation in excess of 2300m (9350') is, indeed, taxing.
The city itself is a wondrous venue with the most marvelous examples architecture spanning not just decades as we are accustomed to -  but centuries. There are numerous parks, "green spaces", and plazas dotting the city. Much of the city has been restored to its' original grandeur in recent years and work continues on a daily basis.

Next stop on the "tour" was the Mariscale Sucre Market. A "typical" (but touristy) market.

Public transit throughout the city (indeed throughout the country) is easily accessible, reliable, and cheap - but.........drivers (virtually ALL drivers, but bus drivers especially) are, in a word - NUTS!!! Most city residents and a significant percentage of those living outside the cities and major towns, do not own cars. Taxis (of various styles) are everywhere and one can travel pretty much anywhere in the city for under 3 bucks. City buses and trolleys are a quarter (or 12.5 cents for seniors). We hailed a cab, the fare to Historico Centro was $1.60.
The "Old Town" section of Quito is dominated by the Plaza de la Independencia and the buildings surrounding it. Churches are everywhere, replete with domes, gold leaf, and exquisite hand carved woodwork. The Government Palace and Cultural Center are truly marvelous in their splendor. Here are a few shots of the area. First, looking down into the Plaza:

Inside the Cultural Center:

Dinner inside the Center included our introduction to Cerviche:

The Presidential Palace was officially "closed" to the public but our "no hablo espanol" brought sympathy and a free pass through security for this photo op:

Photos don't come close to depicting the splendor of the churches

The ever present mountain vistas surrounding the city are difficult to put into perspective through the lens of a camera. Hopefully this shot of the "Winged Virgin" (only one in the world) will provide a taste.

 

The day was capped off by a chance meeting of a most interesting gentleman. Ecuadorian borne, transplanted to Manhattan where he currently lives and works and now in Quito to assist his parents with some bureaucratic paperwork in conjunction with their rose exporting business. A man truly proud of and extremely knowledgeable about his heritage. He spent a considerable amount of time educating me about the history of the city, its buildings, culture, and peoples. As we walked and talked he related a seemingly non-stop series of historical facts interspersed with many personal "vignettes" including one regarding a picture he took similar to the one above of the domes, for which he won national acclaim years ago. Were it not for the fact that he is currently employed in a rather prestigious position as it is, he'd make a fantastic professional guide and "ambassador" for Quito. Mario, I can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge and love of your city with me. While his level of enthusiasm and camaraderie definitely stood out as exemplary, I'm coming to learn that it is a trait common to most Ecuadorians. 
After another long day out and about it was back to the AndinoHotel to await Dean's arrival at 11:30pm. We'd made arrangements with Patricio (the driver who picked us up originally) to pick us up and bring us to the airport to meet Dean which he did and, in the end it all worked out as the photo below shows. But.........(to be continued)