Around Quito

Quito  is a Unesco world heritage city and has a lovely historic centre dating back to 1534. It is a really hilly city and on Sundays I used to love to cycle up and down the hills to get good exercise as one of the main streets, Amazona, is closed and allows a 40 kilometer cycle without traffic. The only traffic you encounter is families taking their children for a walk or teaching them how to cycle or strolling with prams along the traffic free zone.  You will come across many colourfully dressed indigenous people in the main squares hoping you will buy a pretty scarf. Quito is a treasure trove of churches glittering with gold especially the church of San Fransisco and la Compania church de Jesus and is a delight to wander through it’s cobbled streets and alley ways. It is also quite a dangerous city because there is a great deal of poverty in Ecuador and so bags are stolen and pockets are picked especially during its many festivals. One of the many things I liked about Ecuador is that nothing is thrown away. If you have a jacket needing mended or a broken kettle someone somewhere knows how to fix it.Pichincha is an active volcano and is the closest volcano to Quito. In October 1999 it covered the city with volcanic ash. It is a lovely hike on a clear day and the city spreads out underneath the volcano when you achieve it’s heights.