QUITO – el mitad del mundo

Short update from the capital of Ecuador – and officially the middle of the earth (latitude is 0 0’ 0”)

We finally arrive in Quito (Ecuador) after being on the way for almost 20 hours (had a connecting flight in Madrid). On board we enjoyed best Entertainment… Bohemian rhapsody is truly a masterpiece!

As Quito is known for being quite unsafe, we decide to take a taxi to our hostel Casa Helbling, which turnes out to be a great accomendation for our short stay. As our time here is very limited, we get ready directly to discover the city. We start to climb the stairs to the top of the nice church, Basilica del Voto Nacional. This is not just another church, it’s the largest neo-Gothic church in the whole America.

At the top we are rewarded with a great view over the city. Another cool detail of the church is that the gargoyles, that normally defines the church, has been replaced by native animals. Ecuadorian iguanas, armadillos, Andean condors, turtles and so on are to be seen around the church.

After the church, we are stralling through the old town, just to enjoy the atmosphere.

We spend the afternoon with Sabrina and Pascal, two very nice guys from Switzerland that we met during our breakfast at the hostel. We share a taxi with them and reach el mitad del mundo after an approx. 45 minutes taxi ride. It is truly a special feeling to stand with one foot at the northern hemisphere while the other is on the southern.

Back in Quito we organise some sun protection (70+) as we have heard that the sun here is unbelievable strong and we want to be on the safe side.

We enjoy a nice libanese dinner close to the hostel, pack our bags and go to bed quite early to get ready for the Galapagos Islands. Pick-up is at 4:00 am 😴

Next post: Galapagos Islands