Quito
(DAY225 : Ipiales - Quito : 180 miles)
(DAY226 - 227 : Quito)
The cathedral detour had cost me around three hours, so I wasn't at the border until noon. The border was wide open but freely riding into Ecuador didn't mean I should just keep riding as some paperwork might come in handy later on. On the other hand, maybe I just should have. There were only a handful of people in line, but the "system" was down at the Colombian immigration office. Gotta love the system. Eventually, this border too was crossed, and I was back on the road by 3:30pm. The late start in Ecuador meant I wouldn't see Quito before dark.
Entering Ecuador was a bit like going back to lesser parts of Central America. Poor in finances, aesthetics, and cleanliness. A precious land made less beautiful with each human touch.
The road to Quito was fast and smooth, and provided some spectacular views around Cotacachi as the descending sun masterfully illuminated the volcan and the lake. We hit Quito's traffic by 6:40pm, and were in some darker part of Quito shortly afterwards. Rather than looking for a place in the dark on a Friday, I chose to follow a fellow rider's tip and went on a hunt for La Casona de Mario.
A big old house with emphasis on old, Mario's did have gated parking so Katirga was set. They didn't have any private rooms, but had a "matrimonial suite" which cost $20. Looking at the $10 mattress in the tiny dorm room, I said let's see the suite. Turns out the matrimonial suite is an empty small room with a bed in the middle. Uh, ok then.
There was not a single a soul in the house, and the host of the hostel did not appear too enthusiastic about providing pointers, so I went out for a beer based on the rarely agreeable suggestions of my Lonely Planet. Surely enough, the joint I headed out for was non-existent, so I asked the cab driver to reroute towards cerveza central which goes by the name Reina Victoria avenue.
Quito's zona rosa was lively, full of cafes, bars, and clubs, but dissappointing. Neither the crowd, nor the joints appealed to me much, so I briefly watered myself in a small bar on the street and took a cab back to my matrimonial suite.
I should've had more to drink. The night went by with mediocre sleep thanks to barks of the casona's two dogs, and the door bell for some reason ringing in my ear. I got up and looked for the coffee. The hostel with no beer naturally had no coffee either. Bugger this for a bunch of bananas.
Also on Reina Victoria, The Coffee Tree serves great breakfasts and excellent coffee, and provides free Wi-Fi internet access. I had a three hour wireless breakfast, and was surprised to see that my additional cups of coffee were also complimentary.
$20 in Quito can get you quite a lot, and that applies to accommodation as well. Now that I had my caffeine and daylight, looking for a decent place to stay was a no brainer. We packed up and headed to the historic town center. Centro historico immediately distinguished itself with its rich character and appeared to be a place worth spending some time at. Hotel Viena (nope, not Vienna. At the corner of Flores and Chile) had a nice room with private bathroom, TV, and balcony for $15. Once the receptionist rearranged the lobby furniture, it had secure parking as well.
The old town is very impressive, and requires more than just a half day's visit. But after beer o'clock, I discovered our first irreconcilable difference: there are no bars in this place! Not only that, there's a not a single store where I can buy cold beer to take home. That Saturday night, I went to bed early, sober, and pissed off.
Early Sunday morning, I was back to scouting the streets, this time for coffee. Everything was closed! After walking back and forth for an hour and a half between spots likely to serve coffee, one of them finally got going at 9:30. What a trip.
Sunday went by exploring more of the has been part of Quito, and Quito without a doubt had been. As for its now, that is best observed within the Plaza Grande.
Plaza Grande
The cathedral at Plaza Grande
Centro Cultural Metropolitano
Plaza San Francisco
La Compania de Jesus is Ecuador's most ornate church and has taken 163 years to build. With seven tons of gold used, it's interior is a must see. Sorry, no photos were allowed.
Below: Sunday portraits from old town Quito.
At the end of the day, I had to endure another dry evening and decided to leave in search of fertile ground.
(DAY226 - 227 : Quito)
The cathedral detour had cost me around three hours, so I wasn't at the border until noon. The border was wide open but freely riding into Ecuador didn't mean I should just keep riding as some paperwork might come in handy later on. On the other hand, maybe I just should have. There were only a handful of people in line, but the "system" was down at the Colombian immigration office. Gotta love the system. Eventually, this border too was crossed, and I was back on the road by 3:30pm. The late start in Ecuador meant I wouldn't see Quito before dark.
Entering Ecuador was a bit like going back to lesser parts of Central America. Poor in finances, aesthetics, and cleanliness. A precious land made less beautiful with each human touch.
The road to Quito was fast and smooth, and provided some spectacular views around Cotacachi as the descending sun masterfully illuminated the volcan and the lake. We hit Quito's traffic by 6:40pm, and were in some darker part of Quito shortly afterwards. Rather than looking for a place in the dark on a Friday, I chose to follow a fellow rider's tip and went on a hunt for La Casona de Mario.
A big old house with emphasis on old, Mario's did have gated parking so Katirga was set. They didn't have any private rooms, but had a "matrimonial suite" which cost $20. Looking at the $10 mattress in the tiny dorm room, I said let's see the suite. Turns out the matrimonial suite is an empty small room with a bed in the middle. Uh, ok then.
There was not a single a soul in the house, and the host of the hostel did not appear too enthusiastic about providing pointers, so I went out for a beer based on the rarely agreeable suggestions of my Lonely Planet. Surely enough, the joint I headed out for was non-existent, so I asked the cab driver to reroute towards cerveza central which goes by the name Reina Victoria avenue.
Quito's zona rosa was lively, full of cafes, bars, and clubs, but dissappointing. Neither the crowd, nor the joints appealed to me much, so I briefly watered myself in a small bar on the street and took a cab back to my matrimonial suite.
I should've had more to drink. The night went by with mediocre sleep thanks to barks of the casona's two dogs, and the door bell for some reason ringing in my ear. I got up and looked for the coffee. The hostel with no beer naturally had no coffee either. Bugger this for a bunch of bananas.
Also on Reina Victoria, The Coffee Tree serves great breakfasts and excellent coffee, and provides free Wi-Fi internet access. I had a three hour wireless breakfast, and was surprised to see that my additional cups of coffee were also complimentary.
$20 in Quito can get you quite a lot, and that applies to accommodation as well. Now that I had my caffeine and daylight, looking for a decent place to stay was a no brainer. We packed up and headed to the historic town center. Centro historico immediately distinguished itself with its rich character and appeared to be a place worth spending some time at. Hotel Viena (nope, not Vienna. At the corner of Flores and Chile) had a nice room with private bathroom, TV, and balcony for $15. Once the receptionist rearranged the lobby furniture, it had secure parking as well.
The old town is very impressive, and requires more than just a half day's visit. But after beer o'clock, I discovered our first irreconcilable difference: there are no bars in this place! Not only that, there's a not a single store where I can buy cold beer to take home. That Saturday night, I went to bed early, sober, and pissed off.
Early Sunday morning, I was back to scouting the streets, this time for coffee. Everything was closed! After walking back and forth for an hour and a half between spots likely to serve coffee, one of them finally got going at 9:30. What a trip.
Sunday went by exploring more of the has been part of Quito, and Quito without a doubt had been. As for its now, that is best observed within the Plaza Grande.
Plaza Grande
The cathedral at Plaza Grande
Centro Cultural Metropolitano
Plaza San Francisco
La Compania de Jesus is Ecuador's most ornate church and has taken 163 years to build. With seven tons of gold used, it's interior is a must see. Sorry, no photos were allowed.
Below: Sunday portraits from old town Quito.
At the end of the day, I had to endure another dry evening and decided to leave in search of fertile ground.
posted by Serdar at
2:17 PM
2 Comments:
Good documentary stuff man, if your up on the way through El Sal I can hook you up for an ambulance ride with salvamento.org
Hows the klr? I just bought an 08
Thanks! I don't have much of a clue about if/when/how I will return, but will continue to try and avoid any ambulance rides. Except yours I mean :)
Ride it far!
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