Exploring The Heights Of Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador is a city of heights and elevations. It’s one of the first things immediately evident as you walk off the airplane at Mariscal Sucre International and see the runway surrounded by mountains. The air is thin, and you may even lose a step for a few days while you adjust to the world’s second highest capitol city. Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, sits at an average of 3,000 meters (~10,000 feet) above sea level and you can enjoy its highs and lows in ways both subtle and bold.

See The View From The Top

Take the world’s second longest cable car, the teleferico, and climb Pichincha Volcano to a height of 4,100 meters (~ 13,400 feet). Try to go on a clear day and you’ll be able to see most of the city of Quito, which sits nicely in a valley among the Andes mountains. If you’re up for it, you can also bike or hike up Pichincha Volcano, but that’s an all day excursion and be sure you’ve had time to adjust to the altitude.

A Dinner With A View

In the evening make your way to the Parque Itchimbia area. It’s a bit across town if you’re staying the popular Plaza Foch (where most tourists end up) but the food and the views of the historic downtown are incredible, especially at night.

• Cafe Mosaico or any of the restaurants immediately next to it offer some of the best views.

The entire downtown area is brightly and clearly visible, including the La Basilica Church – a site that will test your fear of heights if you have one.

Climb (Literally), To The Top Of La Basilica Church

As I was discussing with a friend, the climb to the top of La Basilica just wouldn’t fly in the US or Europe. Upon first glance of the church, which costs $2 to enter, you just expect to walk up the flight of stairs in the tower…but, it doesn’t end there. You’ll take a small bridge across the church’s arches, and climb ever narrowing stairs (ladders really) to reach the tiny tower at the top. Many people simply couldn’t get over their fear of heights and got stuck in between ladders along the way. Don’t think about the wind or the 90 meters (~300 feet) to the top. You’ll feel like a bird perched upon the clouds and get a close look at the maze of streets below.

Walk Across Snow On Cotopaxi Volcano

There are 11 volcanoes – all of them active – around Quito. One of them, Cotopaxi is also a national park and you can enter for a few dollars on most days between the hours of 8am and 3pm. The summit sits 5,900 meters (~19,400 feet) above sea level and it’s cold. Bring a jacket and good shoes as you’ll be walking across snow. There are small buses and tours that go regularly and it’s much easier to find that way than driving by yourself.

• That said, the park is the kind of place that’s great to explore without a tour guide if you’ve got some experience hiking and are physically fit.

Look Down At The Equator

Another great view of where hemispheres meet is the top of the Museo Ethnografic Mitad del Mundo. From there you might be able to catch a glimpse of of Quito’s snow capped volcanoes and watch tourist after tourist make the pose with one foot in each hemisphere. Just try and resist.

Hop On A Chiva And Celebrate

The “Chiva” otherwise known as a party bus, are hard to miss at night in the Cumbaya district. It’s a lively place full of bars and where you can go to drink Ecuadorian Pilsner beer, snack on choclos (a type of fried corn), and dance the night away.

• The area is relatively safe and you can wander from bar to bar. Start at a place called “58″ to warm up and explore from there.

The chivas run by ever now and again and on their open roofs locals dance and sing with no end.

Send Your Taste Buds To The Next Level

The small tomato-based dip called “aji” is a wonderfully spicy appetizer. Everyone makes aji a little different and you won’t find the same recipe at any two places.

• The spice doesn’t last or linger in your mouth for too long and if you’ve got a taste for food with a kick, you can add some aji to the otherwise bland “fritada” dish. It’s a traditional Ecuadorian dish that is a mix of fried pork, corn, and potatoes although the variety varies.

Finally, to bring your temperature down to normal, cool yourself down with the juice from tomate de arbol; a slightly sour but refreshing tomato juice.

Enjoy The Lows Too

There are hot water springs right outside of Quito, and the historic downtown area’s presidential palace, church, and square shouldn’t be missed at night. Even the strolling around old colonial street, La Ronda, you can’t help but take the steep hills and valleys that define the landscape of Quito. The heights of Quito give wonderful views a the city that touches the clouds, and you’ll appreciate it that much more when you descend to explore the streets, markets, and culture down below.

Where Hemispheres Meet: Mitad Del Mundo Quito, Ecuador

The equator line, separating the northern and southern hemisphere of the Earth, passes about 25 kilometers (~16 miles) north of Quito. On the land called Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world), this bright yellow line shows where north meets south. (The equator line can actually shift 9 meters either way since the world wobbles slightly on its axis.) Ecuador, whose name translated from Spanish means “equator”, has done a nice job of making this site an interesting stop for tourists and locals alike.

Looking Down On The Equator From The Equator

It costs about $2 to get into the park and another $2 to get a view atop the Ethnographic Museum (Museo Ethnografico Mitad del Mundo). From there, on most days you’ll find great views of the surrounding mountains.

• There are smaller museums surrounding the tall Museo Ethnografico Mitad del Mundo; both the free insect and history museum are worth a stop.

We often take for granted our knowledge of the planet, but discovering the equator line began with the ancient Greeks and wasn’t full resolved until nearly 2,000 years later by French scientists. Sadly, I didn’t take the mandatory cheesy picture with one foot in both hemispheres but rest assured I did make the pose. Here are the rest of my pictures from the Mitad del Mundo.

What Are Your Summer Travel Plans? [RESPONSES]

Looks like many of you are taking to the air, roads, and hopping on trains this summer to do that thing we love so much…travel. When I asked what are your summer travel plans last week, many of you responded with a wonderful variety of road trips across the US, hops in Europe, and flights to Asia and beyond.

• Shannon OD: “Heading to California for most of June, then NYC – will be seeing you at TBEX. After that, home to Florida for a visit and think I may just head to Thailand an expat myself for a year!”

• Sherry Ott: “I have just decided to head to Belgium and the Netherlands in July/August! I’m actually going to do a house-sitting gig in Brussels for 3 weeks and then travel around the area for a bit.”

• Rod@GoPetFriendly: “We’re traveling west and north to see [US] states we’ve spent little/no time in: Colorado, Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.”

• Akila: “…we head to South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana for two months in mid-August.”

• Dream A Little Dream: “Since Scott and I have a couple months still before we get back to the daily grind we will also plan to do some camping throughout BC and Alberta. Western Canada has some amazing scenery and what a better place to enjoy it then sleeping right in the middle of it all.”

• Cate: “Looks like my plan is to head to the Emerald Isles…”

• Jason: “I fly to Ukraine in June with plans to visit Spain, Turkey, and Germany. Then in mid July I fly to Thailand followed by Bangladesh two weeks later to meet a friend.”

• Joya: “I’m planning on going on a cruise through the Caribbean. Probably, St. Thomas, Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas.”

• Donna Hull: “My biggest summer adventure will be a three week trip to Montana where my husband and I will be checking out (and photographing) the Bitterroot Valley and the Stillwater River Valley.”

• Anjuli: “I’ll be going to places, mainly, in North America…Canada, California, possibly Boston…hopefully, Boston…North Carolina…but I do have a trip planned for Singapore and Malaysia at the end of the summer- the first 3 weeks of August.”

• Matt: “I’m getting geared up for a winter here in Queenstown. I’m planning on sticking around to see what their snowboard season is like – I’ve heard excellent things, and am excited to experience it.”

• Brian Setzer: “Riding my motorcycle to Alaska and back south.”

• Earl: “I’ll be heading to NYC and Boston over the next month and then flying out to the Middle East hopefully by the end of June.”

• Tom Volpe: “The great summer holiday debate is heating up around here, we are looking at trips to Japan, Montenegro and Egypt at the moment…”

• Shannon: “Going to try train travel in the U.S. w/my kids using rail passes (30 day pass and will go on 2 trips).”

The response was overwhelming and I couldn’t include many plans like Vera‘s Europe trip, Nellie‘s India plans, Jenna‘s 5 weeks in Brazil. There is even more from soultravelers3, Nora, and Andy. Get inspired, find ideas, and ask questions or volunteer some advice in the travel plans comments. Personally, my plans are usually in flux but over the next few weeks I’ll be in Chicago, New York City, and likely spending time in parts of Central America. Perhaps our paths will cross and we can meet up – you can find out my travel plans best through my bi-monthly newsletter or on Twitter (@foxnomad).

[photos by: retro traveler (travel journal), Daveybot (postcards)]

A Review Of The 51 Liter GoLite Pursuit Backpack

The 50 liter backpack range is great for many types of packers (light and heavy) on trips of various lengths so I was excited to get a hold of the GoLite Pursuit backpack to review. The sleek Pursuit was named the “best all purpose backpack” by Backpacker Magazine and is one of the most comfortable I’ve ever tried on.

Those of you reading through my daily email update will need to click through to the post to view the video.

• Here is the link to my YouTube page mentioned in the video.

More Information About The GoLite Pursuit Backpack

It’s more of a hiking backpack than a travel pack and has slots to carry skis, snowshoes, or a snowboard. My only qualm with the Pursuit is that it’s a top-loader – which likely helps keep it light and streamlined. That makes it a bit inconvenient to grab something easily out of the main compartment but the large front panel should alleviate that issue for many travelers.

• The GoLite Pursuit trademarked “Velocity” nylon used to construct the backpack felt strong and durable despite my attempts to rough it up.
• GoLite products are designed to be recyclable, including the Pursuit backpack.
• It’s small enough to meet most carry-on requirements. You can use Luggage Limits to find the specific dimensions allowed by each airline.

GoLite Recycling Program

The Pursuit has a nice contour shape and felt comfortable with loads up to 15 kilograms (35 lbs) which is the maximum recommended. One thing I really like about GoLite (aside from their lifetime warranty) is that they’ll take back and repair, recycle, re-purpose or donate any of their unwanted products if you send them back. You can also recycle or donate your GoLite backpack yourself and if you do so, GoLite will give you 20% off your next purchase.

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