36 HOURS IN QUITO
12 Mar, 2020
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Geneve, our marketing manager, presents two activities to do during an express stop in Quito, Ecuador.
After spending almost two weeks in the animal paradise that are the Galapagos Islands and having taken full advantage of what this extraordinary archipelago had to offer, we are back on the continent. As our ambassador Jessica, we could briefly visit the huge Quito, very different from what we had the opportunity to admire before!
Since our stopover lasted only a few hours, we chose to separate our free time between two places: The Mitad del Mundo and the TelefériQo Cruz Loma.
THE MITAD DEL MUNDO
Located a few kilometers from Quito, the Mitad del Mundo (half of the World) is a colonial-style city that is crossed by the equatorial line. One step to the left of this symbolic line and we are in the northern hemisphere. One step to the right and here we are in the Southern Hemisphere! This is one of the most visited sites in Ecuador so I recommend getting there early in the morning!
Another benefit of being there early is avoiding the stinging temperature that characterizes the mid-day. For the occasion, I chose to wear my JIB Pants and my NOV Top. Two comfy items that allow me to wick away moisture and stay comfortable all day long.
On site, a tons of cafés, restaurants and shops await you. Among these, sweet teeth like me will be happy to find the Chocolate Museum, which gives several explanations on this sweetness! For example, did you know that 400 cocoa beans are required to make 453 grams of quality chocolate? Cocoa beans were so valuable that they have long been considered a bargaining chip.
If you have one day the chance to put your hand a on fresh pod, I invite you to taste the mucilage, the white paste that surrounds the beans. Its taste is fruity and sweet, a real delight!
TelefériQO
Quito is at 2,800 meters above sea level. As if that was not high enough, we chose to go to the TelefériQo Quito, which allowed us to reach almost 4,000 meters above sea level. From the top of the Cruz Loma platform, we had a breathtaking view of Quito to the east and of the Pichincha volcano to the west.
Despite the grey weather, we had time to go to the summit for some pictures and to enjoy this magnificent view. At this altitude, the rain quickly turned to hail and the ground became completely white. These conditions are quite usual and the employees of the cable cars seemed much less captivated than the tourists! For us, it was a bit like the Canadian winter had followed us to Ecuador! So we took advantage of this moment to eat a "small" algodón de azúcar (cotton candy) while waiting for the storm to pass!
ARTICLE SIMILAIRE
Geneve, our marketing manager, presents two activities to do during an express stop in Quito, Ecuador.
After spending almost two weeks in the animal paradise that are the Galapagos Islands and having taken full advantage of what this extraordinary archipelago had to offer, we are back on the continent. As our ambassador Jessica, we could briefly visit the huge Quito, very different from what we had the opportunity to admire before!
Since our stopover lasted only a few hours, we chose to separate our free time between two places: The Mitad del Mundo and the TelefériQo Cruz Loma.
THE MITAD DEL MUNDO
Located a few kilometers from Quito, the Mitad del Mundo (half of the World) is a colonial-style city that is crossed by the equatorial line. One step to the left of this symbolic line and we are in the northern hemisphere. One step to the right and here we are in the Southern Hemisphere! This is one of the most visited sites in Ecuador so I recommend getting there early in the morning!
Another benefit of being there early is avoiding the stinging temperature that characterizes the mid-day. For the occasion, I chose to wear my JIB Pants and my NOV Top. Two comfy items that allow me to wick away moisture and stay comfortable all day long.
On site, a tons of cafés, restaurants and shops await you. Among these, sweet teeth like me will be happy to find the Chocolate Museum, which gives several explanations on this sweetness! For example, did you know that 400 cocoa beans are required to make 453 grams of quality chocolate? Cocoa beans were so valuable that they have long been considered a bargaining chip.
If you have one day the chance to put your hand a on fresh pod, I invite you to taste the mucilage, the white paste that surrounds the beans. Its taste is fruity and sweet, a real delight!
TelefériQO
Quito is at 2,800 meters above sea level. As if that was not high enough, we chose to go to the TelefériQo Quito, which allowed us to reach almost 4,000 meters above sea level. From the top of the Cruz Loma platform, we had a breathtaking view of Quito to the east and of the Pichincha volcano to the west.
Despite the grey weather, we had time to go to the summit for some pictures and to enjoy this magnificent view. At this altitude, the rain quickly turned to hail and the ground became completely white. These conditions are quite usual and the employees of the cable cars seemed much less captivated than the tourists! For us, it was a bit like the Canadian winter had followed us to Ecuador! So we took advantage of this moment to eat a "small" algodón de azúcar (cotton candy) while waiting for the storm to pass!
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