During our stay in Quito, we had the opportunity to visit many of the churches in the historic city center. Within a five-block radius from the central plaza, there are fifteen colonial catholic churches (there are 25 colonial catholic churches in the historic city center) each with its own unique character and beauty. Some of them are pictured below. As beautiful as these churches are, the most impressive church in Quito sits atop a hill overlooking the historic center. El…
North of Quito, Ecuador is the renowned indigenous market of Otavalo, a place full of traditions and handicrafts. We took a day trip to this beautiful pueblo about 60 miles north of Quito. We hopped on a tour bus that passed through several small towns before arriving at the famous artisan market. Cayambe: The Home of Bizcochos North of Quito, we stopped in the small town of Cayambe where we watched how bizcochos are made. People in many Latin American…
Well, we’re now in Ecuador. Our original plan was to go from Medellín, Colombia to Cuenca, Ecuador (Cuenca is a smaller city popular with American retirees for its weather, livability and low cost of living). But to get to Cuenca, we had to go through Quito. There are no direct flights to Cuenca, so we decided to stay a couple of weeks in Quito. Several years ago, we stopped in Quito for a day on our way to the Galapagos…