Travel
P
rior to embarking on a cruise in
the Galapagos, many tourists
choose to spend a night or
two in Quito, the capital of
Ecuador. The historic old town
is a cultural hub with narrow streets,
centuries old churches, colorful
balconied houses, restaurants and lots
of people. Since I had never been to
South America before, I wanted to
get a taste of this city and the
Andes Mountains.
Quito sits at 9,000 feet elevation
so you may want to check with your
doctor about altitude sickness before
traveling. Most folks don’t have
trouble if they take it easy and
drink lots of water, avoiding alcohol.
Getting there is easy, as flights from
Miami to Quito take just three and
a half hours and the clock remains in
the Eastern Time zone. (Flights from
NYC take about five hours.) I arrived
in the late evening and arranged for
a pre-paid taxi driver to meet me
and my companion at the baggage
claim area.
Boutique Hotel Maisón
de Angel
Breakfast is included in price of your
room, and the small dining area felt
like an aviary; birdcages housed live
birds that filled the air with melodic
song. A breakfast buffet offer V@