Penguin Island, Antarctica 2008

Saturday, January 22, 2011

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 - Manta to Quito, Equador

We arrive in Manta sometime around 7AM. We are docked across the pier from a returning tuna boat, like we were the last time we were here.

As we dress we watch the huge, fresh frozen tuna being loaded into waiting truck from the ships. Our breakfast arrives about 8AM, we are up and dressed when the food arrives. We both have a light breakfast since eating lightly and drinking lots of water are supposed to help with the altitude sickness. That is something Carolyn wants to avoid after being so sick going Cusco in 2007.

We gather in the lounge at 8:45AM to pick up passports and head to the waiting buses as soon as everyone is there. At the airport some people check luggage, some, like us, just have small carry ons. We get our boarding passes, are broken into groups of about 25 that we will stay in until we return tomorrow. We are through security in a few minutes and have a short wait before the plane arrives back from ferrying the first group to Quito. Regent is using Akorn as the tour operator and they have chartered an AreoGal airbus for the 30 minute flight to Quito.
The plane leaves shortly before 10AM. Once in Quito we taken to the buses and start our tour of the old city about 11AM.

Ouito, Ecuador’s capital of 2 million people and second largest city, sits in a narrow high valley, 9200 feet MSL, in the Andes. It is the third UNESCO site we have visited on this trip. The heart of Old Town dates from 1534 with a beautiful plaza surrounded by colonial buildings and narrow streets lined by old buildings with colorful balconies.
 
   
It was established on the sitre of the capital of the northern Inca Empire by Spanish Conquistadors. We spend a couple of hours walking around the Grand Plaza of Independence in the heart of the colonial district
 
 
and visit two of the churches. First stop is the Church of the Society of Jesus, built 1605 to 1765 in the Latin American Baroque style and known for the art work and the gold leaf applied to the walls that gives the inside a look of being make of solid gold. Our guide spends a lot of time talking about the art work and the Catholic traditions of his country...(a lot more than we want to know) we just marvel at the beautiful interior.

 
 From there we go to the Cathedral of Quito.
We enter through the former convent and again spend time learning about the history of this beautiful church built in 1562 to 1567 in the Gothic Mudejar style with its pillars, arches and coffered ceiling. It is one of the oldest churches in South America and many people of importance in Ecuador’s history are buried in its catacombs.
 We are moving very slowly as everyone is puffing with much excretion. There is a demonstration at a government office building on the Plaza that has the bus blocked,
so we walk a couple of blocks with a nice view of the new Basilica on the next hill and wait while the driver works his way through the narrow, incredibly busy streets to get us.
Traffic is a nightmare in this city of two million built around narrow, one-lane, 500 year old streets between the Andes peaks.

Our final stop is at Itchimbia, an over look high above the city, for a few pictures.
We get to the hotel about 2PM for a fast check in and then a buffet lunch. Again we eat lightly...the food though plentiful doesn’t really look good. Dick is feeling very bad at this point...he seemed to have the beginnings of a cold this morning and is now having a hard time breathing plus other symptoms of altitude sickness. Carolyn is OK as long as she doesn’t try to do much. We eat a little and drink a lot of water. There is an information desk for us in the lobby...there are two craft centers within walking distance of the hotel...two or so blocks. Dick goes to the room and goes to bed. Carolyn thinks she will try to go to the closest center, but only gets to the end of the hotel’s block and calls it quits! She passed several nice looking hotel shops on the way out so she is content to shop there. Actually, they have some really nice textiles at very good prices so she returns to the room a happy camper. Dick is asleep and Carolyn thinks she will read awhile, but falls asleep too.

Refreshed by a nap and lots more water we get dressed for the night’s main event, a visit to the San Francisco Church and Monastery.
We visit the church built in 1534 to 1604 which is in the process of being restored.
We are served cocktails and nibblies in the lovely cloisters. Then we go to the Refectory for a Gala dinner and an evening of wonderful chamber music. The Refectory is beautiful with its old pulpit and walls lined with the monks seats. The tables are all finished off very nicely with beautiful center pieces.
The food is good according to everyone, but it doesn’t appeal to us. We eat a little, but before dessert, Dick leaves to go out side. He is really feeling bad. The staff fixes him some coca tea and it helps a little, but finally a guide offers to take him back to the hotel in one of the staff vans. We both go and go to bed. To bad we weren’t up to par, it was a very special night and the old town is beautiful all lit up.

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