Quito, capital of Ecuador

Quito is considered the most peaceful capital in South America and was the first capital whose historic center was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. Nowhere else in South America can you find so many churches from the colonial era spread over a few square kilometers. Located at an altitude of 2800m and surrounded by green mountains, it has 5 downtown districts that are well connected by buses.

On Sundays, after church, people often sing on the church steps or dance in the streets. Probably not always, but on 'our' Sunday they did.

The darker side of Quito is evident child labor and poverty. So far, we haven't seen any children begging or working as shoe shiners in the tourist centers of South America - but here we have. For most children, their school years are already over by the age of 10 or 11 (= elementary school).

Surprisingly, Ecuador no longer has its own currency. Due to high national debt and the resulting inflation, they have been using the US dollar exclusively for several years.

Conclusion: Along with Rio, Arequipa, Cusco, La Paz, and Santiago, Quito is simply amazing in its own way and we are glad to spend a few days here.

But tomorrow we are going to Mindo, the cloud forest, for 2 days before returning here.