Taking my hat off to

Hats off, a very impressive city when it comes to location, surroundings, and architecture. After all, Quito's historic center is a World Heritage Site. On average, it is located at an altitude of 2800m, it is very hilly and surrounded by volcanoes. During a walk, you can visit the neo-Gothic city crown (which church does it resemble? See photos) and climb the towers via shaky stairs and bridges that do not meet European safety regulations. There are also plenty of colonial mansions - which is usually the case when we talk about a beautiful city. You can settle in cozy courtyards, visit beautiful Baroque churches, or stroll through richly planted squares.

Alternatively, you can take the TelefériQo (cable car with too few cabins, because queuing is a favorite pastime in South America) and explore Quito's house volcano, Rucu Pichincha. We did that too. The mountain station is located at 4000m and you have to conquer another 700 meters in altitude to reach the summit. At this altitude, it is truly not a walk in the park; after a few meters, you will notice how thin the air is, especially if you only have one day to acclimatize... However, we were rewarded with icy winds, frozen fingers, and throbbing headaches. Nevertheless, it was fantastic and the view of the city (no longer at the summit) is spectacular. The day after, we spent exclusively on curating our altitude sickness.