For those of us that arrived early, today was a day of adjusting to altitude and getting our bearings. Our little Inn remains phenomenal. Sit down for breakfast and this sweet lady brings yogurt and granola, fresh fruit and scrambled eggs - and extremely dark coffee. The same sweet lady later was cleaning our rooms, teaching us Spanish and helping us with our door locks. Compared to other cities I've travelled to, this is one of the quietest. Even the buskers don't bustle. People seem to have a slower pace, even if they are walking in a suit and tie on their lunch break. The sky isn't clear but the temperature is perfect for wandering and the city feels safe over all.


We stopped into a beer place... I know that sounds vague, but it just said "beer" all over it. The menu had a beer platter, beer salad, beer everything. So we were looking forward to the beer! The options: red, blond, dark and brown - no brand names. I can't tell you how the beer was but the mojito was perfect.

A famous sign right in the middle of Plaza Foch, a popular area in Quito


The day ended with some traditional Ecuadorian food and some of our new friends. Sorry folks, we didn't eat those larvae, but we had to try the Guinea pig. It tastes like pork. For real.