Thu and I have been interested in visiting Ecuador for a long long time. The diversity in landscape, wildlife, culture and adventure has always peaked our interest. In 2015 we began creating an itinerary, which would include an ascent of one of the many volcanoes along the famous Avenue of the Volcanoes. Unfortunately, in August of 2015, Cotopaxi erupted. The eruption deposited heavy ash as far away as Quito, resulting in the closure of many tourist attractions, national parks, and even roads. Since the majority of our travels would have been affected by the ash, we decided to postpone the trip. Finally, in 2019, we dug up our old itinerary and modified it a bit to our current interests and abilities. We were ready to embark on our Ecuadorian adventure. Once again, however, circumstances in Ecuador almost ruined our plans. In October, just a month before our trip, protests and riots against austerity measures and the cancellation of fuel subsidies created chaos throughout Ecuador. The indigenous population was at the forefront of the protests and were effective at locking down much of the country’s roads, commerce and economy. After a month of violence, food and gas shortages, and general national paralysis, the two sides held negotiations and came to an agreement on new economic measures to combat overspending and debt, ending the austerity measures and returning the fuel subsidies to the people. With a little bit of hesitation regarding safety and possible cancellations, we decided to proceed with our trip. Finally, we were going to Ecuador!

Mitad del Mundo

One of the major goals on our trip to Ecuador was to climb Chimborazo. At over 20,000 feet, we needed to be properly acclimitized before attempting the summit. Over the course of the first week and a half, our plan was to begin at the lowest elevation and slowly progress until we reached the higher elevations of the Avenue of the Volcanoes and Chimborazo. Since Quito already sits at nearly 10,000 feet, we decided to first drive into the cloud forest north of Quito, at an elevation of around 6,000 feet, and ease our way into our acclimitization. Even though Ecuador is relatively easy to navigate, we decided to hire drivers to get from place to place. We left immediately from the airport in Quito and drove on a newly constructed highway that snaked its way through the mountainous landscape. The sides of the mountains were covered in concrete in many areas with holes drilled into them to let water seep through when the soil is saturated to help minimize erosion.

Our first stop on the way to the cloud forest was the obligatory Mitad del Mundo, or Middle of the World. A monument was built signifying Latitude 00°00°00°, but was recently discovered to be innacurate so a new museum was built only a few kilometers away. It almost felt like a scam, visiting and paying admission for two stops, but it was all a part of the Ecuador experience. Inside the monument was a small museum that explained Ecuador’s geography and culture. The terrace at the top offered a beautiful 360° view of the surrounding mountains. We were surprised by the clear, sunny skies and how hot it was, as we were led to believe it would be cloudy, cold and rainy most of the time.

After exploring the monument, we drove over to the real Latitude 00°00°00° and were led through another museum, this time focusing on the effects of being at the equator. We participated in a few (some questionable) experiments and learned a little more about some of the native cultures of Ecuador. The most interesting experiment was simply watching water drain from a bucket and witnessing in person the change of direction as it spun clockwise or counterclockwise depending on which side of the equator the bucket was positioned.

Quito, Ecuador

Our driver dropped us off just outside of Quito because she wasn’t comfortable driving into the city. Our second driver picked us up and expertly navigated through the complicated historic center of Quito to our hotel. Behind a nondescript doorway just off the plaza was the quaint, painstakingly restored hotel where we would be spending the night. The next morning Anh Vu was scheduled to meet us at the hotel to join us for the trekking part of our trip.

We spent a little time wandering the streets of Quito where we witnessed the aftermath of the recent political unrest. Barbed-wire fences were placed at several strategic spots, and police patrolled areas prone to mass congregations. People seemed generally relaxed, but we could tell there was still some lingering tension between the people and the police.

Basílica del Voto Nacional

The Basílica del Voto Nacional was built between 1892 and 1909 as a monument to the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart. Even though it was technically finished in 1909, it remains under perpetual construction. Legend says that when the Basilica is completed, the end of the world will come.

After dropping off our laundry at a tiny local lavandería we walked over to the Basílica del Voto Nacional, an incredible neo-Gothic basilica located in the historic center of Quito. There is so much to see and do in Quito, but we only had time for one tourist site. We decided on the church, as churches are usually quick and easy. You step inside, take a walk around the vestibule, marvel at the intricate stained-glass, and that’s it. This church, however, had some secret surprises that we weren’t prepared for.

After having our fill of stained-glass windows and church artifacts, we climbed a flight of stairs and stumbled upon a sketchy wooden-plank walkway leading across a section of roof that was under renovation. Without any sign of warning or barriers, we continued on up one of the steepest flight of stairs ever, and climbed to a spectacular lookout near the top of one of the church spires. We couldn’t believe how such a dangerous, exciting and unfinished section of the church could be open to the public. How fun!!

From the lookout we were able to see Quito sprawling out beneath us and off into the distant mountains. We heard sounds of the city rising up all around and watched as the sky filled with ominous clouds. What was supposed to be a simple stop at a tourist church became a memorable adventure with incredible views. Unfortunately we only had one day in Quito, but after looking out over the city, we decided we would have to return and really explore what the city has to offer. If we had this much fun in a church, I’m pretty sure we will find plenty of things to explore on a future visit.