On Sunday, Tyler, Macie, and I met up for an adventure in el centro histórico. We met at la cruz in el Parque Carolina again. This time, I made it there entirely on my own without having to ask anyone for directions! It may have been a small accomplishment, but nevertheless I was proud of myself. We rode a crowded trolebus to a park in the north sector of el centro histórico. Bicyclists were everywhere! There are so many bicyclists out and about on Sundays that they get there own lane of traffic on the streets. After a stroll around the park we walked to a beautiful old cathedral called la Basílica del Voto Nacional. I think that this may have been the same cathedral that I visited on the bus tour, but it looked much different in the daylight and this time I had more time to wander around. For only two dollars per person, we were allowed inside to explore! We definitely got a workout in with all of the stair climbing we did! Dios mío those stairs were never ending! When we thought we were at the top there was a balcony overlooking Quito and the surrounding mountains. It turns out that we weren't quite at the top, not yet anyway. We had to cross a crowded, wooden platform that creaked with every step we took, and after that we had to climb even more stairs to reach the highest tower. At this point, the stairs were so steep it would be more accurate to describe them as ladders. It took three flights of these "ladders" to reach the top of the tower. My heart was pounding (I DON'T like heights) but my eyes were happy! The views were incredible! After exploring nearly every inch of the church, we walked around, talking in the sights and looking for a place to eat. The little restaurant that we decided on was packed. My meal only cost $3 and it was enormous. None of us were able to finish even though we had been starving after exploring the cathedral. Dogs are EVERYWHERE in Quito, many just wandering around without a leash. We saw a tiny little puppy that was just so cute I had to stop and ask if I could pet it. It was a mini pinscher, only 3 months old!
We could have stayed in el centro histórico all day, but since I still desperately needed to buy a phone, we took the trolebus back to Quito for some shopping at CCI. The trip was a success! I withdrew money from an ATM, bought a phone ($40), a water bottle ($20), and some water to tide me over ($.39).
It took me quite some time to find my way back home. The first time I asked for directions, the lady said I had been going in completely the wrong direction. I asked for directions a couple more times and eventually made it home. I am beginning to understand where I live in Quito but still need more practice.
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Hola, soy olivia.After living in the Midwest my whole life, I packed my bags and moved south to Guadalajara, Mexico where I'm working as an English teacher and studying Spanish. Keep posted to hear about all my adventures!
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