A CAPITAL discovery
ELISABETH EASTHER GETS A NATURAL HIGH IN ECUADOR
Sitting 2850m above sea level, Quito in Ecuador is the world’s second highest capital city and the closest city to the equator. Ringed by volcanoes and full of well-preserved historic buildings, it’s also very dramatic.
Yet despite its UNESCO World Heritage status, Quito wasn’t high on our list of places to visit. My son Theo and I were merely passing through on our way to the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands. But after a brutal 30 hours of flying and stopovers, it felt prudent to take a few days to adjust before embarking on our adventures.
While we were acclimatising to jetlag, altitude and a culture switch, a day trip to one of the world’s highest active volcanoes, Cotopaxi, seemed like an excellent idea. Arriving at an abandoned plaza at 7am, we eventually found our tour guide, who ushered us into a globally ubiquitous 30-seater tourist bus.
Our fellow backpackers included a jolly Canadian maple syrup farmer, a pair of sensible Norwegian doctors and a couple who took endless carefully curated selfies.
By the light of day, Quito was both ramshackle and beautiful. Brightly painted apartments that reminded us of beehives clung to the hillsides, and roadside restaurants were little more than tarpaulins held up by sticks with food cooking over open fires.
As we wound our way up the slopes of Cotopaxi, the weather turned and snow began to fall. Breathless from altitude and cold, we attempted to climb to the lookout, but the wind whipped, sharp sleet cut into us and we were forced to turn back. The view was completely obscured so no great loss.
Further down the mountain, the snow eased and the sun came out and those of us who wanted to ride 10km downhill were given rickety old bikes.
The wind was still fierce but, happily, it blew at our backs. Despite the corrugated road rattling our bones, it was fabulously fresh fun, finishing up at a lagoon aflutter with exotic birds.
Closer to town, the TelefériQo
gondola clings to the eastern side of Pichincha volcano and hoists visitors a distance of more than two kilometres.
Once deposited at the top, at an altitude of 3945m, we could have availed ourselves of a flavoured oxygen bar but, happily, being that high didn’t make us feel woozy, just giddy. Like two drunks, we staggered further up the mountain.
Each time we stopped for a rest, the town appeared tinier, while the peak of Cotopaxi revealed itself from behind clouds. We walked as far as we could without crampons, while the wind sung harmonically in pylon cables above our heads.
Drawn to a round thatched hut by the aroma of barbecued pollo (chicken) and potatoes, we stopped to eat and watch other tourists being led on horses.
To our astonishment, back at the bottom we discovered VolQano Park, a Latin American Rainbow’s End.
In wild contrast to the peace of the mountain, we rode roller coasters and dodgems while demonic Ecuadorian grandmothers crashed into us. Their perfect hair and manicures concealed very competitive spirits.
We weren’t sure if visiting the actual equator would be a gimmick or a genuine marvel but we had to find out. Ciudad Mitad del Mundo turned out to be fascinating and fun in equal measure, with science displays and cultural exhibits, including genuine shrunken heads.
In the end, Quito was the perfect combination of history, action, nature and culture. Despite never intending to visit, we’re delighted we did.