Friday-- first quiteño day

Quito's historic center is a jumbled mass of hills, most with stunning churches or colonial buildings barely clutching onto the steep slopes. I arrived by bus and was stunned by this maze, that drivers lurch through undaunted and vendors haunt at every corner. Old men occupy all the benches of the squares. Kids run after pigeons at the Plaza de la Independenzia. It's an amazing haven-- especially compared to some of the other parts of Quito-- and the largest remaining colonial center in Latin America.

Friday-- Quito in a few snaps

View from the top of the Basilicia (after three outside ladders and a passage through the attic above the actual church. Definitely my most exciting visit of any religious site).

Family love.

Adorable boy who was walking his dog Toby in front of the Basilica.

I admit to panting on the walk up this road....

Overheard in Quito, I

"Nos vemos en la Amazonia"
- Teen on cellphone in Quito street. ("We'll see each other in the Amazon")

Lost in translation, I

At the fruteria (fruit stand)
Me, in a morning, coffeeless haze: Plata, por favor.

Platano= banana
Plata= money

FAIL.

The count

TWENTY FIVE, cents a bus ride in Quito. Bumps guaranteed, seats not so much.

EIGHTEEN EIGHTY-TWO: date of completion of the Basilica del vote nacional. It is partly built of volcanic rock and boasts stone statues of turtles and monkey instead of gargoyles. Ecuadoran pride.

FIVE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE, approximate number of internet cafes in Quito.

Overheard in Quito, II

Conversation with my Spanish teacher:

Me: The weather here is crazy, it changes every second.
Teacher: Yes, its like women!

Vocabulario

CHEVERE- A must if you aim to survive in Ecuador. Literally "great", it is crammed into every sentence. Also, CHEVEROSO and CHEVERISSIMO.

GRINGOLANDIA- Affectionate (?) nickname for Mariscal, the tourist hangout. Befittingly, both my host family and school are located in Gringolandia...

CORREISTA- A supporter of Rafael Correa, the president.