Quito, Ecuador {Part 2}

Monday, March 2



If you missed it, here is Quito Part 1 

After Lunch, Kevin and I set out to soak in the majestic view of Plaza Grande, the main historical plaza of Quito. Plaza Grande houses the Palacio Presidencial, also known as El Carondelet, home and office of the President of Ecuador {akin to the White House in the USA}. Upon learning that we could get a free tour of the Palace, we jumped at the chance and learned even more about Ecuador's great history. We even got to see a picture of Alicia's father, Sixto Durán Ballén, who was president during the 1990's. The palace houses gifts from heads of state all over the world.

After the tour of the palace, Kevin and I decided to walk towards the largest Church in the city…La Basilica del Voto Nacional. This stroll took us winding up and down alley ways and main thoroughfares of Quito. Some of the sites we saw along the way were Teatro Bolivar {a 2,200 seat theatre built in 1933}, as well as Teatro Nacional Sucre. It was such a thrill exploring as we kept the huge looming church in our bird's eye view ahead of us.

Upon arriving at the Basilica, we paid the admission to explore. WOW. Don't miss going inside this incredible place. You can climb to the top and get a tremendous view of the entire city! You can also  climb the clock tower and see the backside of the enormous clock! There are many different levels of the Basilica, making it fun to explore! Don't miss the second story, with looming windows and a view of the chapel below.

After touring the Basilica, Kevin and I took a taxi to one of the markets in town… La Mariscal. The markets in Ecuador are amazing, so many colorful items, handcrafted leather, and beautiful stitching. I wanted to buy everything {see see more pictures of our market experience, click here}.

After a full day walking the city, touring the Palace and the Basilica, and finishing our day at the markets, we were exhausted but full of new memories! We took a taxi back to Casa Victoria and hung out with Alicia, Dan and Jorge that night, eating popcorn and watching a movie! What a great day in Quito! Enjoy the pictures!


















































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