Golden Sun and Golden Churches Greet Us in Quito

The view of Quito’s historic center from our hotel’s rooftop patio

After landing in Quito, Ecuador, in the rain the previous evening, and taking a taxi to the hotel through wet, dark streets, it was nice to wake up to sunshine. We had four days of sightseeing in this highland capital before our Galapagos cruise began. The weather forecast showed rain and thunderstorms all four days, so this was a pleasant surprise. We decided to take advantage of the partly sunny skies and Uber to the hilltop crowned by an aluminum statue of the Virgin Mary which looms over the city.

Aluminum statue of the Virgin Mary looms above Quito

Uber would prove to be our number one way to get around - much like in Colombia. Even when we were headed 45 minutes out of town, the fare was less than $10. Trips around Quito were usually only $2-$3. It took about a 15 minutes drive to ascend from our hotel in the Historic district to the monument high above the city. We walked around, snapping photographs of the sprawling city of 1.76 million laid out below us. There weren’t many other visitors. In fact, the visitors probably just outnumbered the various vendors selling refreshments or souvenirs.

Not only can you ascend to the statue’s viewing platform, there is a museum inside of it

You can actually climb up into the statue, several floors of which are a museum devoted to its construction and also the main historic churches of Quito. As we would see over the next few days, these Spanish colonial churches were built in the 1500-1600s, and are one of the city’s main attractions. The panorama from the viewing platform was even better than the ones we’d been enjoying already. I alternated shots with my telephoto lens and my iPhone. The skies began to brighten even more with big patches of blue separating the clouds. It was perfect “scenic view” weather, and was even warming up noticeably. Packing for Ecuador had been a challenge. Quito is at around 10,000 feet in altitude, and cooler than the Galápagos Islands and their almost “South Pacific” climate.

Part park, part archeological dig, and part museum, Rumipamba is a sprawling green space in Quito

Since it was good outdoor weather, next we headed to the Rumipamba archeological park. The visit includes a free guided tour. Other than a dozen Ecuadorian school kids, we were the only visitors, so our tour was private. Our guide was a Masters degree student giving her first English language tour. She was assisted by two others, who spoke only Spanish. First, we toured the park’s main museum building. Our guide gave us the context of the various indigenous civilizations from 2000 B.C. forward, and how they interacted with the geography of Quito.

Our guide explained what we were seeing in each of the digs on the premises

Next, we headed outside to the park’s grounds. Our guide seemed fascinated by the plant life that still thrives in Quito and was used by the early civilizations. She would locate the plants, pick leaves, beans, and more, then show us how it was used. During our sunny roaming of the large park, an island of green amidst Quito’s apartments, shops, and other buildings, we also came upon several archeological dig sites. She explained what each was, pointing out the circular pit burials, post holes, and different strata in the digs, explaining which civilization each belonged to. Particularly fascinating were the black and white bands denoting lava from volcanic eruptions. High in the clouds above Quito is a volcano which has plagued inhabitants for millennia. Its most recent eruption was just a couple decades ago, and many of its citizens had to relocated and new homes built for them.

Fascinating to see actual skeletons buried by the Ancient civilizations of Ecuador

She saved the best for last, and took us into the building housing intact skeletons still curled up in the fetal position. She explained how, when a village chief would die, his wife and servants would be buried around him. They were given a drink to put them into a coma and then the pit graves were filled in, ultimately suffocating the victims so they could accompany the great man into the next life.

View of Quito from the statue of the Virgin Mary

After almost two hours in the unexpected sunshine, we were suffering a bit, too. We took an Uber back to the hotel and asked the desk for advice on restaurants for a late lunch. Cafe San Ignacio hit the spot, and was our first introduction to Ecuadorian food. Around the corner from the restaurant was our next stop of the day, the Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus. Considered one of Latin America’s finest churches, it’s interior is encrusted with seven tons of gold leaf, decorating the altar, chapels, and more. Once again, the admission included a personalized guided tour in English. Typically, I am ambivalent about guides, as they often have an incentive to rush you through a site to be available to do another sooner. Both of our guides today took their time, asked if we had questions, and gave us as much time as we wanted to sightsee and take photos.

The two domes atop the Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesus

We started at the top, walking around on the rooftop of the 400-year-old church itself. The beautiful view of the Historic district and other churches competed with the colorful glazed tiles of the domes for our attention. After taking lots of pictures, and climbing up a series of tiny steps more than halfway up the smaller dome, we ducked inside the largest dome. A walkway circled the dome giving us a close up view of its decorations. The main nave of the church lay several stories below us, with its visitors looking up taking pictures as we did the same, looking down.

The main nave of the church and some of its 7 tons of gold leaf

“Down” was where we’re headed next - all the way down to the church’s centuries old crypts. Most of the tombs located down there are relatively newer (when you’re talking about a church from the 1600s). As crypts go, it was mildly disappointing. The main floor of the church, where we headed next, was anything but! The gold gleamed softly in the afternoon light. Our guide pointed out an area where the chapel seemed to gleam brighter. It had been reconstructed after a fire, so its gold leaf was newer and shinier. The effect of gold all around you was magnificent, and it was hard not wander around the aisles, open-mouth with awe. The Jesuits had created a magnificent building and sunk countless money and artistic skill into creating a sense of wonder in those who visited over the centuries.

As expected, the interior of this more than 500 year old church was spectacular

We closed out a successful first day of sightseeing in Quito by sampling craft beers from two of its artisanal breweries. One of them also served dinner, so we were able to celebrate how Quito’s weather and sights had shined upon us, today. The interlude in Quito before our cruise was off to a great start!

Another panoramic view of Quito