Quito Things to Do Tips by b1bob

The Plaza Grande, also known as Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Independencia is a park surrounded by the Plaza de Gobierno (President's residence), the Catedral Metropolitano, the Palacio Municipial (City Hall), and the Palacio Arzobispal (Archbishop's Residence). The statue in the middle was built in 1909 representing Ecuador's first go of independence. There is a placard in memory of the victims of the 1810 massacre. The wounded lion at the base of the statue represents the end of Spanish rule, the condor represents the Andes, the broken pick represents the end of slavery, and the Goddess of Freedom on top has a torch whose light represents the hope gained from knowledge. Besides admiring the four main buildings which surround the plaza, it's fun to just sit on the benches and listen to the quiteños talking (it's even more fun when you understand what they're saying), and to see the diverse crowds between the artistic displays and the notes from guitars.

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The National Museum was founded by the Central Bank of Ecuador in order to literally protect the country's historical identity. The main idea was Ecuador could not progress very well if it didn't know its cultural identity. If the central bank hadn't done this, you just know all the metal work, colonial coins, and other solid gold pieces now on exhibit here would have either been turned into gold ingots for the monetary reserve or sold on the black market. They have several rooms broken down by time period. The archeology room shows the oldest artifacts dating as far back as 12000 B.C. The gold room shows all manner of masks, symbols of power and many examples of their ability to work with solid gold. The art and artifacts in the Colonial Period shows native culture giving way to Spanish culture. Sergio, Christina, and I visited here on a Sunday afternoon.

It is free to Ecuadorians on Sundays and it only cost me $2 to get in. It is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 5pm; Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from 10 am to 4pm. They are closed only on Good Friday, 25 December, and 1 January.

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The cultural centre is located just off the Plaza Grande right next to the president’s palace. The Jesuits originally constructed this building in the 17th Century. In 1767, when Charles III of Spain banished the Jesuit order from the colonies, the buildings became a public university. In the 1790s, the buildings became the headquarters of the Spanish royal troops sent from Lima to repress the early go of independence which ended in the massacre of a number of patriots from Quito on 2 August 1810. The Alberto Mena Caamaño Museum displays the massacre with life-size wax figures. As of November, 2007 the museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday 9am-5pm. It costs $1.50 for regular folks to get in, 75¢ for old folks and the crippled, and 50¢ for kids.

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Phone: 295-0272
Directions: At the Plaza Grande just off from the Palacio del Gobierno

The Museo de la Ciudad (or City Museum, for those from Roxboro) follows Quito's everyday life across the centuries in this colonial building. I think this museum would be more fun for the kids than the other one. I saw a whole group of local children having fun with a colourful and interactive exhibit with the weather. The museum is in the interior of the building that once housed the San Juan de Díos Hospital (1565) and includes exhibits of the city's history from the pre-Hispanic times through to the 19th Century. The museum opens from 9:30am-5:30pm. Admission: $2 adults, $1 students, 50¢ for children.

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La Compañía de Jesús is one of the richest churches in the Americas. This architectural jewel, in my opinion, is the finest of the churches I have seen in Quito. What struck me was the elabourately carved façade, the gold colour of everything inside the church, and the combination of Baroque and Moorish architecture. It is a fine display of foliage, vines, fruits, and birds. It has great symbolic value for Catholics. It was in this church that Santa Mariana de Jesús offered her life to Christ, and it is here where they celebrate the life of the Virgen Dolorosa. Open Monday-Friday from 9:30am-5:30pm; Saturdays 9:30am-4pm, Sundays 1:30-4pm. Admission: $2.

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Phone: 258-0612

Just as impressive as the architecture and designs of this church is its location. The sanctuary of Guapulo, which has been a site of pilgrimage from Quito for many centuries, is on a small plateau among the hills that separates Quito from the Tumbaco valley. It is surrounded by deep gorges, and is near the road taken by Pizarro's Amazon expedition. The figure of Our Lady of Guadalupe who is worshipped there was carved by Diego de Robles, and polychromed by Luis de Rivera.

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The hill in central Quito was named "Panecillo," or "the roll" due to its shape. At 3000 meters (almost 10,000 feet) above sea level, it offers a panoramic view of Quito and all its natural beauty. On the summit of "the roll" is the monument to the Virgin Mary created in 1976 by the Spanish artist Agustín de la Herrán Matorras. It is composed of seven thousand pieces and is considered the greatest aluminum sculpture in the world. The statue of the virgin is a large-scale copy of the 30-centimeter (12 inch) one created in the 18th century by Bernardo de Legarda. The original is in the convent of the San Francisco Church.

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One of the key streets in Quito, known as La Ronda, was completely restored by 2006. It was named La Ronda by the Spanish because it was at the city limit at that time. Calle Morales was the Bohemian heart of the historical centre by the mid 20th Century, where there were lots of art galleries, artesans, painters, poets and musicians. Sadly, it suffered a period of decay until a restoration project a few years before. Now, La Ronda regained its former glory with galleries, cafés and stores that occupy their old slots. This includes a family that makes beautiful coloured, flower-shaped candles that are used in religious processions.

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El Ejido park marks the division between the old and modern city. You can find almost 1500 species of native plants such as the cholán, aliso, chamburo, and palms, among others right here. At the weekend you can buy all manner of artwork, silver jewelry, ponchos, bags, vests, among others items sold by natives. Folks playing charangos serenade shoppers and passersby. Sergio, Christina, and I walked through here one Sunday afternoon. It was a much smaller scale artisan market than the one we experienced in Otavalo the day before. Folks play soccer and volleyball most every evening and weekend and the children have a big playground.

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The Teleferico is a cable car system that, for a price, takes you up the Pichincha mountain to a height of 4100 meters (13448 feet). People who are not in a hurry can pay the standard $4 fare and wait in longer queues. Folks who are willing to pay $7 can come ahead of the standard queues. Normally, I am a tightwad, but I'm a smart tightwad. Paying the extra $3, I was able to go up, take pictures, and return in plenty of time to see more things before the inevitable afternoon rains this time of year. The views of Quito from up there on a clear day are outstanding. Once you get to the top, there are shops and restaurants and even a clinic for those really affected by the altitude. The only problem I had at that altitude (the highest I have been on land and higher than at any point in 43 U.S. states) is I had to struggle to breathe normally. However, I took my pictures as quickly as I could and went back down before I needed to visit the clinic.

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