Quito General Tips by tejanasueca

Favorite Thing: Papaya Net is the easiest internet cafe to locate in Mariscal (on Calama). It is a known meeting point for people and they offer an area to sit in an chat, some computers, and food and drink.
Excellent place to go sit write some e-mails while you are eating breakfast. Tends to fill up though, and then the computers might get kinda slow. So, a lot of people just use it as a meeting spot and then go to another place to use the internet.

Any hostel, store in Mariscal should be able to give you exact directions (It is at the corner of Calama and Juan Leon Mera).


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Favorite Thing: It might suprise some first time visitors that Quito's airport is right in the middle of the city; but what else can you do when the city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains?

Due to this, you can hear and see the planes from all over Quito, and the landing strip is not exactly the lenght you would expect from a major airport (be prepared for a fast stop when you land!).

The downside to the location of the airport is of course the whole security issue, the benefit however is that the cab ride from the airport to Mariscal will not set you back NO MORE than $4. You can also take the bus from the airport (10-15min). Just go across the street, and look for one of the blue busses with a sign that says "Amazonas." Get off a couple of minutes after the bus passes the big circle with the big Marriot Hotel at one corner, and you will find yourself in Mariscal, thick with hostels and restaurants.

UPDATE: The construction of a new airport has started. The new airport, which will be situated about 40min northeast of Quito, is expected to be done in 2008.


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Favorite Thing: There is a POST OFFICE in Mariscal on the corner of Colón and Reina Victoria (essential as Ecuador don't use stamps).

Hours:
M-F 8am-5pm
Sat 8am-11:45am

Fees:
Postcards to the US and Europe take about 2 weeks and cost $1.25 (I know, outragous!)


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