Quito is a busy city. It\u0092s run down, dirty, rife with traffic, noise, and graffiti. Quito is 22 miles long and three miles wide. I felt the 9,000+ feet last night and a little bit today on the walk back to the host family\u0092s place. Venturing out on my own, I found a place to have lunch and do my homework after the first morning at Spanish school. One of the men in the restaurant spoke English (lived in New Jersey for a while) and he directed me to the Tourist Info place where I got a map and some information about the hop on\/hop off city bus tour. He also told me to not walk after dark and always take a taxi. He said he was having a meeting with the police concerning the crime because tourists have to be safe and it\u0092s in his best interest to have it that way. And, he was kind enough to invite me back if I needed anything. I wandered my way to the host family’s home, stopping at the Supermaxi (super market) where I bought some bananas.<\/p>\n
It\u0092s fun just wandering through the parts of town, looking at the shops. Many are no bigger than a garage (if that big) with a garage sort of door and a sign above the door (I saw couple places that didn\u0092t even have a sign). I also came upon the artisan market where traditional Ecuadorian items are sold. Big bold colored fabrics, hats (this culture loves its headwear), leather goods, and some junk thrown in for good measure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Quito is a busy city. It\u0092s run down, dirty, rife with traffic, noise, and graffiti. Quito is 22 miles long and three miles wide. I felt the 9,000+ feet last night and a little bit today on the walk back to the host family\u0092s place. Venturing out on my own, I found a place to have lunch and do my<\/p>\n