Terriférico...

With our trip to the Galápagos booked, we had one night and one day to enjoy Quito.  Saturday night was a boozy one, the bars and restaurants too tempting to refuse.  The morning after, surprisingly fresh and with only a few hours to see the city, we decided to ascend a further kilometre using the Teleférico, a cable car to rival its famous cousin clinging to Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio.  

Our luck was in as we reached the upper flanks of the Pichincha volcano at 3,945m with clear skies and views for miles on all sides.  Having climbed so far the temperature was much lower than it was in the city below, the vegetation was different and a brisk wind blew mist down from the hillside.  Strangely, it reminded me of the moors in the UK.  Just like walking in the Pennines or tramping around the Highlands.  Except for the llamas grazing here and there.  I felt very much at home.

The city from that vantage point was a sight to behold.  Hemmed in on two sides by mountains, the it stretched for many kilometres north to south.  The buildings, in a second attempt to mimic the Brazilian hotspot, were like those found in Rio.  Modern tower blocks, often coloured white or pastel shades, all jostling for position in the limited space available.  Beyond the city limits, green fields stretched into the distance slowly giving way to forests then mountains.  We were glad to have chosen Quito as our future home.