The Quiet American in Quito: Centro Historico

I finally managed to make it to Centro Historico area of Quito (aka Old Town)...only took me three months. With the weather being 78 degree and gorgeous, I decided to take the hour walk there and it was great. Aside from it being a bit touristy in certain parts, I must say it was absolutely beautiful, and can see why Quito has been designated a World Heritage site. All of the architecture is really old and very well-maintained. If you were blindfolded and dropped off in Old Town, you might think you were in certain parts of Western Europe or Spain. There are a lot of plazas, museums, and cathedrals throughout the area, and there seems to a bakery are around every corner.

After exploring a bit, and sitting in La Compania and Plaza de San Francisco for a while, I decided to walk to La Basilica del Voto Nacional. This Gothic church is the most famous of all the cathedrals in Quito, and due to it being on a hill, it is a landmark that can be seen from miles away. Unfortunately for me, it was closed, so i couldn't go in. However visitors are allowed to go up into the towers to get amazing views of both Quito and Old Town. My favorite part of La Basilica is that the "gargoyles" are actually local and regional animals. Pretty fitting.

All in all, I probably only saw about a third of Centro Historico during this brief visit. I will be back soon I'm sure.