Quito

Farewell, Bolivia. Yesterday I hopped two flights over from La Paz to Quito, landing among clouds and sprinkles, but at just under 9,000 feet above sea level, the climate is much more mild than what I had been experiencing in Bolivia.

My first impression led me to compare this capital city with La Paz (which is actually not the real capital, but a kind of de facto capitol). Less crowded, by far, even in the old town with its one way streets and cobblestones. More diversity – people of various heights and hair color, perhaps indicating more European descent. More people seem to speak English. I read that one in 10 Ecuadorians lives and works outside the country, meaning almost everyone has a relative outside Ecuador (in the U.S. or Europe), and I think this may lead to a greater awareness of the world outside their country, even if they have never been.

Today I head north (and down) to the Otovalo area for the weekend, which hosts a large weekend market, and I will get to see a lot of the countryside. I already feel that there is a huge contrast between Ecuador and Bolivia – I guess this was one of the reasons I chose them (instead of 2 contiguous countries). It will be interesting to find out more……