Ecuador – Quito – Travelogue 1
Quito is the capital of the Republic of Ecuador. It is in a state of limbo between colonial times and the modern city, which is expanding day by day. Modern urban structures mixed with mestizo and colonial heritage.
Quito, the capital of Ecuador and the province of Pichincha, is located on the lower slopes of the Pichincha volcano in a narrow, fertile valley of the Andes at an altitude of 2,850 m. There is little heavy industry in Quito. The most important industrial products include textiles, foodstuffs, leather, furniture and handicrafts made of gold and silver. The city, which is located on the Pan-American Highway, is connected to the Pacific Ocean by roads and a railway line.
Located in the Andes at an altitude of 2,800 meters, Quito occupies an area of almost 12,000 km². Average temperatures range from 10 to 25 degrees Celsius, with large temperature fluctuations that allow residents and visitors to Quito to experience all four seasons in a single day. The city is located on the Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Antizana and Cayambe volcanoes, which represent the majestic Andean backdrop. San Francisco de Quito, as it was once called, is the most Spanish city in the New World. You will find a colorful mixture of peoples in Quito. The family from the countryside drives into the city on the back of a truck to sell their goods and buy other things of daily life for themselves.
The city’s sheriffs are present at the most important points of the city. Even though the inner city area and the nightlife districts of the former “Pearl of the Pacific” have become safer through repressive police methods, more and more miserable slum settlements have sprung up in the extensive peripheral zones, hundreds of brutal youth gangs have the scepter in their hands, robbery and murder are the order of the day. Also in other cities of the coastal area (mainly Esmeraldas and Manta), as well as in the Amazonian-Colombian border area (especially Lago Agrio), the crime rate is far above the national average. The women are often dressed in a black cape and a head covering.
A popular meeting place is the Plaza San Francisco with the church of the same name. La Campania is considered the most magnificent church building in the city of Quito.
