Arrival in Quito, Ecuador

sunset on thunderheads over the Gulf of Mexico

We landed in Quito last night about 10 p.m. and within 20 minutes of arriving at the gate were in a taxi to our hotel.  Though several flights arrived about the same time, the immigration officials handled the crowd smoothly and efficiently, with agents moving between English and Spanish to get people to the next available officer.

Customs was quick, despite requiring that every bag be x-rayed, and again with lots of guidance and help, we were soon on our way.  Even the taxi service is easy.  There's a desk inside the arrival hall where someone writes down your destination, calls a customer service rep and off you go to your taxi.  The only hitch came when the driver had trouble finding our hotel, but that soon resolved itself.  For $26, we drove 30 km along an excellent highway from Quito's beautiful 2-year-old airport to the city.

Quito from the Tereferico Trail high above the city

When we reached the outskirts of Quito, our taxi driver left the highway and wandered up a very steep cobblestone road to the top of a high ridge and down the other side, eventually finding our hotel.

Quito spreads across the surrounding mountains and fills the intervening valleys.  Now that we've seen it in daylight, it is a beautiful city, 9200 feet high, with lots of well-restored colonial buildings, 17th century churches, and quite a few buildings in need of restoration.

More in my next blog.  We're impressed.