Tallest Church in South America!

Well, my trip to the Galapagos was postponed for another week! So, I decided to explore Quito, the capital, with some other folks that are staying at my homestay. On Thursday, we went to Old Town, which is a beautiful part of Quito. There was a tremor on Thursday night, but I didn't feel it! We listened to music, walked around the streets, and ate some delicious food! The buildings are bright colors, just like I imagined South America to be. There were people everywhere enjoying themselves, including us! On Friday, I went to my Spanish class and discussed feminism and politics in Ecuador with my teacher. We had a very interesting conversation. My Spanish is coming along, slowly but

surely. After my classes, I went with some folks to the Basilica, which is the tallest church in South America. I climbed to the top! The view, as you can see in the picture on your left, was fantastic. The stairs up to the top were, to say the least, sketchy, but we made it! And, it was soooworth it, both physically and emotionally. On a good day, you can see Cotopaxi, one of Ecuador's

most famous volcanoes, from the top of the Basilica, but this was not one of the days.

On Friday night, we danced Cumbia, a Latin dance that originated in Columbia with the family. We tried our best :) It was a lot of fun, though. We went to a local karaoke bar, and had a good time.

On Saturday, I went to the botanical garden in Quito. It is connected to a large park, Parque Carolina :). It was not a good as being in the rainforest, but it was still amazing! There is also a children's garden close, which was great. I really liked the carnivorous plants section.

Saturday night was the best, though!

We went to Old Town, again, and listened to a local band. The music was outstanding, and we danced a lot! It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We danced and listened to music for about three hours. There were about six men with different instruments crammed into a small eight table restaurant.

There was even a young boy singing with the band. Everyone in the restaurant knew the songs, and we acted like we did. I have a video below!

Overall, I am having a great time! I also feel that there are many good times to come. I hope to explore the jungles of Ecuador in the next week and continue to enjoy Quito.

Until next time.

Namaste