Palacio Arzobispal
by b1bob
The Palacio Arzobispal (or the Archbishop's old place, for those from Roxboro) is directly across the plaza from the Catedral. This building is the seat of relious authority and the official residence of the archbishop since the 16th Century. It is one of the first buildings to be built in Quito and it has been completely restored to its original glory, although now with a different use. The interior patios have been converted into restaurants and cafes, as well as venues for live entertainment, bars, and small stores.
Indigenous Peoples
by mikey_e
One of the greatest things about Ecuador is the fact that the Indigenous peoples not only preserve their cultures and languages, but that they also proudly display them in their daily lives. It is not uncommon in the capital city to see women going about in their traditional dress. This is particularly true of the Quechua women, who wear distinctive bowler hats, as well as the Shuar women (I think they are Shuar) who have folded blankets to protect their heads from the sun. It is a fascinating sight to see the mix of American and European influences in the capital, especially now that there is a resurgence in the political importance of indigenous peoples. It is not common to hear the indigenous languages spoken in the capital, as Spanish is a lingua franca, but I was told that the reverse is true in the countryside, and the government is also sponsoring indigenous-language media through a controversial new law. This helps to remind the visitor that Quito was the seat of Atahualpa, the Inca governor of the region now known as Ecuador, before the Spanish conquest. It reinforces the fact that the Spanish led an occupation and régime change, not necessarily the creation of a political concept of a city in this valley.
Budget your money daily
by b1bob
In order not to risk losing all your money, budget an amount per day and stow the rest in a place you know to be safe. When shopping at local markets, take denominations of $1, $5 or no more than $10 because they likely wouldn't be able to make change for larger amounts. In one case at the Otavalo market, I even had trouble finding change for a $10.
Plaza de los Presidentes
by mikey_e
I found this small attraction to be rather amusing, given that, during the period 2000-2007, Ecuador went through four or five president. Presidents' Square (I think that's what its official name is) is a small crossroads that has busts of various famous Presidents. It is a couple of blocks north of the Puerta de la Circasiana, on Amazonas, and is rather low-key. The busts are really just part of the landscape in this part of the commercial and financial heart of the city, but they are nonetheless deserving of a visit, if only for the humour of the choice of subjects.
Music in the streets
by filipdebont about Plaza de Independencia
As we left the restaurant La Cueva del Oso, we heard music, singing and yelling.
Of course, we wanted to satisfy our curiosity.
Like this we arrived at the plaza de Independencia, where a group of young people were celebrating.
There was life music, and lots of singing, yelling and dancing.
It was a kind of celebration of university students. a sweater for the chilly wind
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The Baroque entrance to the Monastery
Baroque entrance to the Church
Bust of a native man
More of the protestors
