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I was treated well
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • By b1bob on November 20, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • the natives are friendly - Quito
    the natives are friendly
    by b1bob
    I was treated very well by the strangers I met in Ecuador. It helps that I speak Spanish fluently, but I don't think you need to be fluent. Just know basic words or phrases on how to ask for directions, order in a restaurant, call for help in an emergency, and shop in a store or market. Besides that, be willing to try everything local. The local people will respect your efforts and you will get more out of your trip.

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    Palacio del Gobierno
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on November 19, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • Palacio del Gobierno - Quito
    Palacio del Gobierno
    by b1bob
    You can't go inside the president's residence. However, you can see the Andalusian patios and fountains in the centre. They show a scale model of Independence Square at the entrance. There is also a placard which marks the spot where President Gabriel Garcia Moreno was assassinated with a machete in 1875 on the way from the cathedral to pray. He was a strong Catholic with many enemies. The tour guide tells me the current president (as of November, 2007) doesn't even live here.

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    Tourist Information Centre
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on November 25, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • Tourist Information Centre - Quito
    Tourist Information Centre
    by b1bob
    If you find yourself in the historical centre of Quito, there is a tourist centre called Centro de Información Turística y la Tienda de la Ciudad, "El Quinde" right in the city hall building. Here, you can find all sorts of information on the city and buy a whole bunch of things that are handmade locally. They also have a small café where you can take coffee or fresh juices from a wide range of local fruits. They will help you plan your own trip, and the police even give guided tours in English and Spanish. The police who run this place are a helpful lot. They gave me enough literature on the city to choke a mule which I needed to become familiar with this part of town. I want to single out my tour guide, Fernanda Vargas. She helped me understand the historical centre of Quito well enough for me to give the next tour.

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    Relatively easy immigration process
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on November 25, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • normally, this is all you need - Quito
    normally, this is all you need
    by b1bob
    For Americans and most Europeans, immigration and customs aren't a big problem here. It's the usual customs and immigration forms they pass out an hour before landing. Ecuador does require visas of a few countries. However, this could change for American travelers. The United States imposes rather stringent visa requirements on Ecuadorian tourists, like many other Latin American countries. Also, in November, 2007, President Correa was outraged at not being "treated like a head of state" at a Miami International Airport security checkpoint (even though his people gave the State Department little or no advance notice). According to news reports, President Correa will avoid passing through the U.S. It is also quite possible the Ecuadorian government could take this perceived snub out on American tourists.

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    You never know whom you might meet
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • By b1bob on November 19, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • Sergio and Mark - Quito
    Sergio and Mark
    by b1bob, 1 more photos
    Mark acemj and I had planned on principle to meet in Quito, but he had trouble getting here. Between a runway mishap closing down the airport canceling his first go and fog closing the airport for the second, I doubted we could ever get together on this trip and I all but gave up on the idea. When I turned the corner at the Mercado Artesanal, there was Mark. He, Sergio, and I talked for about 15 minutes and we made plans to get together the following day. We couldn't have it work that way if we has planned it. Ironically, when we did affirmatively try to meet, it never worked out.

    On my last full day on holiday here, another local friend named Esteban Cordero whom I had known for 6 years, organised a meeting at the last minute. At first, I thought we would be meeting for supper in the Plaza Foch. However, he had business nearby and we met for lunch instead. We found each other at the Coffee Tree and walked down calle Mariscal Foch for about a block to the Magic Bean, a restaurant Sergio recommended. Esteban and I had a nice long and relaxed lunch there. The waiter was good enough to take a photo of Esteban and me together.

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    low petrol prices
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on November 25, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • $1.48 per gallon, about half the U.S. rate - Quito
    $1.48 per gallon, about half
    the U.S. rate
    by b1bob
    Because Ecuador is an oil-producing nation, it sells its petrol at about half the price of the United States as of November, 2007. This is $1.48 per U.S. gallon, not per litre. Sergio can fill the tank of his Chevrolet Grand Vitara for round about $16.

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    Internet cafes
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • Updated By b1bob on November 18, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • one of many internet cafes in town - Quito
    one of many internet cafes in
    town
    by b1bob
    Friends and neighbours, I don't know that it's my favourite thing, but it could come in handy. There are more internet cafes around here than there are pickup trucks in Roxboro. I photographed this one because it has a more photogenic front. Like my friend Josh, I recommend "going out and seeing some stuff" but if the stuff is worth writing home about you won't have to walk very far to find one of these. An hours' worth of internet time runs between 60¢ and $1.

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    Maracuyá
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • By b1bob on November 19, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • maracuyá juice - Quito
    maracuyá juice
    by b1bob
    Maracuyá is a tropical fruit that grows in most parts of Ecuador, even up here in the high altitude. I love the juice so much that I had it almost every morning here. Besides bearing fruit for food and drink, many houses feature the plant for decorative purposes.

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    Internet Cafe/Meeting Spot
  • Tip Rating:
    • tejanasueca
  • Updated By tejanasueca on April 3, 2005
  • Quito Page by tejanasueca
    • PapayaNet, Mariscal, Quito - Quito
    PapayaNet, Mariscal, Quito
    by tejanasueca
    Papaya Net is the easiest internet cafe to locate in Mariscal (on Calama). It is a known meeting point for people and they offer an area to sit in an chat, some computers, and food and drink.
    Excellent place to go sit write some e-mails while you are eating breakfast. Tends to fill up though, and then the computers might get kinda slow. So, a lot of people just use it as a meeting spot and then go to another place to use the internet.

    Any hostel, store in Mariscal should be able to give you exact directions (It is at the corner of Calama and Juan Leon Mera).

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    Palacio Arzobispal
  • Tip Rating:
    • b1bob
  • By b1bob on November 19, 2007
  • Quito Page by b1bob
    • Palacio Arzobispal - Quito
    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.

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    More Quito Tips
    Overview
         		Hotels and Accommodations
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    Things To Do
    Tips: 360 - Photos: 691    		Nightlife
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    Transportation
    Tips: 41 - Photos: 37    		Restaurants
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    Shopping
    Tips: 37 - Photos: 38    		Off the Beaten Path
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    Tourist Traps
    Tips: 9 - Photos: 12    		Warnings or Dangers
    Tips: 43 - Photos: 30
    Local Customs
    Tips: 38 - Photos: 28    		Packing Lists
    Tips: 12 - Photos: 6
    Sports Travel
    Tips: 4 - Photos: 5    		General Tips
    Tips: 64 - Photos: 73
    Flights
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