After another nice breakfast downstairs, I worked in my room on planning, until past noon. We had an impressive electrical storm and downpour before I left, so I guess (in hindsight) it was smart to stay indoors. Then I left with intentions - to get a map. A real, old-fashioned, paper map. Because I have no cell phone service here, and after my experience yesterday with the GPS watch battery mysteriously depleting, I want to have a paper map in my pocket to refer to. As a former licensed NYS outdoor guide, I should know this is rule #1. Or it might have been #9.

Santiago said they are given away at the plaza on Avenida Naciones Unidas. So that’s where I headed. It turns out that this plaza reminds me of Times Square, so I call it Quito Times Square, because La Plaza del Naciones Unidas doesn’t quite roll off my tongue yet. In the first photo below, the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa is at the far east end of the plaza, or square.

looking east

At a little kiosk on this street, where the tour buses load, I got my map - free. And lots of good information in English. The guys in the booth were really happy to answer all my questions - they couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. I can take a hop on hop off bus all around the city for $12 any day of the week. This is definitely on my list. For $25 I could take a bus tour to the equator, but only on Saturday or Sunday.

They gave me the map, pointed out everything I inquired about, such as, where my hotel is, the Mall, Old Town, etc., and gave me lots of interesting background.

I turned around and looked back to the west, to the way I had come, to show the impending thunderstorms


the stadium up close is very impressive


here comes the rain little darling


I thought this was neat architecture


Storm getting closer…

I walked all around the plaza - it was much larger than Times Square. As the storm was closing in, and I had acquired my target (the free map), I decided to head back to my favorite restaurant, Tradicions. Once there, the maitre’ d remembered me, as did my waiter from yesterday. They sent for a young fellow who had some english and he translated my order to my waiter. Ceviche and a large cerveza.

On the left, a bowl of plantain chips, popcorn, large nuts, and some sweet dried fruit of some sort. The ceviche was tremendous. This preparation was a room temperature soup-like consistency. You would never have known that the fish and shrimp were raw.

I got a little damp walking back to the hotel by way of the mall for some groceries, and ended the day with 6.3 miles walked and lots more plans for the rest of the week…

Pop quiz for you geography enthusiastas: What did the Indians here in the Andes Mountains know about more than 2000 years before the first Europeans showed up?