We stayed in a gorgeous little family home, which had been handed down to Carolina, the granddaughter! Carolina had converted the house into ‘Casa Urbana Hostal’ and was making a living running the hostel, organising tours and transport. It really felt like we were staying with family. The house was kitch, with her Grandmas piano and old furniture still proudly displayed. Carolina and her German assistant were more like our mates than staff. We really enjoyed our conversations with them over breakfasts and dinners, learning about the local culture and how Quito is evolving with time.

We have been keen to attend a free walking tour in each new town we arrive into so get a feel for the place and to get the grey matter moving! Our walking tour was with a dread headed Ecuadorian, Ovi... we are always wrapt to have a guide who still has enthusiasm for their job despite the same tour each day! Ovi brought his A game! First off, we headed into the local market for a tour. We were introduced to new fruits and the usual sceptical looking butcher’s cabinets. The locals sat drinking freshly made juices and the traditional equatorial feasts of rice, fish, popcorn and platanos.

Walking around Quito there were some impressive buildings. Beautiful, intricately carved churches with timber and gold facades. The central plaza holds the parliamentary buildings, which stand tall and colonial in style and stand out against the colourful mountains full of tiny houses in the distance behind. The plaza was full of locals, mainly men, sitting, chatting, eating. A lovely community gathering place. It seems to be a continuing theme in South America. Central plazas which attract locals and tourists alike and create a hive of activity that I could sit and watch for hours.

We visited the famous house and art gallery of Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin. The location of the house was situated high above Quito offering a beautiful panoramic outlook over Quito’s landscape. His house was donated to the city of Quito after his death in 1999 and it displays a huge collection of his works and a range of pre-Columbian ceramic and metal collector’s items, many things weird and wonderful. Our favourite piece was one of his paintings named ‘Quito Azul’. The tour of the house was an interesting insight into how the other half can live! His bedroom alone was bigger than our whole apartment! His art work was impressive, displaying vibrant colours and often themed around his love for his mother.

Quito was good to us and showed us its best cakes at En Dulce Panaderia which we visited both days and gave us a taste of their delicious artisanal beers with a little pub crawl one afternoon. A treat to have some real flavour (and delicious calories) back in our diet!