Boquete

An early flight got us to the David airport. After a 45 minute drive we arrived in Boquete and checked in to our accommodations at Villa Alejandro. Boquete has a large expat population, as does Cuenca (Ecuador) and San Miguel. Honestly we were curious what we would think of the competition. For us, San Miguel is the clear winner for it's easy walkability and compact urban center. The others are nice places to visit. 

We were introduced to the Bajareque upon arrival in Boquete. Anytime during the day there may be what is defined as a fine drizzle but it is more like someone was spraying the area from above with an extremely fine mist. And it comes and goes. You learn to just ignore it. No need for an umbrella.The source of the Bajareque seems to be the fog that comes and goes on the nearby mountains.

We went to lunch at the nearby Valle de Cuzco, yes a Peruvian Restaurant. Hence the picture of Bill in front of Machu Picchu. Pat really enjoyed her Shrimp & Mushrooms dish. A very fine culinary experience. 

Our afternoon introductory tour of the area took us around the city and out to Los Ladrilles, a lateral columnar basalt wall, a great draw for rock climbers. A little further up the road we stopped to appreciate a small water fall. We finished the tour with a local coffee - cappuccino for Bill and frappuccino for Pat. We wanted a light evening meal and chose Vale! Tapas y Mas for dinner. Under new management the menu did not life up to the Tapas and More name. We asked about what might be available and found that they had a nice tapas plate for two (Not listed on the menu. Go figure.)

The next morning we are hiked the Pipeline Trail where there were many birds including the seldom seen Quetzal. The difficulty in seeing birds is two fold, they hide in among the leaves and they move frequently making them difficult to see and extremely difficult to photograph. Thanks to our sharp eyed guide and some good luck we got views and photos. 

Clockwise from top left:  Resplendent Quetzal, Lesser Violetear (top), Yellow-faced Grassquit/Tanager (bottom), Black-thighed Grosebeak, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Spotted Crown Woodcreeper, Green Violetear, Flame-colored Tanager, Rusty-breasted Wren-warbler

There were also some interesting flora including a tree that had fallen down and was a great example of trees without rings. There are no seasons or dormant periods here causing rings to form.

Pat got tired of waiting for Bill to satisfy himself with each of the many bird photos and started exploring the plant life. She first noticed one that has a resemblance to a flamingo. Then there was the Lulo fruit (a fuzzy ball that ripens to look like an orange but once you cut into it, it is clearly not a citrus fruit.

 Clockwise from top left: Heliconia (red drooping flower), Lulo fruit, Centropogon Grandidentatus (Pat calls it flamingo flower. It is rare in cultivation and seems to lack a true common name), Begonia Grandis, Fallen down tree lacking rings, Montane Longwing (black & red wings with a bands of yellow) amidst yellow flowers.

The tour also included visiting Finca Lerida coffee plantation with lunch and a tour of the processing area. 

Key processing steps include separating the bean from the cherry (hullling), screening the beans for size, and grading the beans. The main methods used here are the Washed or wet process and the Natural sun dried or dry process. Apparently these two techniques affect mouthfeel and flavor in many ways. Most of the coffee that people drink is washed or wet-processed coffee. The Wet method is more consistent and used for producing coffee with higher acidity (for rich lush taste). In the Dry method, the coffee beans absorb the character of the drying flesh of the fruit. For the Dry method, the coffee cherries are dried in the open air and can take weeks to dry. Long strips of beans are spread out on large concrete patios. The workers rake them around 3-4 times per hour to avoid spoilage. They also produce some coffees using the Honey method which leaves some of the pulp on the beans resulting in a sweeter flavor.

They raise Geisha and Catuai coffees. Geisha coffee originated in Ethiopia but is now a major product of Panama. Due to its fruity character, it is highly valued and one of the most expensive in the world.

 At the end of the tour we had a tasting of 4 coffees (representing three processing styles and two types of beans) followed by another coffee and dessert. We returned to Villa Alejandro and our usual evening wine and snack.

Next day we had no formal tours so explored the town. First we crossed the river to preview the Flower, Coffee and Craft Festival (scheduled to open that evening). We also visited Felipe Motta Wine Store & Deli to checkout the selection (quite satisfactory). Later we headed to Mikes Global Grille for lunch. We opted for the pea soup with burgers. We returned to the Felipe Motta Wine Store & Deli for some wine and snacks for our evening meal. 

Our second tour day had the 3 Falls hike on tap. We only saw two of the three falls, the trail to number three was steep, rough and slippery. Our guide told us that seeing two was most common and that number 2 was the best. On our return to the car our guide spotted a sloth in the trees near the trail. No need to rush photos with a sloth. The difficulty here is they hide in the leaves and move very slowly making it difficult to find them.

Upon returning to Boquete we went to the Fish House for lunch. We both chose talapia with different preparations. Later we headed back across the river for a full tour of the Flower, Coffee and Crafts Festival. Quite impressive displays and many booths selling plants and many Fresas Café's selling strawberries (fresa in Spanish) with a wide range of toppings.

On our last day in Boquete we explored more of the town across the river. We had lunch at Retrogusto, stuffed mushrooms followed by pasta and risotto. Highly recommend. Another visit to the wine shop for evening snacks and it was time to pack. 

Next morning we were transferred back to David and after a short wait we were on our way to Panama City where we connected to our flight to Mexico City. We had a  long wait (~1.5 hrs) at immigration in Terminal 2, a very large crowd of people. We finally arrived home around 8PM.

Panama City

Flying Panama City based Copa Airlines, we flew over Panama City and the Canal 4 times. I expected to be most attracted to the Canal, but in fact, flying over dozens of skyscrapers was more impressive. The view from above is mesmerizing. 

We arrived at La Compania Hotel (still decorated for Christmas) in Panama City in the late afternoon. We settled into our room and then wandered out to get a Panamá phone SIM for Pat. We decided to dine in CasaCasco, a 5 story building with three restaurants, the Terraza / Rooftop bar and a disco. We had a very nice seafood dinner at Marula on the second floor. 

In the morning our introductory city tour first took us to Quarry Heights (in the former American Sector) with views over the city and of hundreds of stacks of shipping containers. On the walk to the top we spotted a group of Geoffery's Tamarins (aka Panamanian red-crested or rufous-naped tamarins). At the Mirador de las Americas there were Panama Hats (from Ecuador) for sale. From here we observed a ship in the Canal approaching the Bridge of the Americas. 

Later on our quad bike ride along Avenida Amador, we got photos of the city and the Bio Museum (a Frank Gehry design). At the Mercado de Mariscos (which we passed at least twice a day during our stay here) we had a Ceviche Tasting at Restaurante Rompeola (polpo/octupus, corvina/seabass, shrimp and an Christmas special with fruit and seabass - on  the right in the picture). Afterwards we explored the market.  

Then back to the old town. At the Church of St Joseph, just a few steps from our hotel, we viewed the golden altar and then went through the vestry to view the massive "Nativity Scene". We also checked out the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria in Plaza de la Independencia. It's altar, in pastel colors of blue & peach, is less ornate.

In the evening we went back to CasaCasco for some wine at the Terraza / Rooftop bar. We enjoyed the views over the Old Town and on to the modern skyscrapers. We had an evening snack in Exilio Bar at La Compania - some great Arancini (Italian rice balls) and a fine bottle of Negroamaro wine. 

Next day we were off to the Chagres National Park to visit a tribe of Emberá people. They are one of seven recognized Panamanian indigenous tribes. We had a dugout canoe ride up the Chagres River through the rainforest to the falls. A few brave souls were swimming in the quite cold water (but not us). 

We headed back to Emberá Tusipono Village for a trout lunch with the trout served in a large leaf along with some dried meat provided by our guide. We also had culture and craft talks by the locals. We purchased a few gifts at the craft market in the village. Before we headed back to the Old Town we watched them perform a couple dances accompanied by drums, flute, and other instruments. 

Back in Panama city we toured more of the Old Town focusing on the balconied buildings, a market, and harbor views from Plaza de Francia.  

Next day we traveled 1.5 hours across the country to the Caribbean/Atlantic side. Along the way, we stopped at the Canal Expansion Visitor Center where we watched a ship pass through the new locks. The process takes about 30 minutes. The water for the locks comes from the Chagres River. Much is stored and reused (see basins to the left of the lock below). The ships are guided and towed through with strategically placed tugboats. We also spotted a smaller ship using the old locks.

The new locks, built to accommodate much larger ships, opened in 2016. The sign in the bottom right below shows the details of the container ship we watched pass through the lock. 

On our way to lunch at Marina Hotel at Shelter Bay we stopped for a portrait with the ship passing under the Puenta Atlántico (Atlantic Bridge). After lunch we visited the ruins of Fort San Lorenzo (aka Royal Castle of San Lorenzo on the Chagres), a Colonial Military structure built by the Spanish. The fortress is at the mouth of the Chagres River (bottom left photo). Construction of the fortress spanned 1595-1599. It was attacked by Sir Francis Drake in1596, destroyed by Henry Morgan in 1671, rebuilt in1677, destroyed again in 1740 and rebuilt yet again in 1741. Before we left the area, Pat made a point of getting her feet wet in the Atlantic. 

Along our way back through the San Lorenzo National Park & Rainforest, we saw howler and capuchin monkeys, as well as a white nosed coati. We got a view of both the old and new locks from the Puenta Atlántico (bottom left photo). 

After we arrived back at our hotel, we hurried off to the waterfront so Pat could get her feet wet in the Pacific....exactly 2 hours later than when she tested the waters of the Atlantic. 

That evening meal we ate at Luigi's. one of the restaurants in the hotel. We had pizza & bruschetta with a chocolate caramel dessert with hot chocolate sauce. 

Two neighboring national parks were on tap for the next day. Parque Nacional Soberania showed us its stuff with another sloth, another coati, a broad-billed motmot and a ringed kingfisher, more hummingbirds, as well as capuchin and howler monkeys.  

After lunch overlooking the crocs and turtles lounging in the water below, we hired a boat for a cruise on Gatun Lake, a key part of the Canal system. We had some great views of another crocodile, more monkeys including a Geoffroy's tamarin (bottom center), and tiny bats resting on a tree trunk.  

As a break from observing wildlife, we checked out a couple ships passing through the canal, enjoyed the views of German WWI crane known as "Herman the German", and watched a passenger train using the tracks that predate the Canal, or perhaps more accurately were stage one of the Canal system.  

And on our way back to Panama city we had another wildlife highlight, we saw our first Toucan on the trip.

Our room was in the American sector of the hotel. There was also French & Spanish sectors. The American sector was decorated with equipment reminiscent of the early Canal building era. Our elevator was decorated with instruments to resemble a vintage time machine.  

In the morning we visited the Mola Museum, dedicated to fabric handcrafts and culture of the Kuna people of Panama who live in the coastal San Blas region. Molas are a brightly colored textile art handmade using a reverse appliqué technique. Two to seven panels of various colors of cloth are stacked and stitched together and decorated by cutting away parts of each layer. The remaining edges of the layers are then turned under and sewn down. It's a lot of work! The women make these for traditional blouses, as well as flat pieces that can be framed or used on cushions.

We really enjoyed the Greek dinner at Tavernaki (chicken Gyro & pork souvlaki and salad accompanied by Greek wine of course). The restaurant owner used to work on the Canal first for the Americans and later for the Panamanians. He entertained us for awhile telling us how brilliant the Americans were with the deign of the Canal. I hate to say it but I don't think I ever heard an American that proud of American accomplishments! The restaurant is in an old building that housed a Speakeasy. We got a peak inside as the owner told us about the old days and the special events he holds there throughout the year.

On the way to the Multiplaza Mall we saw the F&F Tower (another high-rise with a twist). The mall itself felt like most malls around the world although with a little more US flavor. 

After packing for the move to Boquete, we opted to stay in the hotel for evening snacks and wine at Exilio 

Guayaquil

We moved on to lower, warmer climes in Guayaquil. The drive through the Cajas National Park (where we had hiked a few days before) included a steep, narrow section of detour in an area that had been closed due to a landslide. Quite scary but we knew our driver had done it the day before, so we were fairly confident all would be fine. 

We stopped for lunch after we reached lower altitudes. Pat thoroughly enjoyed the fried whole Covina she had for lunch. Note: The round yellowish bits on the top left of the plate are the traditional fried banana slices we had throughout our stay in Ecuador. We failed to appreciate them, to us they were just dry, mildly flavored fried bits, not worth the calories.

Guayaquil's major draw is it's airport, ie it is mainly a transportation hub. But we decided to stay a few days to check out the city. In recent years, the waterfront area has been seriously renovated from a slum to The Malecón (a waterfront promenade) with high rise hotels & apartments, restaurants, art galleries, an amusement park with a giant wheel, a shopping center and more.  

It turned out to be an interesting time to visit to experience their unique New Year's customs.

One we heard of and saw one such incident, the New Year Viudas (widows of the old year). For this, men dress-up in drag, using balloons to enlarge their bosoms, and wearing high heels, short skirts and female wigs. They then stop traffic to ask for small donations to fund their NY Eve parties.

Another involves making or buying effigies (known locally as Manigotes) of politicians, celebrities and cartoon characters. The effigies are made from papier-mache and stuffed with paper and fireworks. They represent the Año Viejo (the old year). These are burned a midnight to leave behind all of the trials and tribulations of the previous year and welcome better luck in the coming one. 

And of course there are firework shows, some organized by the city and others start after midnight when hundreds of small family displays erupt across the city often lasting into the wee hours of New Year’s Day. 

Our city tour took us along a route with a wide variety of Manigotes for sale.  They are displayed in many ways in the days leading up to New Year. In Parque Seminario, a street cleaner had one on his cart. And we saw them on cars. 

Our first tour stop was Mirador Cerro Paraiso with views to the east of city and the river as well as of a few birds including a Saltator maximus (top right below) and a Blue-gray tanager (bottom center). Later at the Plaza de la Administración we encountered a flock of Red-masked parakeets. The Parque Semenario is known for the many Green Iguanas that live there. They like bananas and the park staff leave a stash to feed them. Before returning to the hotel we stopped to see the 40 foot tall Monkey Machín Sculpture. Consisting of 110,000 ceramic tiles, the statue is based on the monkey in a children's story. 

We also visited Parque Centenario and Bolivariano Parque, the latter honoring Simon Bolivar, liberator of Ecuador. Parque Semanario is across from the Metropolitan Cathedral. We noted two statues representing Liberty. Nearby was the "II Division de Ejercito Libertad" home to the 2nd division of the Liberty Army with an intriguing mural in the lobby. At the Plaza de la Administración we had a chance to view many of the floats from the holiday festivities. And a nice man allowed us to have our picture taken with him. Bill decided to read along with him (only using a Kindle edition of a book.

During our wandering in Guayaquil we noted a wide range of architecture including the modern Point Skyscraper (spiral building), the colonial home to the 2nd division of the Liberty Army, the birthday cake look of the Iglesia Católica Rectoral San José, the wrought iron and glass Palacio de Cristal built in1907(designed and built by representatives of Gustave Eiffel) and the giant ferris wheel on the Malecón.

We enjoyed an excellent lunch at La Regatta Comida de Mar at the north end of the Malecón near our hotel. Our starter was Pear salad infused in red wine, mixed leaves, smoked almonds, parmigiano reggiano (24 months), balsamic vinaigrette, and strawberries. The main was Grilled fish of the day with mashed potatoes (achiote, beet, cauliflower and broccoli, oyster mushrooms, asparagus, black leek sauce accompanied by chips

Later we picked up some snacks and Prosecco to celebrate the New Year.

New Years Day was clear and not as unbearably hot as expected. Around 9am we headed out to climb the 444 steps (numbered on the right hand side) up Santa Ana Hill to El Faro (lighthouse), a Chapel and Naval Museum.Along the way we passed restaurants, cafes, art galleries, internet cafes and craft shops. At the top there are great views. The museum looked closed but as we peered in to check it out, the security guard came over and unlocked the gate for us. We were very glad we did this climb early as it got much hotter. 

For lunch we had caesar salad and grilled meats at Caramela near our hotel. We enjoyed the Maipo Merlot. Bill slipped a few bites of meat to a very polite, expectant cat. You can take that word "expectant" two ways. She was expecting both food and a family.

Our last day we walked the full length of the Malecón checking our the shops and entertainment options. Later we prepared for our flight to Panamá.

Cuenca

We moved on to Cuenca, at 8399ft it is about 1000 ft lower than Quito. The apartment on Benigno Malo was near the Rio Tomebamba (River), 2-3 blocks from the center of Cuenca and in a neighborhood with many nearby restaurants. Our host showed us the way to Pizzo Tr3s for dinner. 

Our City Tour started with a view from the Church of Turi and an unexpected but fantastic visit to Eduardo Vega's Gallery with his gorgeous ceramics. No, we did not leave empty handed but sadly, our purchases were limited by available luggage space.

Next up: Homero Ortega Panama Hat Museum & Factory where Bill selected his new hat which was then neatly trimmed and beautifully boxed.

The French architecture in the center of Cuenca resulted from the visit of a team of  French and Spanish scientists who came to Ecuador to investigate the earth's shape. The Mercado had great looking vegetables, fruit, legumes, herbs for medicinal purposes and more, including stalls selling meat from whole roasted pigs. 

Heading back to our neighborhood we viewed the hanging houses along the Rio Tomebamba (River). They spill down several levels from the Calle Larga (Street) near our apartment to the banks of the river.

We had lunch along Calle Larga at El Mercado (corvina/sea bass for Bill & pulpo/octupus for Pat). We enjoyed the  view over Rio Tomebamba and another bottle of Enigma Chardonnay.  After lunch we went to a SuperMaxi across the river navigating the 7 flights of stairs in the collage above, an umbrella covered bridge over the Rio Tomebamba and the Parque de la Madre in order to get some breakfast items and evening snacks.  The purple umbrellas on the bridge are in memory of the victims of Femicide in Ecuador in 2014. The bridge is inscribed with the names of the victims. 

Timing is everything, the next day (Christmas Eve Day) we watched an hours worth of the Paseo del Niño Viajero parade with men, women, children and bands passing down the main street for what we were told was 8 to 12 hours. Some very nice costumes and cute kids. Many folks carried a baby Jesus to be blessed. 

We returned to El Mercado for lunch to sample their Gorgonzola Fondue and added an Andean Stout desert (Kumquats, chocolate ganache, candied almonds, Stout). Later we walked to the "Wine Store" where we selected a Chateaunerf du Pape, a Nero Davola and a Primitivo to complement our evening repasts.

Christmas Day we went to another fine local restaurant, El Jardin, for afternoon dinner.  Not exactly a traditional New England style meal with:

• El Jardín Salad: Mixed greens sliced apples, blue cheese and caramelized pecans
• Beef Tenderloin Medallions: sauce (pepper, fine herbes, bernaise) potatoes gratin and artichokes (Pat)
• Salmon with Sesame Crust (Bill)
• Pecan Pie with Ice Cream (Pat)
• Chocolate Molten Cake (Bill)

In Ecuador it's pretty quiet on Christmas and the day after. This gave us a chance to work review our photos, draft some content for the blog and do some more work planning our upcoming trip to Florida, especially Walt Disney World, where reserving both dining and rides appears to be essential these days.

We took a stroll along the river and back through the center before a light lunch at the Taj Majal (yep, Indian food) the day after Christmas. Along the way we discovered another a couple open galleries. We especially enjoyed talking with the artist and admiring the fanciful enameled work at the Miguel Illescas C. Gallery of Arte. And Pat found a sign that told us the way back to Mexico.

The next day we were off to Cajas National Park. Our touring took us up to 13,000 feet (the highest point in the park is 14,800). Getting to the park, we drove along a bit of the Inca Trail, a piece of the network of roads used by the Incas to control their empire. In the case of the Incas, all roads lead to Cusco (Peru).   

We started the visit at a lower altitude, wandering around a pond with some interesting wildlife (including a shy toucan, alpacas and ducks). 

A little further up the mountains we enjoyed some great scenery (luckily we had a clear day) and interesting flowers. There are many trout farms around the park, so obviously after our park visit, we stopped at one for lunch. Pat had trout sautéd in garlic butter sauce. Bill chose lemon butter sauce.

A few walks and planning our reservations for Disney Parks, especially making dining reservations for our Feb / Mar trip, consumed much of our remaining time in Cuenca. Making Disney reservations is complicated by making them from outside the US. Disney should take note 'cuz a lot of international travelers visit the parks.

One day we had a nice Italian lunch, Mushroom Risotto and Carbonara at the nearby Restaurant Pizzería Mediterráneo. We also returned to El Jardin for some Veal Cordon Bleu and more Pecan Pie. We had takeout pizza from Pizzo Tr3s our last night in Cuenca.

Quito

 On our return to Quito the driver dropped Andrew and Michelle at the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) parking lot for their connection to the airport. Yep that means we were verrry close to the equator (but not yet consciously on it).  Then the driver continued on to deliver us to our rental at Torres de Suites which neighbors and is actually an extension of the JW Marriot. We headed off to the local super market for some goodies for snacks and breakfast in the apartment.

Our city tour included the Old town with multiple impressive churches, a couple we'd already seen and the ‎⁨Basílica del Voto Nacional with impressive decor including many gargoyles⁩ based on the local wildlife including birds (blue footed boobies, frigate birds, pelicans, ...) tapirs, iguanas, turtles, tortoises, coatis, crocodiles, frogs, and wld cats (jaguars, cougars, ...). Continuing the nature theme, the Rose Window is decorated with orchids. The bronze entry doors show different scenes: the life of Jesus life, the Creation, the arrival of Spanish conquerors and the reception by indigenous people with a really cute alpaca (top right of collage).

After continuing to tour the city center, we had lunch at Vista Hermosa (or Beautiful View in English) has some truly great views / vistas over the city. During lunch Argentina defeated France in the World Cup. The city went wild!

Top L-R: La Compañia Church (interior is thoroughly decorated in gold), Doorway to La Compaña Church, Bottom L-R: art by a local artist, Basílica del Voto Nacional in the distance, Lion at base of the Ecuadorian Statue of Liberty, Guadalupe in the lower part of the Nave and her appearance to Don Diego in the upper part.

The tour at Mitad del Mundo starts with a story about native life, including some detail about making shrunken heads.This was followed with some interesting facts and/or pseudo-science about the Equator. For instance,

• For a sundial to work on the Equator it is aligned E to W and sits vertically. For half of the day the north side of the dial displays the shadow (and hence the time) and for half the day the south side displays the shadow. I'd need more time to test this. 
• They also demonstrate that the coriolis effect makes water rotate one way in the Northern Hemisphere (left or anti-clockwise) and the other way in the Southern Hemisphere (right or clockwise). This appears to depend on a trick in the way they set it up. 
• They also say that the Equator is the one place where it is possible to balance an egg on a nail head. I don't know if it can be done elsewhere but one member of our tour group succeeded, so it is possible. No one but her had the patience to try.
• Finally we were asked to walk a straight line putting one foot ahead of the other on the Equator. Oh and with our eyes closed and arms outstretched. It's difficult, impossible? Not sure. Maybe it would help if you were drunk?
  

Maybe these guys took lessons from P. T. Barnum before designing their pitch??? One thing that seems likely...we were at zero latitude according to out phones!

On a morning walk we visited the Quito Botanic Garden. Beautiful with lush and varied plant life from around Ecuador. Without seasons the floral plants bloom nearly continuously. 

Top L-R: Azelea, Bonsai & Pitcher plant, Cactus, Australian bromeliad. Bottom L-R: Tropic Torch bromeliad, orchids

Just across the street was the Mall el Jardin. We had lunch at Bocatto Da Fiorentino (Caesar Salad & Chicken Alfredo Pizza), found a great pastry shop for breakfast foods and evening munchies and then stopped at a super market for some essentials like paté, fruit, and wine.

Next day we went out for Indian lunch at Sher e Punjab and a visit to the Mindalae - Ethnohistoric & Crafts Museum of Ecuador. The museum features traditional arts and crafts of indigenous groups from the Amazon basin, as well as the Andean and coastal communities. On display are native costumes, masks, jewelry and musical instruments, as well as, handwoven basketry and textiles, weapons, hunting tools...

On our way to the Otavalo Market, home to the largest market in all of South America,

we stopped for another encounter with the equator visiting the Solar Museum at Quitsato (Middle of the World in Tsafiqui language of the people from the Ecuadorian coast). This museum focuses on the real science focusing on the geographical, historical, and astronomical background of the Equatorial Andes. It felt more real than the place we visited earlier. Here there is:

• A large sundial 52 meters in diameter, made with a large stone mosaic that indicates the different lines of the solstices and equinoxes, as well as the hours of the day, indicated by the shadow of a 30 foot high pole located in the center.
• A topocentric simulator to demonstrate how the Solstices and Equinoxes work at any latitude in the world. Honestly I don't recall the details but it was fun to play with. Top left below.
• A museum focusing on the 1735 French Geodesic Mission to the Equator to determine the true shape of the Earth by measuring the vast distances between mountaintops in Ecuador.
• An agave garden - The first and only garden specializing in Agaves in South America.

Coincidentally we were there on the winter solstice. We had a unusually great view (typically cloud covered) of Cayambe Volcano, the only place on the Equator that has glaciers.  

We continued on to the Otavalo Market. Honestly it was not impressively large, but then we were not there on Market Day (Saturday). Later we had a fine lunch at Hacienda Pinsaqui as we enjoyed the views of the ponds, palms, and walks of the 200 year-old grounds.

On our final day in Quito we visited the Casa Museo Guayasamin, a museum that features the works and life of Oswaldo Guayasmin. Guayasamin was a renowned Ecuadorian artist very intent on addressing the inequities of the world. His work was influenced by Mexican muralists (José Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo), and the famous Spaniard Pablo Picasso. When Guayasamin realized all of his works were outside of Ecuador, he decided to focus his final years on leaving a legacy in Ecuador. That legacy includes his home, all his possessions and a museum he designed. 

We toured his home and gallery, the grounds and the museum.  We enjoyed his works as well as the artworks he collected. The house and gallery are basically as he left them and includes his final (unfinished) work, a black & white piece.  

Later we were off to Cuenca, roughly a 1 hour flight to the south.