It is our last day in Quito – we knew it would come! Tomorrow morning we fly out to the Galapagos and a whole other adventure begins.
We took off to the new town for some further exploring as we hadn’t spent much time there yet. The atmosphere is different than the old town and there is quite the contrast! People with more leisure time, pricier stores and more sophisticated restaurants were a few of the clues. We walked to Parque Carolina, a beautiful, spacious park in the city. There were lots of people enjoying the sunny Saturday – holidays have begun and there has definitely been an influx of people!
Parque Carolina – Quiet in the early morning
Within the park is a botanical garden that you can visit for a small fee. The setting was amazing and they had different sections for each of the different climates found in Ecuador. They also had two huge greenhouses devoted to orchids, as well as one devoted to carnivorous plants. There was everything from flowering trees to cacti to roses. I will be sure to include some more photos at the bottom for those of you who are interested in seeing a little more!
Touring the Gardens
The same park is also home to a “Vivarium” housing 44 different species of reptiles and amphibians. We got a little presentation after which we were allowed to pet a boa, indigenous to the Amazon, and then explore. They had venomous and non-venomous snakes, frogs, turtles and crocodiles. It was pretty neat to see so many species under one roof!
After our morning of park, gardens and animals we decided to visit la Mercado Artesanal La Mariscal as we had steered clear of any shops and markets thus far. We didn’t last too long, but wandered up and down a few rows of stalls. It was fun to see so many shops in one place!
Now we’re tired in the best possible way. Our time in and around Quito has been fantastic and we are so looking forward to seeing what else this amazing country has to offer!
Aside of the day: We had breakfast with a fellow who works at our hotel this morning. One if his aunts married a Canadian Texaco engineer and they live in Saskatoon. He lived on Saskatoon for a month when he was little to improve his English, but this is the only part of Canada he has ever been to. As Paddy said: “Imagine if the only perspective you had of Canada was Saskatoon…”
More photos!
Walking around the park and gardens, so many flowering trees and birds!
The rose garden.
Cacti and other interesting plants.
Carnivores!
So many orchids!
emily nicole travels 