Written: Quito, Ecuador
It’s my last full day in Ecuador, and I’m back in Quito where I began a month ago. In some ways I’m looking forward to being home and seeing the people I left behind. Other than a short break at Christmas and a few days after the election, I haven’t been home since November. On the other hand, it’s going to be very hard to leave behind the flowers and comfortable weather and return to the misery of Canadian winter with freezing rain, slippery roads, and icy winds. I am NOT a winter person.
Funny, when I got up this morning in Papallacta, up in the mountains at around 3,500 meters (11,500 feet approx.), a woman probably from Quito was complaining that “hace frio” (it’s cold). It was actually about 8 to 10 degrees C. I wanted to correct her — “hace fresco” (it’s cool), cold is when there’s snow and ice, but most people here have no concept of cold. Only the few who have climbed the highest mountains or been abroad.
After Otavalo, on Sunday I returned to Quito and spent one night in a hotel in the Old Town before heading into the mountains to Papallacta. My hotel was quite incredible — the building dated back to the 16th (or maybe 17th) century, and was in the heart of the old colonial area. It was built around a flower-filled courtyard. As with most colonial buildings, the ceilings were around 16 feet high. In my room they’d actually put in a loft in part of the upper level, and had a little iron spiral stairway to reach the loft. At $22 U.S. per night (including breakfast), this was very good value for Quito, though a bit more than my usual $10 to $15 a night.
I had tried to go to Papallacta earlier when I returned from the Oriente, but had arrived after everything was closed, and had to continue on. (This place has the best hot springs in Ecuador). This time I planned a final treat for the trip — a night at the luxury Termas de Papallacta hotel, which at $66 U.S. a night is something only upper class Ecuadorians and gringos can afford. But again I was out of luck — not being up on my Catholic holidays, I hadn’t realized this was a special holiday part of Carnival — Skinny Monday or Fat Tuesday or something. Half of upper class Quito was also headed to Papallacta, and the hotel was fully booked, even though it’s normally almost empty on week days.
In the end, I got a cheaper hotel room, and payed $6 to use the facilities at Termas de Papallacta, which turned out to be a good solution. The hot springs are set beneath the mountains, and are surrounded in tropical plants. There are various pools at every temperature from icy cold to boiled lobster, and in between. You soak in one until you feel like a change in temperature, and then move to another. A perfect way to soften up tense stiff muscles.
Papallacta is set in high mountain cloud forest, and I took several hikes, both on my own and with a guide. The plants of the cloud forest are quite amazing, with several varieties of small orchids, twisty mossy trees, and various other plants that grow out of these trees as parasites. The walks followed a raging stream and many waterfalls.
Today I’ll take in a few of Quito’s museums and get ready for my return tomorrow.
