We started planning this end of the year trip more or less after it was clear my parents were selling their house (and becoming nomads) and the new one wouldn't be ready until late January. The trip took many iterations. First was Europe for a bit, then centered on South America. There was a brief dalliance with Asia as my parents may have had to go to India, but when that fell through, it became a pretty set view that it was to be in South America. For a few reasons - we all love the continent, and most importantly, given the lack of any change of time zone, I could work there next week (starting Monday, Dec-15), allowing me to fly down earlier when it as still affordable.
That said, even when it became South America, it took many different iterations. I think from the beginning the only constants were New Years in the Atacama desert, and that first weekend in Quito leading me to work in Cuenca. The in between was always in flux. First was Galapagos, but despite how amazing I'm sure it is, none of us were all that thrilled by it. Then it became Patagonia, which my Dad who runs hot and cold on wanting to re-do places, wasn't a huge fan of. In the end, it became a zig-zag trip across South America, as after Cuenca we head to Lima for the weekend, then Arequipa for a few days, then Rio for most of Christmas Week (their first time to Brazil, my second time in ten months after never going before), adn then Atacama and wrapping it up with that last weekend in Santiago. Complex, it took a while of plannign on flights, baggage, hotels, AirBNBs, tours, restaurants. And then it got complicated.
I was supposed to fly with my parents to Houston last (Wednesday) night, before we all fly to Quito Thursday afternoon. Instead, due to needing to go to Quebec City a bit last minute, that all got complicated. They followed that initial itinerary (which only needed to happen in that way because I was supposed to work in Houston on Thrusday), and I had to take a rare three flights in a day - first Quebec City to Newark, then Newark to Houston and then the red-eye to Quito. Somehow, despite at times a disastrous year with United in terms of delays (mostly all because of Newark) this one went off without a hitch.
I had 3.5 hour layovers in both Newark adn Houston. In the Newark one, after a quick chicken sandwich lunch, I had to work for most of it, but when the flight took off around 5pm, the vacation started in earnest, with me ordering my scotch tucked into my middle seat (problems when you have to change bookings last minute). Houston airport was odd where every restaurant and bar seemingly closes at 9pm, but restaurants seemed to extend that to 9:30 (I arrived at 8:52), and bars to 10:45 or so. Anyway, by 11:50, I was tucked into my seat for the red-eye, of which I got about my normal red-eye sleep (not a lot), and before I knew it, we were landing way too quicky on decent - one of the first experiences with Quito's infamous elevation.
Day 2 - ... and the Payoff
I've never been to Ecuador. I've never been to Colombia either, but my parents went to Ecuador (ironically, right as Covid was starting) and loved it. Seemed a natural place to start the trip, and even on the drive from its fairly modern (if a bit small) airport, through its well maintained roads with manicured sides, I was immediately impressed. Granted, I'll probably not be able to give a real judgement on Quito the city until Sunday when I explore the central area sites, but the first impression made me feel it was the equal of Lima in terms of development (though that may be a slight exaggeration).
After as quick a day at work as I could possibly get away with (two hour nap when I got to the hotel, was able to log off at 2:05). That left me time for really one touristy thing to do in Quito, but it ended up being the thing that gave the country its name - visiting the Equator, and the Middle of the Earth park & museum. Of course, you could go anywhere on the equator and say the same thing, but what I love so far about Quito is you don't get the one worst part about being at the equator nearly anywhere else: heat, humudity and jungle. Here you happen to be elevated in a valley of one of the world's great mountain ranges, which just happens to be at the equator.
Before visiting the Middle of the Earth, the driver I hired (same company fo the uber that took me from the airport) took me to a nearby mirador overlooking the Pululahua crater. Now, in reality it is just a sprawling landscape of peaks with a valley of farms and lush greenery in its middle - but it takes you a minute to realize that farmland and lush greenery is the crater. This is just a new world.
The Middle of the Earth area itself is well maintained in what in theory is an outer suburb of Quito. There is an official monument park, which other than a fairly regal sculpture/tower in the middle, with "N", "S", "E", "O" om its four fouces and a bright yellow line drawn out on the ground on the "E" and "O" sides (the 0 degree latitude point), was fairly staid. The real gem is the museum next door named the Museum de Sitio Intanan, of which the 0 degree latitude line also in theory runs through. The museum is half an immersive history of Ecuador itself, with some really nice exhibits on their history with coffee-making, their flora and fauna, their burial rituals and the like. The other half though is a delightful traipse around the 0 degree line with various science museum type exhibits, first showing how in theory there is no shadow cast on sundials during the equinxo, to how easy it is to tell time, to how difficult it is to walk in a straight line with your eyes closed (not really sure why that one was there). In all, ti was a great time, and yeah there is a cool feeling being on the equator.
Back in town, we rested up at the JW Marriott Lounge before ehading for an adventurous dinner at Cire. The adventure being the restaurant is in Cumbaya, anither suburb of Quito which has become a new hip spot with its own charmign little old town (something of a mini-Oaxaca). The drive took a while as we descended roughly 800 feet down from Quito proper, but got to see first the stunning lights of the suburbs in the valley below Quito, adn then the imrpessive Cumbaya itself.
Dinner was excellent - Cire is a well reputed restaurant that takes authentic Ecuadorian ingredients, flavors and proteins and remixes them in fascinating ways - like a local type of clam served in just a brilliant Japanese-inspired broth, to a duck confit with the skin mixed with sichuan-spice. The best dish may have been their charcoal grilled octopus, which is probably the best octopus dish I've ever had. The desert too of creme brulee with mango and ginger ice cream was also tremendous. On the whole, Cire was an excellent experience and a great start to the trip gastrominically wise.
So was the way the nigth ended, in the La Pradera district, a boisterous little 2x5 block area which was nicely near the JW (though slightly far enough to warrant an Uber back out of caution). I spent most of the night at Sinners Microcerveceria which truly was one of the best microbrewery bars I've been to in a while. They had a good set of beers and all I tried were excellent, including two stouts that were excellent. IPAs were good to. Best part though was the vibes - the place was packed with a bunch of other beer enthusiasts, and they played a great mix right out of my Spotify with a mix of classic rock and 90's/00's rap. Overall, posting up at Sinners was a great wy to spend a few hours, have some great beers in a beautiul "Copa" size (300ml) which means you finish it before it gets cold. Can't recommend Sinners enough, and realistically, can almost say the same about Quito as a whole.