Euro feel, no jet lag
QUITO, ECUADOR | Stretch your dollar near equator, 9,200 feet above sea level
QUITO, Ecuador -- Sitting at an outdoor cafe in the shadow of a 16th century church, I could have been in any number of European cities.
Pigeons hopscotched on uneven cobblestones. Old folks and young kids loitered near a gurgling fountain. Red tile roofs capped colonial buildings with elegant wrought iron balconies.
(AP file)
(AP file)
Spain? Italy?
Nope. I was a few miles south of the equator in Ecuador's capital, Quito, a place that literally takes your breath away thanks to its lofty location more than 9,200 feet above sea level.
I don't know why I'm always a little surprised when I get a European vibe in some South American cities. I guess I didn't pay close enough attention to the "Spanish Conquistadors" chapter in history class.
"They say if you want to see what Spain was like, come to South America," said my guide, Henry Haro, a Quito native.
I say if you want to avoid euro shock, come to South America. The greenback still goes a long way just below the the earth's belt. And you don't even need to bother with a currency exchange. Ecuador ditched its sucres and switched to U.S. dollars almost a decade ago.
This small, Andean nation isn't just cheaper than Europe; it's closer. I landed in Quito a little more than three hours after taking off in Miami. And once I got there, I didn't have to change my watch. It was the same time zone as Chicago and that means no jet lag. Can't say that about Europe.
Since 2000, Quito has poured a lot of money and effort into cleaning up its act, from rehabbing buildings to cracking down on crime. It's no longer just a place to kill a few hours before hightailing it to the Galapagos or the Amazon.
Quito was the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, largely thanks to its well-preserved historic center, a k a Old Town. It's easy to get lost in time wandering around Old Town's colonial-era cathedrals, plazas and narrow streets -- until a big bus squeezes by and belches diesel fumes in your face.
Pollution aside, Ecuador's second largest city certainly has its charms, and it's starting to shake its reputation as a dangerous place to visit. Every guidebook I consulted repeatedly warned tourists to take taxis at night to avoid muggings. I'm not so sure that's still necessary, but when a cab ride across town only costs a few bucks, it's easy to play it safe.
And it's easy to feel safe with Quito's giant, angelic virgin -- a statue made up of 7,000 pieces of aluminum -- peering down on the masses from her hilltop home.
"It's the only virgin with wings in the world," Haro explained. "Ninety-five percent of this country is Catholic. I'm not saying good Catholics," he added with a smile.
These Catholics are definitely good at building churches.
The baroque interior of La Compania church, widely considered one of the most beautiful in South America, is dripping with enough gold to make a Dubai sheik jealous.
Quito's oldest church is Iglesia San Francisco, dating back to 1535. Like many churches I've visited, it's brimming with impressive art -- art whose details escape me before I'm out the door. But one thing I haven't forgotten was the young mother I saw praying inside. With eyes tightly shut, she pressed her forehead against the bars of the chapel's locked gates and stood there for a good 15 minutes while a baby strapped to her back played with her long, black hair. I don't know what this woman was praying for, but I hope she got it.
San Francisco church is part of the city's new and improved Old Town. Vendors who used to crowd these chaotic streets have been booted out, and the Spanish colonial buildings that had long been plastered in monotonous white limestone have been restored to their original creamy, sherbet hues.
The presidential palace in Old Town's regal Plaza de la Independencia draws big crowds at 11 a.m. Mondays for the changing of the guard. Watching the elaborate ceremony, complete with soldiers on horseback in royal blue uniforms, you'd think Ecuador was a major world power. That's probably the point.
When I passed the palace a few hours later that day, the pomp and circumstance had been replaced by a rally of protesting workers -- a more accurate representation of Ecuador, whose economy is on the poorer end of the global spectrum.
Maybe that's why I didn't want to bargain too hard at the handicraft market, an assortment of 100-plus stands in "La Mariscal" district. Vendors were hawking everything from alpaca scarves and finger puppets to Ecuadorian chocolate and Galapagos T-shirts.
The market is minuscule compared to the sprawling shoppers' paradise in the Ecuadorian town of Otavalo, where the Saturday shopping is famous throughout the continent. But if you don't want to make that two-hour drive to Otavalo, the colorful stalls at Quito's market give you plenty of reasons to open your wallet.
I picked up a duffel bag's worth of handmade souvenirs for less than the cost of a tank of gas at home. Good luck doing that in Europe.