Alrighty, finally found a relatively cheap, fast internet connection in Baños! So I have some stories to tell now :)

July 2nd was my first full day in Quito. I woke up and went to the terrace of the Secret Garden hostel, and was amazed by the view. You can see the mountains of Quito, the Panecillo, the cathedral, and the city below. Absolutely stunning!

I ate breakfast at the hostel, and met two other girls travelling solo -- Judith from Holland, and Antonette from San Diego. Judith had Spanish lessons till 11, so we decided to meet up afterwards to go to the Mitad del Mundo together -- my first big excursion!

I walked around Quito in the morning. When I first walked out of the hostel, it was instant culture shock. People were lined up on the street, sitting down, and some street vendors selling fruit and food. I really didn´t know what to think...should I be concerned with my safety? It was a bit akward. But I got over that in about half an hour of walking around.

I decided to try to go to the Basilica in the morning. I didn´t want to break out the guidebook and look touristy, so I just walked in the general direction. Got lost!

While walking, I passed by a guy carrying a huge cowhead. As he passed, I turned around, and it was sealed shut with staples.

I also saw a small church, with massive wooden doors and a statuette of Jesus in a window. There was a man, admiring it, with much devotion and then praying.

Found the cathedral -- Gothic style. I walked around, went into the towers, across a rudimentary wooden pathway with a steep ladder at the end to a viewpoint from the towers. It lead to an outer area, where you could take more steep ladders up into the towers, but I decided not too..just didn´t look to safe!

I then headed back to the hostel to meet with Judith. Along the way back, I saw a very interesting pair of people -- an old man, possibly an abuelo, and a little girl. The man´s face had been worn by the sun -- deep wrinkles. It looked like he had many stories to tell. "Buenos días" he said to me, and I returned the greeting. They were sitting down on a set of steps playing with a green colored hose about the diameter of a straw.

The old city is really neat. There are a few plazas, and cobblestone streets.