The Capital - Quito

In Quito we stayed for 5 nights at the Secret Garden Hostal. Although more expensive then we were used to, and you got stung by the 12% tax not only on top of the room price (which we were aware of) but also on all the food too, it did actually have a great atmosphere, beautiful top floor terrace overlooking the lights of the Old Town, really nice food for breakfast and dinners, and we got to meet heaps of travellers (that in hotels, we do not always get to do). Visiting the Basilica is a must, and climbing all the way up the clock tower. We took a day trip to climb Volcan Guayua Pichincha which is 4871 mtrs high. Unfortunately it was misty at the top and we were unable to see inside the 1km wide crater. But it was a good day out, and we managed to cross Rebeccas path once again (7th time in 8 months), so she came along. Visiting the Centre of the World - La Mitad del Mundo (not the other commericalised one, but the small one next door - where the actual correct equator line is, was really interesting. It does really work - if you pour water down a sink on either side of the equator it flows different directions and right on the line, it goes straight down. We did various different tests. I was a champ at balancing an egg on top of a nail - in quite good time - which meant Ian had to practice for ages, so that he could say that he did it as well!