"Muy Bonito:" Experiencing Ecuador's Effortless Elegance
When I left the country for the first time, it changed my life. I flew into Ecuador’s capital, Quito , on April 10, 2023, with my mom at my side. She had visited before; 18 years prior, before I came into her life. She was reminiscing about her time spent in Ecuador — the people, the landscape, the food, the experience — and wished to share that same experience with me. Quito currently has a population of over 2 million people and is the world’s second-highest administrative capital sitting at 9,350 feet. Here, the elevation plays its tricks on you. Quito is approximately 16 miles away from Cuidad Mitad del Mundo (or, Middle of the World City) where the altitude is, extraordinarily, 0 feet exactly. We’ll touch upon this monumental place in a moment, but first, our attention lies on Quito. Art Plaza Hotel , Quito Photo Credit - Audrey Linder One of the most prominent visual takeaways of Quito is the persistence of graffiti throughout the city. Art is quite populous and holds gr...