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| Hotel Carlota |
Today is our first day in Ecuador and it has been simply amazing. We landed at around midnight and took about an hour to get through customs and luggage to our scheduled driver to Hotel Carlota. It's about 45 minutes from the airport and we were challenged with my sketchy Spanish and our driver's broken English, which gave my sister Pat a good laugh. Hotel Carlota is in the center of historic Quito, built in 1905 and has been restored to be a sustainable hotel aiming to be part of the Green Globe Certification.
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| Traveling with my best friend! |
Management greeted us at 1:30am with a quick overview of the hotel and hot cup of local tea that helps one adjust to the altitude change (9,350 above sea level). Quite charming and truly needed after a long day of travel. I can't say enough about this hotel as it is perfectly located to walk throughout the historic city and settle in after a long day of sightseeing to enjoy an evening cocktail on the terrace rooftop overlooking the city.
I know this is my cooking/food blog, but I would be remiss if I didn't speak to the Ecuadorian people we've encountered today. Our Spanish is horrible, at best, and between the mobile translator and the two months of crash course lessons, we were a hot mess on the streets. Ecuadorians were more than happy to engage, both in shops as well as on the streets and we connected through warmth and kindness. Oddly enough, I didn't feel out of place and continued to forge ahead recklessly.
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| La Basilica del Voto Nacional |
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| Selling Panama Hats |
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| Streets of Quito |
Note: If you're ever in Quito, you must try this amazingly light and airy meringue (espumillas) smothered in a delightful blanket of fruity goodness and drizzled with a strawberry syrup. AMAZING!
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| Espumillas - whipped meringue with fruit & syrup |
Tomorrow's a new day and off to Hacienda Zuleta, YEAH!
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