I arrived at night on a flight from New York by way of Atlanta. Flying over Panama, I looked out the window to see the lights of the cities and towns trace the narrow spit of land against the blackness of the sea.

Alejandra met me at the airport and asked me if I was hungry. I hadn’t really eaten much and told her I was. She asked me how adventurous I was feeling. I said I wanted to eat whatever she recommended.

She drove us through the empty streets, winding this way and that before we came to a small park. There, traffic crawled around a set of food carts, the smoke from the grill painting the night white. A car was just pulling out of a space when we arrived and we parked right in front the carts. She led me to a stall and ordered a tripe soup with large kernels of corn. It was hot and full of umami flavors. It was the perfect introduction to the foods of Ecuador.

We picked up the keys from the manager and Alejandra waited until I managed to get through the gate. Walking up the stairs to the third floor found me out of breath, and then my breath was taken away again by how beautiful the loft was. I couldn’t believe that this was to be my home for the next month. It seemed too good to be true.

I unpacked my bags and hung up my clothes and just walked around the apartment. I finished the soup I had bought and showered and readied for bed. Outside, the streets were quiet save for the chirp of a crosswalk as the lights turned, announcing to all that it was now safe to cross.

First morning.

The next morning I basked in the glory of the apartment. It was everything the AirBnB photos had made it out to be and more. Stepping out on the balcony, I looked down at the street, an activity I would repeat often during my stay.

Looking up the street towards the Virgen de El Panecillo, I decided I wanted to ease into the altitude; I wasn’t about to hike up the mountain to visit it. Instead, I turned to walk in the opposite direction, towards the Basílica del Voto Nacional.

Climbing the hill up to the church winded me, and I took my time walking around the small courtyard before venturing inside. At the entrance, I was directed to a ticket office on the other side of the courtyard, and they asked if I wanted a ticket that included the option to climb to the top of the tower. I took a deep breath and said I wanted both. So much for taking it easy.

The Basilica del Voto Nacional.

Inside, the church was beautiful, the vaulted ceilings and narrow walls made it look as if the church was reaching for the heavens. I climbed a set of stairs to a landing on an upper floor for a better view of the interior and was rewarded with a stunning view of the stained glass window that serves as a centerpiece of the facade.

I turned to the tower on the left and slowly made my climb to the top. I had to pause a number of times to catch my breath as I slowly made it to the top. The view was easily worth the effort. After I made my way back down to the landing I saw that the second tower was open as well. I thought about bypassing it, but ultimately couldn’t keep my curiosity down and I slowly huffed my way to the top. Near the top, I passed a restaurant and then a gift shop, where I paused to take in the view from an outdoor balcony that looked out towards the surrounding hills.

Back on terra firma, I walked the aisles of the basilica to admire the alcoves and stained glass windows from the floor of the structure, admiring the light and the construction.

In the afternoon, I explored the Plaza Mayor and the streets around the Centro Historico trying to get a sense of the lay of the land. It was to be my neighborhood for the next month after all, and I was looking for bakeries, ice cream shops, and restaurants I could frequent. 🇪🇨