We just returned to the hotel after a day of siteseeing in Quito.  That included a tram ride to the top of some very high mountain.  The view was fabulous, very modern facilties and enclosed tram ride.  Quito is a very long and narrow city in the valley surrounded by mountains.

On the ride down the people we were with started discussing politics, I told them we were not going to discuss politics but that it appeared there was a great deal of building going on which would lead us to believe the economy is in pretty good shape,  Then, to thwart any further comments about the government I said that the President of Ecuador graduated from the same college my husband did.  That immediately put a stop to the political discussion.

We saw the statue of the Virgin Mary that towers over the city with the human sacrifice burner right below it.  Our guide said the human sacrifice furnace is now a museum, I chose not to go see it from the inside!  The statue of the Virgin is made of Aluminum standing on top of a stone base which allows people to enter and climb to the top of the statue.  I passed on that opportunity since we had just climbed half a mountain earlier in the day!

We had lunch at a restaurant on the third floor of a building with an atrium to look down into in the city center.  The "square" (at least that’s what we call them at home) was just outside and filled with an assortment of people, it appeared they were from all over the world. 

Only one kid came up and tried to sell us something, other than that it was a beautiful opportunity to see beautiful buildings and interesting people.  When our driver came back to pick us up, I decided it was time to come back to the hotel, have a drink and relax.  I’m tired although my husband says he hasn’t hit the exhaustion point yet, I have.

Not sure what, if anything, we will do tonight.  We leave for Loja tomorrow afternoon for some true rest and relaxation.