There is no Q in Ecuador

Quito is situated high in the Andes with an altitude of over 9000 ft. I never truly adjust, but the first day is the hardest. I have a little headache and feel a bit dizzy for a day or two. After that I notice it mostly when we are walking fast, uphill or climbing stairs.

We usually take it a little bit easy the first day. We arrived at midnight, so we slept in the next day, then headed out to a favorite place, The Magic Bean, for breakfast. It is the best place in Quito for breakfast (my opinion) --fresh juices, including our favorite, tree tomato; omelets, yummy fried potatoes and lattes.

The Magic Bean is in the new part of Quito in an area called Mariscal. It is a section of town of hostels, cafes, internet cafes and shops that cater to travelers and it's commonly referred to as "Gringolandia."

It was just so great to have our family together. I couldn't get enough of looking at Emily's sweet face. As we were leaving the Magic Bean, I looked across the tops of the buildings toward the mist rolling down the sides of the mountains. Quito is a mix of old and new, chaos and noise, history and architecture, grime and grit and exotic flowers climbing along the walls and rooflines. It was good to be back.