There is no Q in Ecuador

The day after we returned from Cuenca it looked like it would be relatively rain-free, so we decided to take a trip on the Teleferico. The Teleferico is a gondola ride in Northern Quito which takes you from 8800 feet elevation to over 12,000 feet. The upper end of the ride is near the summit of Pichincha, the nearest volcanic peak in the Andes. It was built just last year and is much nicer than many of the commercial establishments in Ecuador.













While it was not raining, clouds and mist compromised the view of the city and surrounding mountains. But, it was still an outstanding trip. At the top, Andy, Emily, and I took a hike up a trail toward the summit, but poor Terry suffered too much from the altitude to join us. It was fairly cold and an effort was required just to breathe. Cayo had to work and could not go along, but he and Emily had ridden it before on a much clearer day.


To the right is a photo of the peak of Pichincha, which is an active volcano.






At the bottom of the ride was a carnival and at the top we found cafes, shops, and folk musicians.