the stunning Catherdral

WHERE: QUITO

WHERE (less detailed): capital of Ecuador

the view from the top of the Cathedral

WEATHER IS: truly four seasons in a day. Starts off beautiful sunshine, then clouds over, then starts to pour with rain, then hails, then sun again

FOOD IS: the breakfast in our hotel is a bountiful feast where we are served freshly made milkshakes and Nutella on toast.

an Angel to the north

PEOPLE ARE: our hostelier is great and even drives us the 1hr to the bus station and makes sure we get on the right bus. The street vendors outside the church love Rhaani but that might have had something to do with the four shoals she bought off them ...

they may have raped the country for gold but at least the Spanish left behind a few nice buildings

HIGHLIGHTS/LOWLIGHTS: our 8hr day bus arrives 2hrs late dropping us off in a dodgy neighbourhood in darkness. The first three cab drivers look confused then drive off when we show them our hostel's address ... In a moment of rare stupidity we get in an ordinary car that pulls up with a cardboard 'taxi' sign on the dashboard... As we drive we wonder what the odds are that we are about to say goodbye to our money, bags, passports and possibly our kidneys ... In the end we are dropped off at the right address and the driver even waits to make sure we get in safely ...

Quito town square

...climbing the near vertical stairs to get to the steeple of the city's Cathedral ... driving around the old town being to ashamee to tell the driver that we are just looking for a Burger King ... We find a Western-style shopping plaza that has Taco Bell and Pic'n'Mix for Paul, and a Yoga strap for  Rhaani, unfortunately we have run out of cash and none of the ATM's will give us any money.

UP NEXT: a 33hr bus ride and then BOGOTA, COLOMBIA