b'Ecuador on the Equatoras Guayaquil, the largest city in theis a great trip from the city. As well as country.Oneofthebestfeaturesofsomememorablephotographs,you Ecuador is a six-hour flight. Even withcan learn amazing history by visiting a layover, you can get there in 8 hours.some of the numerous museums on Plus, there is only a one-hour time dif- site. There is even an opportunity to ference, which means no jet lag. stand in two hemispheres at one time. Quito is located high in the Andes,The site is located 25 km or 15 miles and when I arrived, I was amazed atfrom the city centre, and a marker line, the historic element of this wonderfulas well as a massive monument, cap-SouthAmericancity.Churchesaretures the experience. There is also an JONATHAN VAN BILSEN plentiful and, along with governmentofficial building where you are able to buildings, surround the main square. get a unique stamp in your passport.At an altitude of nearly 2900 me- Thereareonlytencountrieson South America seems to be the buzztres, or almost 10,000 feet, acclimatiza- the equator, and three of them are in these days for travellers, and who cantion is important. When I first arrived,South America. A trip to this amazing blame people for wanting to go there.I rested and drank lots of cocoa tea,landmarkwaswellworthmytime, Machu Picchu in Peru, the picturesquewhichhelpswithaltitudesickness.and ticking it off my bucket list was Andes of Chile, remote locales, suchThat, along with liquid oxygen in mygratifying.asEasterIslandandtheGalapagoswater, certainly did the trick. WhenwanderingaroundQuito, Islands and of course, the beaches ofQuito has a population of 2.8 mil- youexperiencemanyamazingmar-Rio. lion, and although it is the capital, itkets. Most feature locally made hand-Oneofmyfavouritecountriestois not the largest city in Ecuador. Thatcraftedgoodssuchashats,scarves visit, which I still consider a hiddenhonour goes to Guayaquil. and other clothing. I was amazed at gem, is Ecuador; a country that offersOnceIfoundmyaltitudelegs,Ithefriendlinessoftheindigenous fantastic eco-experiences. I especiallyventured out for a visit to the equa- people, and their willingness to com-enjoyedQuito,thecapital,aswelltor. A visit to the Quito equator linemunicate, even though my Spanish is 46FOCUS - JUNE 2023'