We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the roads and the welcoming attitude of the people matched that of Colombia. Around Quito there is a lot of infrastructure development pointing to the country's economic rise. When talking to local people about this, they are rightly proud of their accomplishments. Quito is a fairly narrow but very long city set in a valley at a pretty high altitude so some adjusting is necessary in order to get a good night sleep. Although very near the equator, this is not a warm city, especially at night. We met a great guy, Johann Varela, whose family treated us to quite a few amazing Ecuatorian meals. He was kind enough to show us around his intriguing city. Quito was next to Cuzco one of the capital cities of the Inca empire and to this date harbors its long lasting sense of rivalry with the old capital of Peru.