The #1 thing on my list in Quito was to take the Teleferico (cable car) up Pichincha Volcano. Because of the volcano's high elevation (16,000ft at the peak) we waited til our 4th day when our bodies had time to adjust to Quito's 10,000ft elevation. The teleferico, one of the highest lifts in the world, drops you off at 13,000ft. The view overlooking Quito from the top of the teleferico is quite impressive.
Hiking at this elevation was both amazing and absolutely breathtaking, literally. For those struggling with the low oxygen levels, the shop at the top of the teleferico sells canisters of oxygen along with coffee, sodas and snacks.
Spectacled bears live in the area, however we were not lucky enough to see one.
After our short but very exhausting hike, we opted to take horses further up the volcano.
Riding thru this gorgeous setting is one of our favorite memories of Ecuador.
Finally we left the horses and headed for the most exciting swing on which we've ever swung.
Swinging 14,000 ft above Quito is really cool, but not as precarious as it appears.
Of course we had to stop to greet the alpacas.
I met this very skilled artist at the base of the teleferico. He began collecting feathers while walking trails as a child, but didn't begin painting for another decade. He paints beautiful landscapes, scenes and very accurate representations of specific birds. He often paints a portrait of a specific species of bird on it's own feather. Many of the tiniest details require the use of a magnifying glass during the painting process. I ended up buying a couple of his works of art and I love them!
