The Charming Old Town

At six in the morning, we tucked into our buffet breakfast. Hotel Patio Andaluz's guests can choose from various pastries, cheeses, eggs, sliced meats, fruits, juices, tea, coffee, and yogurts. Since we couldn't walk around the Old Town yesterday due to our late afternoon arrival, Daniel came to meet us at seven in the morning today to kick off our action-packed day. Walking through the colonial town, in its narrow and cobblestone streets, and seeing its historic architectural structures and churches, gave us the impression that we had been transported back in time. Everything was stunning and very aesthetically nice to look at. It was everything its reputation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site promised it would be.
 
After a 5-minute walk, we arrived at Independence Plaza. There we saw the Cathedral, Archbishop Palace, Presidential Palace (Carondelet Palace), Municipal Palace, and Hotel Plaza Grande, a 5-star hotel. This plaza is very interesting as it has a combination of political, religious, and tourist buildings, all in one place. A quick fact: the Cathedral in Quito is the most significant cathedral in the city, and only the Archbishop is permitted to celebrate mass there. It used to be a church that was only open to Spaniards, and the indigenous people who had been compelled to work on the construction of the church were forbidden to go inside. During those years, Spaniards held the most influential positions in society.

The tragic history of this plaque in the Presidential Palace may be traced back to August 6, 1875, when it was the scene of the assassination of Gabriel Garcia Moreno, Ecuador's former president.

We continued our stroll, went inside some churches, and passed by several businesses and schools before arriving at another plaza known as Franciscan Square. This square is home to the San Francisco Cathedral and the Casa Gangotena, a luxury hotel. This plaza was once the site of commercial activity, as indigenous people traded goods such as coca leaves, cotton, and fish.