Wandering through Old Town Quito

Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017--Quito

Even though I slept 10 hours last night, I was still tired today.  Another factor was the altitude.  It takes most people 2-4 days to adjust to it.  Last night before going to bed, I noticed that occasionally there was the sensation of a wave going through my brain.  That hasn't happened today, but part of my lack of energy is probably related to the high altitude.

I did go exploring this morning for 3 hours. I managed to wander through most of the Old Town.  I went inside two of the more famous churches in town--St. Augustin and Santo Domingo. 

Sundays, streets are closed in this part of town and people come out to visit, to watch others, to enjoy the weather, etc.   I don't know if it happens every Sunday, but lots of people were bicycling on one of the main streets through town also.

The most exciting experience of the day for me was coming upon a special event.  I heard a band playing music.  It was the same kind I heard in southern France and in Spain in the spring and in Colombia earlier on this trip.  I followed the sound and found them on the patio of a convent.  But it was more than just a band concert.  It was apparently a recreation of a historical event.  Two men in historic costumes interacted.  Then they and two more men and a woman in costumes walked out onto the street with the band and the crowd following.  The band played as we walked a block to the next intersection where the actors started performing again.  Then we marched another block where the performance continued.  The crowd was getting too tight in the narrow street, so I turned another direction.  It was a fun experience though that I easily could have totally missed.

After relaxing in the room for 3 hours, I went back out.  But things were dying down even though it wasn't quite 15:30 yet.  I ended up searching for a bakery for some bread and a pastry. 

I made coffee and had my chocolate-filled pastry while also boiling some eggs.  Then this evening I had a tuna fish sandwich and an apple.  I will either read or watch a film on Netflix before going to bed.