So Long, Quito

Every Sunday, the city shuts down one of the main through fares, Avenida Amazonas, so that thousands of locals can hop on their bikes and enjoy the normally traffic-clogged city. I stumbled upon this awesome event while walking back from the bus station and decided to join in! The entrance to Parque Elijido with the arch in the background welcomed bicyclists to an open air market, live music, and an enormous metropolitan park.

One of the performing groups in the park was this rad family trio that gathered crowds by playing traditional music... And Taylor Swift covers!

A welcome relief from un-smogged busses and crazy taxi drivers...

The local dog show... I have no idea what this guy was doing but the local kids sure liked it.

Last night, a friend from the hostel and I also managed to discover the only microbrewery in Quito, Bandido Brewing. Not a single local we asked for directions had heard of it as we wandered around in the rain. Decent beer (not quite Ballast Point!) and fellow Americans greeted us inside as we welcomed anything but Brahma; the watery, Ecuadorian national beer that by comparison makes Miller Lite truly the "champagne of beer."

Tonight, I leave for the coast via a 9 hour bus ride that gets us in around 7:15 am. Can't say I'm too excited about the arduous journey ahead, but excited to get out of the bustling city and down to some pristine surf. Crossing my fingers the next update will be nothing but a positive review of Ecuador's public transit system!