Taking in the sunlight.
-Pomasqui, an old town just North of Quito.

Landing in Quito, I was nausious and jittery. I thought it must have been the free red wine I drank on the plane. The lady at customs saw my pale face and immediately diagnosed me with altitude sickness. After throwing up two times and taking conscious deep breaths I felt better. My first place to visit was Pomasqui, where I had Cherimoya icecream homemade by a small, sweet, smiling nun in a black and white habit. The park is tranquil with two quiet churches sitting on each corner. The weather was similar to Springtime in Seattle, drizzling that turned on and off throughout the day. I later visited El Mitad del Mundo (the Middle of the World) latitude 0´0´0´. At the top was the view of Pinchincha mountain and glittering lights of Quito. At night, a bowl of warm ¨caldo de pollo¨(chicken soup) at La Ronda was the perfect medicine to restore me. La Ronda is a charming area in Northern Quito with corridors and narrow roads lined with tall white walls housing restaurants, bars, galleries, and shops. Orange lanterns light the brick streets. A young couple takes a romantic stroll, a group of middle aged women laugh at the camera, and the restaurant owner stands halfway outside the shop with a ladel and sterofoam cup selling warm canalizo, a sweet alcoholic drink made with, cane sugar, cinnamon, and naranjilla (a fruit of the Andes that tastes like a kiwi but sweeter).