In and out of QUITO

DAY 52

Today was our last official day to explore South America, so naturally, we started off with our favorite--another bus ride.  This time, the ride was short, sweet and somewhat uneventful (other than the girl in front of us throwing up--terrible smell for the rest of the ride). 

After reaching Quito's suprisingly large, modern, and clean bus terminal (the first of its kind that we've seen in South America), we checked into our hostel in Old Town, and explored the surrounding neighborhood. 

Like many other South American cities we've visited on our trip, Quito was complete with European-style architecture, numerous statues, grand Catholic churches, and museums of all sorts.  Unfortunately, as we were only in Quito for around 15 hours, we were unable to fit in everything that the city has to offer.  We were, however, able to walk through the park across the street, check out the Basilica, grub on more street food, and see an outdoor theatrical play in one of the city's main plazas.

Our final day was bittersweet.  We have been able to see and do some amazing things during the past two months and got a quick peek into the cities, landscapes, and people of South America.  We are both, however, ready to restart life in America where we have a safe, comfortable bed to sleep in (as opposed to, say, a bus or train station), our own means of transportation, and the resources to maintain our health, hygiene, and nutrition.  We feel very blessed for the opportunity that we were given to be able to experience such rich and diverse cultures, but we are ready to come home to our family and friends. 

See you back in the States!

Ciao Ciao!