So we set off for the border expecting strict security checks due to the well known drug trade...however the reality was actually very quick and easy!! All in all it took about 45mins to pass from Colombia to Ecuador.....no baggage checks, and more importantly no fees!!! So we got a taxi to Tulcan, where we were jumping on a 6 hour bus to Quito. That all went pretty smoothly too, the only surprise of the day was how big Quito is...it seemed to go on and on and on.....with an airport right in the middle of it!!!Luckily we choose the right bus stop to get off at, as it was close to the hostel, if not we were looking at least 30mins in a taxi and no doubt some crazy expense!

We had heard mixed reports about both the old town and new town....and the city as a whole!! So we were a bit weary, but we checked into a hostel in the Old Town and took our chance with it!! On check in we were told never to walk anywhere at night, and to be pretty careful in lots of areas during the day and what to be careful of scam wise!! You can't beat a major city welcome!!! We set off on our sightseeing the next day, going to the Basilica del Voto National, which you can climb to the top of the spires....if you are happy to walk across the rafters and then take a steep climb upwards!!! From up here we could see that the cable car above the city was clear enough so we decided that was our next stop!

So we went on the TeleferiQo from 2800meters up to 4100meters....just a bit of a squeeze on the lungs! Doing anything up there was a bit of a challenge...luckily we decided against hiking and settled for a hot chocolate instead!! We took a few pictures up there, but it is hard to show just exactly how big and spread Quito is.

From here we headed to the Old Town, which is UNESCO listed. We walked about and although it is a nice town, we have a seen a lot nicer in our travels so far.

Next up was going to the middle of the earth.....which is basically the line of the equator, which passes just outside of Quito. They have 2 sites for this, one that was located ages ago before GPS etc....but 12 years ago they used GPS and realised they hadn't quite got it right...in fairness they were only about 250meters off....so we took part in a few fun experiments that can only be done on the equator line! For instance the water draining different ways in each hemisphere...see videos....Shane was also able to balance an egg on the head of a nail...Which is meant to be impossible anywhere else!!!

We also came across our first human shrunken head!!!!Which was a traditional practice here in Ecuador by the tribes in the Amazon....now they only do it with animals. Again it is totally crazy,(see Jenny we told you they were real!!!!) ..The size of it is mad, they reduce it to about 15cms.....Shane was told how to do it and says Jenny your next!!!!

We also stopped at one of only 2 inhabited active volcano craters....which is meant to be beautiful but for us we got a lovely view of clouds....and some more clouds...with a very small breakthrough for about 2 seconds!!!

We crossed from the south side of the city to the north side, which took about an hour to get our bus to Banos, the next stop for us!