First night in Quito

It is so good to arrive at your destination after a journey that has gone according to schedule.
Even better to arrive in bright sunshine and 21C after a very comfortable journey with KLM - they treated us very well, and fed us some excellent food and wines - as good a flight as any other I can remember.
However it was a long flight - 11 1/2 hours in daylight  - there are only so many movies you can watch and we were both glad to arrive at our hotel in time to have a stroll around the city centre as the sun was setting over the mountains that surround the city. Unfortunately, our plans for a leisurely dinner went by the board as we headed for bed early - could only managed the aperitif.
We are staying at Patio Andaluz - a historic monument converted to a hotel about 10 years ago - we were here in 2008 and enjoyed it so much we had to return. It may not have all the bells and whistles of a modern hotel but it is comfortable and friendly and a great location close to the Plaza Grande.
Up early for breakfast followed by a morning of gentle sightseeing - we are booked for the full city tour tomorrow but decided to take in a couple of interesting museums - followed by lunch. Quito is about 8500 feet above sea level so it takes a little acclimatising - even a short incline can raise the heart rate!  
Did notice that most of our fellow guests are of an age where they are enjoying la vida de jubilado like ourselves - at least it makes a change from the coach loads of Chinese tourists who we seem to be encountering on a regular basis - whether on the ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan or at the Hyatt Place in Schiphol.