We arrived late in the evening in Quito after circling the airport for some time. My husband and I came to Ecuador to visit our daughter who is studying in the south of Ecuador. While there we wanted to visit Otavalo and cruise in the Galapagos Islands. We were happy to see our guide, Jorge, meet us at the airport as the hour was late and there were no taxis to be seen. Our guide had waited patiently for the plane to land. We found out later that flight delays in and out of Ecuador, especially Quito, are common at certain times. Quito, is in the Andes, over 9,000 feet above sea level and landing there takes the skill and patience of an experienced pilot.
Jorge was very affable, friendly, and spoke perfect English. Turned out that he had lived for some time the states, in New Jersey. We checked in that evening to our hotel, the Dann Carlton. We had chosen this hotel as it is located in the Mariscol area, known for great restaurants, and lots of good shops. We wanted a nice hotel, not too expensive, within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Other choices might have been the JW Marriott or the Swissotel, also hotels in the nearby area. Our tour company,...