The Secret Garden

The first few days in Quito were spent at The Secret Garden Hostal, which is in a historic building at the edge of Old Town. There is a terrace on the fifth floor with a stunning view of mountains to the West and the Panecillo to the South. On this historic hill a massive statue of the Virgin of Quito was constructed about 40 years ago. (More about the Panecillo later.) The terrace serves as the reception area, the restaurant, the bar and the hangout for the international clientele. The hostal is Ecuadorian-Australian owned and most of the young people who volunteer to work here in exchange for free lessons from it´s Spanish language school are Ozzies or Brits.

My first room here was lovely. There was a shower right outside the door and a toilet down the hall. That´s one great thing about TSC, toilets and showers are plentiful, though the hot water wasn´t always as available as they claimed. The public areas and rooms are painted in wonderful colors with imaginative designs.

It was here that I realized how terribly heavy my bag is. Though it only weighs 11 lbs, by the time I filled it with a few clothes and tons of toiletries and electronics it weighs a hefty 40 lbs. Getting that bag up three flights of stairs would have been impossible without the kind help of one of the young volunteers, especially the first day at 9,000 ft of altitude.