My Hometown: Quito, Ecuador.

In our continuing series of global cities featured through the eyes of a resident, we will profile, Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Our guest will be Fabian Borrero, Entrepteneur and Adventurer.  Ecuador’s flag sports the same colors as those of neighboring Colombia and Venezuela. Originally all three countries were united as Gran Colombia  but later went their separate ways.Quito with a population of 2 million is the capital of Ecuador with a population of 17 million. Located 13 miles South of the equator at at an elevation of 9300 feet, the climate is mild and alpine.

The city was founded in 1534 on the ruins of an ancient Inca city called Kitu. Sitting at the base of an active volcano - Mount Pichincha - which last erupted less than 20 years ago, the city has the best preserved examples of Spanish colonial architecture in all of South America. 

But Quito is also a bustling modern city and is the center of government and business. Guayaquil, the principal port for Ecuador’s exports. The eastern region of the country are the headwaters of the Amazon. To the West, in the Pacific Are the Galápagos Islands, with their unique fauna and flora, made famous by Charles Darwin in his seminal book on Evolution, The Origin of the Species.  Darwin visited Ecuador aboard the research ship HMS Beagle.

Snow capped volcano Cotopaxi to the South of Quito looms majestically over the city. It was the first sight I had of the classic conical volcano the day I arrived  in Quito at the start of my 3 year assignment when I worked for Bank of America. 

Today’s blogpost preview of Tuesday’s My Hometown podcast episode will also be a walk down memory lane for me. So enjoy the blogpost and make sure to listen to Tuesday’s podcast, My Hometown: Quito, Ecuador.