Chasing Adventure Through Quito’s Rainy Streets
As soon as we arrived in Quito, the rain began pouring down, forcing us to run for cover inside the bus terminal. The building’s glass roof had sprung multiple leaks, and dozens of buckets were scattered across the floor, filling up with water. My friend and I made our way to the nearby metro station and rode to Carolina Park, one of the city’s safer zones, where we had booked an Airbnb.
We found our charming apartment without any trouble, but there was one issue: the internet wasn’t working. With only a few hours to explore the city and the ominous clouds overhead threatening more rain, we were on a tight schedule. While we waited for the landlord to arrive and fix the internet, I ran to Subway to buy our lunch. As luck would have it, there was a power outage. Let’s just say, a cold steak sub wasn’t exactly a gourmet experience, but we managed to eat it nonetheless.
We hailed a cab to the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo only to arrive a few minutes after the gates had closed. The guards wouldn’t let us in, and we were left standing outside, disappointed. We decided to visit the lesser-known monument of the real equator atop a nearby hill. The drive was precarious—cloudy, rainy, and along roads without guardrails, edging sheer cliffs. I closed my eyes and could feel my blood pressure rising as the driver sped around the curves as if it were nothing. Despite the tension, we enjoyed chatting with him and learning about the small, tight-knit communities outside of Quito, particularly those straddling the equator.
Once we arrived, the hilltop was completely deserted, so we could move at our own pace and take as many photos as we pleased. Our driver was kind enough to act as our photographer. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the clouds rolled in, the temperature fell, so we headed back. He dropped us off along the highway near Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, where we caught a more affordable taxi back into the city.
We stopped at Quicentro Shopping Center because my friend needed to withdraw cash before our Galapagos trip. We bounced between ATMs only to find that most Ecuadorian ATMs either had exorbitant fees or didn’t accept foreign cards. As we wandered past the food court, Krispy Kreme caught our eye. We had been dreaming of enjoying Krispy Kreme donuts together for nearly a year, but during our trip to Thailand, we skipped it after spotting cockroaches in the display at EmQuartier. We bought an assorted pack of three donuts— two original glazeds and one cheesecake—and devoured them in no time. As always, the original glazed was the clear winner.
Just as we were leaving, it started raining again. We dashed from awning to awning, trying to stay dry. Soaked and cold, we ducked into a cacao shop and shared a cup of hot chocolate. It wasn’t the best we’d ever had, but on that chilly, rainy evening, it hit the spot. We chatted and enjoyed the rain as we sipped our drink, mustering the courage to face the downpour once more.
We ran through the streets, laughing and weaving through the side alleys until we spotted a Persian restaurant. Since we both loved Persian cuisine, eating there was an obvious choice. We sprinted inside, where my friend, who speaks some Persian, struck up a friendly conversation with the waiters and the owner, who greeted us warmly. We ordered shawarmas and saffron tea, both of which were magnificent.
We knew we were pushing our luck wandering around Quito after dark, so we quickly returned to our apartment, drenched from head to toe. After packing for the Galápagos, we called it a night.
