Arrival In Quito

Our journey began with a familiar hiccup – another delayed flight. A storm within our flight path forced our plane to fly around it, delaying us an hour. Fortunately, we made the connection and arrived in Quito by afternoon. And another hiccup, our cruise package included an airport transfer, but no one from the cruise company showed up. After learning that Uber was technically not legal in Ecuador but still commonly used, we summoned a ride. Our driver wasn’t concerned, and the ride went off without issue, and we arrived at the hotel.

Brazilian Steakhouse

Dinner that night was at the hotel’s Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chão. It operated on a simple system: green side up on your card meant “more meat, please”, and red meant “stop”. Servers rotated through the tables offering cuts like filet mignon, sirloin, pork ribs, and leg of lamb. Though the selection was impressive, the sheer volume of meat was overwhelming. We left the table stuffed to the brim and almost regretted that extra slice of steak. Afterward, we walked it off by exploring the hotel. Near the pool, hotel staff gave us food for the koi pond. The koi swam up in anticipation, mouths already open, having clearly learned the drill.

Touring Quito’s Historic Centre

The next morning, after a buffet breakfast featuring fresh passion fruit, guava, and plantains – fruits native to Ecuador – we joined our tour group for a full-day city excursion. Our first stop was Plaza San Francisco, located in Quito’s historic centre. On the top of a nearby hill, we noticed a statue with wings – known as the Virgin of Quito, is unique to the region and symbolizes the Immaculate Conception through Andean artistic traditions.

The adjacent church and convent, officially known as the Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco, is among the oldest religious sites in South America, constructed in the 16th century atop an Inca temple. Much of the interior and cloisters were constructed using locally sourced volcanic stone and alabaster. Its central courtyard was tranquil, framed by arches and dotted with trees bearing what looked like lemons and olives – some people even picked and tasted them right off the branches.

The city sits at an altitude of roughly 2,850 metres (9,350 feet) in the Andes, and the effects of high elevation quickly became apparent. Climbing stairs at the convent’s bell tower left me short of breath, apparently a common experience for visitors not yet acclimatized.

Indemini Báez Chocolate

Unlike bulk cacao used in mass-market chocolate, fine-flavour cacao is prized for its complex taste notes—often described as floral, fruity, or nutty—and is grown under specific conditions with greater attention to fermentation and drying. Ecuador is known especially for its Arriba Nacional variety, which has earned a reputation among artisanal and high-end chocolate producers worldwide.

Plaza Grande

Plaza Grande, also known as Independence Square, is surrounded by some of the most important civic buildings in the country, including the Carondelet Palace, which serves as the presidential residence and the seat of government. We also learned about the Ecuadorian political system and the country’s recent presidential transition. Our guide mentioned that voting is mandatory in Ecuador, a measure intended to increase civic engagement.

The guide also mentioned that if we hadn’t already noticed, Ecuador’s official currency is the US Dollar. They adopted it as its official currency in 2000 after a severe economic crisis. We’d brought some U.S. dollars, assuming they’d come in handy for currency exchange, without knowing the official currency prior.

Church of Gold

We also visited La Compañía de Jesús, a Jesuit church famed for its Baroque architecture and lavish gold-covered interior. Built in the 1600s, the church’s ornate design reflects both Spanish influence and local craftsmanship. The interior is said to be covered with more than 50 kilograms of gold leaf, adorning everything from the altars to the intricate ceiling mouldings.

The sheer amount of gold gives the sanctuary a warm, glowing appearance, especially when lit by candlelight. Despite the obvious value, theft isn’t a concern – access is tightly controlled, security is present during opening hours, and the gold is bonded to surfaces in a way that makes removal extremely difficult without causing noticeable damage.

Crater of Life

For lunch, we dined at a restaurant overlooking the Pululahua crater – the lunch was simple, but the view was the real draw. The owner also kept a few llamas on the property – one of them even spat out its grass at me.

Unlike most volcanic craters, this one is inhabited. Pululahua’s fertile soil and sheltered microclimate allow a small community to farm and live within the crater’s walls, shrouded much of the time by drifting clouds.

The City at the Centre of the World

The final stop was Ciudad Mitad del Mundo. This monument was built in the 18th century based on French geodesic measurements to mark the equatorial line. However, later GPS data revealed the true equator lay about 240 metres north.

Still, the site remains symbolic of Ecuador’s connection to the equator – “Ecuador” literally means “equator” in Spanish. When the country gained independence in the 19th century, it chose the name Ecuador to reflect its location on the equatorial line.

That evening, we returned to the hotel for a final dinner in Quito before we left for the Galápagos. The meal was delicious, but it didn’t quite compare to the indulgent buffet from our first night. This brief stop in Quito, nestled high in the Andes and steeped in colonial and Indigenous history, offered a nice intro to Ecuador.

See more of Quito here

A Contrast in Cities

The contrast between Vienna and Bratislava becomes apparent immediately upon arrival. While both cities share a Habsburg heritage, Bratislava’s economic situation differs markedly from its Austrian neighbour.

This disparity likely stems from Austria flourishing being a primary driver of European prosperity, while Slovakia being a part of another empires/kingdoms for centuries, and then spending four decades behind the Iron Curtain under Communist rule.

Christmas Spirit

Despite December temperatures hovering around freezing and biting winds sweeping through the streets, Bratislava’s Christmas markets created a warm atmosphere. Unlike Vienna’s markets, which balance merchandise and food, Bratislava’s focus heavily on traditional Slovak cuisine and glühwein.

We sampled a traditional potato pancake served with sour cream and various toppings. It tasted pretty much like a hashbrown with toppings. I also got to try glühwein mixed with absinthe, something I hadn’t had in years and isn’t common to find in North America.

Čumil the Sewer Worker

Among Bratislava’s most photographed attractions is Čumil, the “Man at Work” sculpture. Created by Viktor Hulík in 1997, this bronze figure peers out from a manhole cover. The sculpture brings a bit of character to the old town. While photographing Čumil, we noticed people observing tourists – a reminder to stay vigilant in crowded tourist areas.

The Opera House and National Identity

Our walking tour took us past the Slovak National Theatre. The Neo-Renaissance opera house, completed in 1886, was built during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The facade features busts of famous playwrights and composers, none of whom are ethnically Slovak. This reflects the historical reality that Slovak national identity was still forming during the theatre’s construction. The first Slovak-language play was not performed at the opera house until the early 20th century.

Slovakia’s path to nationhood was complex, involving centuries under Hungarian rule, followed by inclusion in Czechoslovakia after World War I. The eventual peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, known as the Velvet Divorce, marked Slovakia’s emergence as an independent nation. The Czech and Slovak languages illustrate this shared heritage, and are still mutually intelligible.

The UFO Bridge and the Memorial to the Jewish Quarter

A poignant stop on our tour was the site of a former synagogue. The Jewish Quarter was demolished during the construction of the UFO Bridge, officially known as the Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, in the 1970s under Soviet rule. By that time, the area had been neglected for decades, likely due to the decimation of Bratislava’s Jewish population during the Holocaust. In its place, there’s now a memorial for where the old synagogue used to be.

The UFO Bridge itself has now become one of Bratislava’s most recognizable landmarks. Spanning the Danube without any supporting columns in the water, the bridge relies on suspension cables for structural integrity. Its unique design, with a circular restaurant perched atop, resembles a flying saucer, giving it the UFO moniker.

Christmas and Easter Traditions

Our guide shared some interesting Slovak holiday traditions. At Christmas, families often purchase live carp, allowing children to play with the fish in the bathtub for a day or two before it is prepared for dinner. Instead of Santa Claus, Slovakia’s version, Ježiško (Baby Jesus), visits children and brings them gifts. Easter brings another curious custom where boys pour water on girls they admire or value (romantic interests and female family members), a tradition thought to bring health and beauty. In return, the girls offer decorated eggs, booze or even money. The guide was completely aware how strange these traditions would sound to foreigners, and if you ask me, the Easter one seems a little bit one-sided.

Ascending to Bratislava Castle

The tour concluded with a climb to Bratislava Castle. Compared to grander castles in the region, Bratislava Castle reflects the city’s more modest resources.

Originally a military fortification, it achieved its greatest splendour under Maria Theresa’s reign in the 18th century when it was converted into a Habsburg residence. After a devastating fire in 1811, the castle fell into disrepair. During the communist era, reconstruction efforts were modest compared to its former glory, resulting in the simpler structure we see today.

From the top of the castle hill, visitors can see wind turbines in the distance. Interestingly, these turbines are located in Austria, as Slovakia does not yet have significant investments in wind energy.

See more of Bratislava here

We took a Grab (the Southeast Asia version of Uber/Lyft), which costed only ~$15 USD for some 30 km, which is super cheap. I have no idea how the economics of that even work since the cost of a car is about the same everywhere. The driver dropped us off at the base of the temple and we had to walk up a long flight to stairs in the burning heat.

The temple grounds has a lot of rooms like this for worshipping. They all have big golden statues in them too.

The Thai royalty is also a big deal too.

Not far from the temple was the palace gardens of Bhubing Palace. It was a nice scenic walk, but otherwise there isn’t much to see.

As usual, Mike has made a video about this part of the trip. Check it out!

On the way back, the same driver who took us here to begin with was still hanging around, apparently looking for people to drive back. When he bumped into us, he offered to drive us back for a rate less than what Grab charged (way to cut out the middle man)!

That ends our touristy day trip. See more of my trip to Chiang Mai here.

The tour took us to various locations in the camp, where prisoners were experimented on, suffered in standing cells, etc. The guide also explained how the Germans ran the camps day to day, how they used certain prisoners to oversee other prisoners (Kapos), and of course the extermination. One of the most impactful exhibits here was a room full of just shoes – shoes of many who died at the camp. It’s one thing to be told a bunch of numbers of how many died, but it’s another thing to see thousands of shoes just laid out in front of you.

The camp was split into two: Auschwitz I and II, where the main purpose of Auschwitz I was for political prisoners while Auschwitz II was for extermination and forced labour. Originally, Auschwitz I had many one story buildings, but an additional floor was added to increase capacity.

Guardtowers and electrified barbed wire fences prevented escapes. They really thought of everything.

The death wall is where people were lined up to be executed by firing squad.

The next part of the tour took us to Auschwitz II. Railway tracks efficiently brought prisoners directly into the camp. It’s impressive how efficient they were – that’s what made so scary.

As the Allies closed in on the camp, the Germans destroyed many of the buildings to try and hide what they did. But nonetheless, the truth came to light at the end and many of those responsible were tried and executed.

It was really hard to imagine millions of people were killed in this one place alone. People didn’t talk much during the tour as if to informally have a moment of silence for all the victims. There was nothing to be said. Everyone felt the aura of sadness just by being there.

Link to photo album: here

Travel tip: THERE IS UBER IN KRAKOW!!! To go from the airport to the old town, it costed only 25.46 PLN, which is not even $7 USD to go about 12km. That total was split by 3 people, so that’s about $2-something per person.

Our hostel was in the old town, and was in walking distance to the market square.

South of the old town is Wawel Castle.

And it’s got a great view of the Vistula River. It’s a got a great bike/jogging path that runs along it too.

We went on a walking tour to the old Jewish quarter. Since the war, it no longer housed the vibrant Jewish community that once existed.  The Old Synagogue, built in the 15th century still stands today.

The former ghetto now looks like this. Each chair represents 1000 victims.

The tour ended at the former Schindler Factory. It is now the site of museums for art and the history of Krakow. One of the exhibits is a cable car that used to run through the city. The sign says “Use by Jews forbidden”. It’s one thing to hear about what the tour guide says about the holocaust, but this sign was much much more impactful.

A less depressing topic: food. I can’t go to a new place without drinking their beer. I definitely like it a lot better than the beers I can get in North America. And then there’s bread. I really like bread. A local brand of orange juice, called Cappy was amazing too.

Somebody also told me to try perogies, but perogies to me are alright I guess. I also ate some deep fried calf brain. I would not eat that again. One of the restaurants we went to was called Wierzynek, and the cool thing about it is that it’s been around since 1364!

Link to photo album: here