June 27, 2025 • 10 mins
"Don’t downplay Quito as merely a stepping stone to the rainforest or the Galapagos. It is a superlative destination in its own right. The crowning jewel is Quito’s 17th-century Old Town, a heaving historical quarter so impeccably preserved that it was the first city in the world to be accorded UNESCO World Heritage Status."
Read Mike's full article here.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be Mike Yardley is our travel correspondent, the man
with the toughest gig on Saturday mornings.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Gyodda, Gilda, Jacko. Are you?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm very well, thank you. Still kind of a basking
in the after glow of last Saturday. What was it
you said that You said that the head was saying
the Chiefs, the heart was saying the Sayers. But you
were there in the stands to see his shirt.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
It was actually remarkably mild, even though it was a
cold day in christ I couldn't believe how pleasant it
felt in the stands. But maybe that was just the
warmth with the visiting.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Chiefs fans agree with that, But yeah, it was. It
was so good.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, I tell you, Vint, it was. I was only
about three rows back from the field, which is something
we will miss with the new stadium. So yeah, I mean,
it was a very intimate experience. But the thing that
really struck me was looking at the EPs players after
the game. They looked like broken men. They were just
(01:10):
so genuinely devastating.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Now, yeah, yeah, it was, it was, it was. It
had kind of test match qualities. I think, yeah, a
low scoring game where you're really every point is savid.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Anyway, we always get told off of talking too much
about it, beloved, so we need we needn't go on
any further. We've reminded everyone that once again they are
the champions. After the last year's disastrous season, they've turned
things around in the best way possible. But nevermand okay.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador. It is a place
I've never been, I would love to go, and it
is the second highest capital in the world after La
(01:45):
pazz in Bolivia, just down the road. So how dramatic
is the landscape in Keto?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I reckon flying into Keto is topographically gripping but also
really quirky because like, visually it's fabulous, but because the
city is situated nearly three thousand meters above sea level,
the descent on final approach, which feels really underdone, you think, oh, yeah,
is that it? But yeah, the layout of the city
(02:14):
jack is just so intriguing. It's like huddled in this long,
sinuous valley of volcanoes, just wrapped around the foothills of
the Andes. It stretches for sixty kilometers Quito, but it's
only six kilometers wide. The other interesting thing, not all
the volcanoes are dormant. Some are just snoozing. So that
(02:35):
sense of living on the edge adds to the intensity
of Keto's eye catching appeal.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, that's amazing. Now the old town in Ketos really
is acclaimed, isn't it. What why So?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, it's a heaving historical quarter, so well preserved, and
it was the first city in the world to actually
score World Heritage status. Most of it was built in
the seventeenth century. I reckon that Plaza San Francisco was
my favorite spot for people watching. Just everything happened in
that plaza, and it's with all these low slung merchant shops.
(03:09):
Also home to San Francisco Monastery and Church, which is
actually the largest religious complex in Latin America. The monks
actually brewed South America's first beer from that site. All
the old town churches, as you could imagine, jack are
gilded showstoppers. It's like their interiors with fire hosed and
(03:31):
goldly from tip to toe. You'll also want to hang
out in the Lost in Time LaRonda, a sleepy cobbled
stones lane which is just lined with colonial houses and
then after dark it transforms into this open air fiesta
of throbbing salsabars. Really good.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, and culture vultures rave about the old town name.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, it's crammed with all of that colonial architecture, gorgeous
museums as well. I went to a place called Casa Alabado,
and the artworks in the pottery there over six thousand
years old. Because one of the indigenous people of Ecuador,
the Valdivia, they created the oldest pottery in the Americas
(04:18):
six and a half thousand years ago. I loved exploring
all of the traditional merchants in the old town. Jack.
I went into a religious statue repairer store and he
was he was working on a correct statue of Jesus
rest as a firefighter.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Statue. Do we think.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah. He said that it had been passed down through
several generations, so it was quite old. I met a
local shaman or shaman, Senora Layla. So she operated the
store called Ol Secreto Dallas Plantis and once again for generations,
her family had been specializing in the store healing with
(05:04):
plants and potions, and it was amazing. Her shop sort
of resembled a cross between a tropical greenhouse and a
medieval apothecary. But man, she was doing a brisk business
that day.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Amazing. We should have got on to give Root a
few tips to giving us orchards run before we live. Yeah.
So El secreto de laslanta is the secret.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Of the fruits.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, okay, I can imagine that power of the world.
That could be interesting. Any any sort of standout experiences
for you in the in the market.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, well, obviously the tropical fruit is quite a gob vest,
you know, just a sheer array of exotic fruits. The
food stores are really good if you want to just
initiate yourself with some local dishes. So I call I
tried InChI bolado, which is like a fish stew, and
even better than that. Locre de parpis a potato soup
(05:56):
with avocado and cheese. I thought of you, Jack. The chocolate,
oh my god, the chocolate and chiito. So traditionally Ecuadorian
cacao was just to export it. They didn't do much
with it themselves. Now that's James. So they've got this
flourishing army of artisan chocolate producers and that's really revved
up Keito's reputation in the single origin states very quickly.
(06:21):
Cheecha cheecha dehaa. It's this age old Andean fermented alcoholic
drink that was made from germinated corn. Traditionally, women would
choose the corn to kick start the fermentation process. Thankfully
my brew was germinated mechanically, or at least I hope
it was.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
It is very good, Okay, yeah, it sounds amazing. Though.
Were this sort of standout street eats that you enjoyed?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, I was intrigued. I had to ask what people
were munching on, and all these locals were binging on.
What I found out were bolon, which are these fried
balls of unripe green plantain, and then they meshed them
with cheese and pork. So for a month on the go,
that seemed to be the go too. Another fabulous thing
(07:09):
to try in the sweet Tree department is for me. Now,
these are like merngue cones. It's this fluffy meringue cream
and you get it in a white flavor range guava, BlackBerry,
and it served in ice cream cones. But I didn't
buy them from the cafes, not from the street vendors,
because the hygiene standards. Looked very jubious, but really interesting.
(07:31):
So it's like hardened ice cream.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah, okay, but it tastes like meringue.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Come they yes, yeah, not as sweet as down meringues. Yeah,
really pleasing.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
That sounds good. Okay. So did you make it to
the middle of the world just north of Keito to
stand on the equator?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yes, I did, Jack, and of course it was the
inspiration for the nation's name equad or Equator. Just twenty
five k north of Kito, there's a monument, there's a museum,
and there's people balancing eggs on their tip on the
equatorial line. Of course, there is a slight awkward reality.
The Finch Desic Commission three hundred years ago they determined
(08:12):
the position of the line, but GTS GPS data has
proven they were two hundred and forty off beam one
job you go. Interestingly, there was a nearby archaeological site
on the hilltop. Okay, that's this pre inca site called Katakia.
(08:33):
It's about I don't know, a thousand years older. So
and they got it spot on this ancient astronomical observatory.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Isn't that interesting? Yeah? I find stuff like that absolutely
fascinating and I just love it. Like you said, one
job the first guy to turn on the GPS and
be like, oh, there's something wrong with the machine. Turn
it off and turn it on again, Peter, and we'll
hang on. No, this isn't Yeah, Okay, there's a lot
(09:03):
of interest in Ecuador's new president. Hey, the politics next
or so interesting? Daniel Noel Bora. I follow him on Instagram,
and I have to say that his Instagram feed is
very unlike most politicians whom I follow. So how did
the security situation strike you, Inequital.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Yeah, it was interesting timing because he was being inaugurated
when I was there last month. And of course he's
on a mission to smash the drug cartels and all
of its tentacles and all the corruption streets. Crime has
been an issue in Quito. But your hotel and your guides,
they will warn you of any areas to avoid. Just
take sensible precautions, turning your backpack into a into a
(09:40):
front packs, don't hold your phone in your hand while
you walk, and you'll be absolutely fine. You'll feel so welcome.
The locals are just delightful. It's a truly enchanting city.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Amazing. Yeah, it's funny what they say. There's there's a
line in Spanish that translates to like, don't show papayah,
don't make things tempting, you know, so don't if you've
got to, you know, got a vintage roll X exactly,
hanging off your arm and weighing you down. Probably not
a great idea. Yeah, okay, how that makes a lot
of sense. It sounds like you had the best time.
I'm deeply burning with you this morning, mane Yeah. For
(10:17):
more tips on to deal onto on delving into the
delights of Keito, Mike's article is up at newstalks, HEDB
dot co, dot MZ, Forward, slash lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks hed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be Mike Yardley is our travel correspondent, the man
with the toughest gig on Saturday mornings.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Gyodda, Gilda, Jacko. Are you?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
I'm very well, thank you. Still kind of a basking
in the after glow of last Saturday. What was it
you said that You said that the head was saying
the Chiefs, the heart was saying the Sayers. But you
were there in the stands to see his shirt.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
It was actually remarkably mild, even though it was a
cold day in christ I couldn't believe how pleasant it
felt in the stands. But maybe that was just the
warmth with the visiting.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Chiefs fans agree with that, But yeah, it was. It
was so good.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Yeah, I tell you, Vint, it was. I was only
about three rows back from the field, which is something
we will miss with the new stadium. So yeah, I mean,
it was a very intimate experience. But the thing that
really struck me was looking at the EPs players after
the game. They looked like broken men. They were just
(01:10):
so genuinely devastating.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Now, yeah, yeah, it was, it was, it was. It
had kind of test match qualities. I think, yeah, a
low scoring game where you're really every point is savid.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Anyway, we always get told off of talking too much
about it, beloved, so we need we needn't go on
any further. We've reminded everyone that once again they are
the champions. After the last year's disastrous season, they've turned
things around in the best way possible. But nevermand okay.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador. It is a place
I've never been, I would love to go, and it
is the second highest capital in the world after La
(01:45):
pazz in Bolivia, just down the road. So how dramatic
is the landscape in Keto?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I reckon flying into Keto is topographically gripping but also
really quirky because like, visually it's fabulous, but because the
city is situated nearly three thousand meters above sea level,
the descent on final approach, which feels really underdone, you think, oh, yeah,
is that it? But yeah, the layout of the city
(02:14):
jack is just so intriguing. It's like huddled in this long,
sinuous valley of volcanoes, just wrapped around the foothills of
the Andes. It stretches for sixty kilometers Quito, but it's
only six kilometers wide. The other interesting thing, not all
the volcanoes are dormant. Some are just snoozing. So that
(02:35):
sense of living on the edge adds to the intensity
of Keto's eye catching appeal.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah, that's amazing. Now the old town in Ketos really
is acclaimed, isn't it. What why So?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, it's a heaving historical quarter, so well preserved, and
it was the first city in the world to actually
score World Heritage status. Most of it was built in
the seventeenth century. I reckon that Plaza San Francisco was
my favorite spot for people watching. Just everything happened in
that plaza, and it's with all these low slung merchant shops.
(03:09):
Also home to San Francisco Monastery and Church, which is
actually the largest religious complex in Latin America. The monks
actually brewed South America's first beer from that site. All
the old town churches, as you could imagine, jack are
gilded showstoppers. It's like their interiors with fire hosed and
(03:31):
goldly from tip to toe. You'll also want to hang
out in the Lost in Time LaRonda, a sleepy cobbled
stones lane which is just lined with colonial houses and
then after dark it transforms into this open air fiesta
of throbbing salsabars. Really good.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, and culture vultures rave about the old town name.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Yeah, it's crammed with all of that colonial architecture, gorgeous
museums as well. I went to a place called Casa Alabado,
and the artworks in the pottery there over six thousand
years old. Because one of the indigenous people of Ecuador,
the Valdivia, they created the oldest pottery in the Americas
(04:18):
six and a half thousand years ago. I loved exploring
all of the traditional merchants in the old town. Jack.
I went into a religious statue repairer store and he
was he was working on a correct statue of Jesus
rest as a firefighter.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Statue. Do we think.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yeah. He said that it had been passed down through
several generations, so it was quite old. I met a
local shaman or shaman, Senora Layla. So she operated the
store called Ol Secreto Dallas Plantis and once again for generations,
her family had been specializing in the store healing with
(05:04):
plants and potions, and it was amazing. Her shop sort
of resembled a cross between a tropical greenhouse and a
medieval apothecary. But man, she was doing a brisk business
that day.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Amazing. We should have got on to give Root a
few tips to giving us orchards run before we live. Yeah.
So El secreto de laslanta is the secret.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Of the fruits.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Yeah, okay, I can imagine that power of the world.
That could be interesting. Any any sort of standout experiences
for you in the in the market.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Yeah, well, obviously the tropical fruit is quite a gob vest,
you know, just a sheer array of exotic fruits. The
food stores are really good if you want to just
initiate yourself with some local dishes. So I call I
tried InChI bolado, which is like a fish stew, and
even better than that. Locre de parpis a potato soup
(05:56):
with avocado and cheese. I thought of you, Jack. The chocolate,
oh my god, the chocolate and chiito. So traditionally Ecuadorian
cacao was just to export it. They didn't do much
with it themselves. Now that's James. So they've got this
flourishing army of artisan chocolate producers and that's really revved
up Keito's reputation in the single origin states very quickly.
(06:21):
Cheecha cheecha dehaa. It's this age old Andean fermented alcoholic
drink that was made from germinated corn. Traditionally, women would
choose the corn to kick start the fermentation process. Thankfully
my brew was germinated mechanically, or at least I hope
it was.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
It is very good, Okay, yeah, it sounds amazing. Though.
Were this sort of standout street eats that you enjoyed?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, I was intrigued. I had to ask what people
were munching on, and all these locals were binging on.
What I found out were bolon, which are these fried
balls of unripe green plantain, and then they meshed them
with cheese and pork. So for a month on the go,
that seemed to be the go too. Another fabulous thing
(07:09):
to try in the sweet Tree department is for me. Now,
these are like merngue cones. It's this fluffy meringue cream
and you get it in a white flavor range guava, BlackBerry,
and it served in ice cream cones. But I didn't
buy them from the cafes, not from the street vendors,
because the hygiene standards. Looked very jubious, but really interesting.
(07:31):
So it's like hardened ice cream.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Yeah, okay, but it tastes like meringue.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Come they yes, yeah, not as sweet as down meringues. Yeah,
really pleasing.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
That sounds good. Okay. So did you make it to
the middle of the world just north of Keito to
stand on the equator?
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yes, I did, Jack, and of course it was the
inspiration for the nation's name equad or Equator. Just twenty
five k north of Kito, there's a monument, there's a museum,
and there's people balancing eggs on their tip on the
equatorial line. Of course, there is a slight awkward reality.
The Finch Desic Commission three hundred years ago they determined
(08:12):
the position of the line, but GTS GPS data has
proven they were two hundred and forty off beam one
job you go. Interestingly, there was a nearby archaeological site
on the hilltop. Okay, that's this pre inca site called Katakia.
(08:33):
It's about I don't know, a thousand years older. So
and they got it spot on this ancient astronomical observatory.
How about that?
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Isn't that interesting? Yeah? I find stuff like that absolutely
fascinating and I just love it. Like you said, one
job the first guy to turn on the GPS and
be like, oh, there's something wrong with the machine. Turn
it off and turn it on again, Peter, and we'll
hang on. No, this isn't Yeah, Okay, there's a lot
(09:03):
of interest in Ecuador's new president. Hey, the politics next
or so interesting? Daniel Noel Bora. I follow him on Instagram,
and I have to say that his Instagram feed is
very unlike most politicians whom I follow. So how did
the security situation strike you, Inequital.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Yeah, it was interesting timing because he was being inaugurated
when I was there last month. And of course he's
on a mission to smash the drug cartels and all
of its tentacles and all the corruption streets. Crime has
been an issue in Quito. But your hotel and your guides,
they will warn you of any areas to avoid. Just
take sensible precautions, turning your backpack into a into a
(09:40):
front packs, don't hold your phone in your hand while
you walk, and you'll be absolutely fine. You'll feel so welcome.
The locals are just delightful. It's a truly enchanting city.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Amazing. Yeah, it's funny what they say. There's there's a
line in Spanish that translates to like, don't show papayah,
don't make things tempting, you know, so don't if you've
got to, you know, got a vintage roll X exactly,
hanging off your arm and weighing you down. Probably not
a great idea. Yeah, okay, how that makes a lot
of sense. It sounds like you had the best time.
I'm deeply burning with you this morning, mane Yeah. For
(10:17):
more tips on to deal onto on delving into the
delights of Keito, Mike's article is up at newstalks, HEDB
dot co, dot MZ, Forward, slash lifestyle.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks hed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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