The colouration of its buildings contrasts strikingly with the green hills surrounding them, and whichever direction your feet take you in the historic centre of Ecuador‘s high Andean capital Quito, you’re surrounded by history. In fact, it’s all enough to leave you slack-jawed at the richness of architecture to which the locals barely spare a second glance. It’s no wonder this was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and early on, back in 1978.  This, the largest historic centre in the Americas, dates from the city’s founding in 1543, and centres on the Plaza Grande (aka Plaza de la Independencia), where the country’s top institutions of both church and state are headquartered, including the... keep reading