Despite not getting to bed until 2am I was up at 7 ready to look around Quito, which if you believe everything you read, sits somewhere between being 'The most dangerous place on the planet' to just 'The most dangerous place on the Continent'.
In the morning, with the sun beating down on us, we visited the beautifully colonial Old Town and (as chance would have it) I met the Mayor of Quito inside The Cathedral. Cynics may suggest he was a confidence trickster, but he really was the Mayor – he told me, then asked me for some money – what mayor wouldn't? I asked why he had sold his necklace to Mr T, then he left us alone. If he was a con-man he really was convincing.
Quito days are currently swinging from extreme heat in the morning to torrential rainstorms in the afternoon, apparently you can set your watch by the change, but as I don't have a watch I got drenched and dived for cover in the National Museum of Ecuador. I had read 'If you only visit one museum in Quito – make it this one' and after three hours I realised why; because if all the other museums were anywhere near as deathly dull as this one the undertakers of Quito would be sweeping tourists off the streets.
My first night was spent in a bar watching a football team from Quito (Liga) play the Brazilian team Flumenese in the South American Champions League Cup Final, every bar was packed and the atmosphere on the streets was superb. I was slightly deflated to learn that this was the second leg and that Liga already held a 5-1 advantage. Game over, surely?
What I, and every Liga fan, hadn't bargained on was two Flumenese goals in the first 20 minutes, a red card for Liga after 25 minutes and their goalkeeper inexplicably choosing to get drunk before kick-off – at least that is how he played (could he be available for England?). Flumenese went three up soon after half-time, before in the 80th minute Liga managed their first shot on target as their striker went on-on-one and defty lobbed the ball over the Flumenese keeper. Unfortunately, it was only lobbed over him by about 12 inches so the keeper easily caught it and belted it back into the Liga half leaving everyone in the bar close to tears and the striker considering the plethora of deaths threats that would undoubtedly be coming his way. Amazingly, four minutes into injury time Flumenese hit a post for the second time, and even more amazingly one minute later, Liga were crowned Champions of South America by getting belted 3-0.
Cue mass hysteria on the streets, car horns being tested all night and no sleep for me.
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