From the rooftop terrace of the swanky hotel, I can see Quito sprawling out in every direction. Directly ahead is the dazzling white San Francisco monastery, with its ornate towers watching over an enormous plaza full of life. Old colonial buildings line the other sides of the square, while another church tower pierces the low clouds behind. Gaze to the right, and it looks like someone casually plonked Notre Dame Cathedral into the mix.

Terracotta rooftops creep up the foothills of the Andes in the middle distance, while volcanoes form the final backdrop. It’s a scene straight out of a 18th century painting, except everyone today is wearing modern clothes and waving cellphones...

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