Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, sits high in the mountains, at over 9,300 feet (2,800 meters) in elevation. The city straddles the slopes of volcanoes, and fills the valleys between them. The modern city was founded in 1534, but evidence of human inhabitation in the area dates all the way back to 8000 BC. The city is also practically on the equator, sitting just a few miles south of that line. We spent most of our time in the city's well preserved historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also headed to the top of the Pichincha Volcano on the TelefériQo, and ventured into newer parts of the city for dinner one evening, and stayed in the newer part of the city for our last night in Ecuador after we returned to the city from Baños.