You've not experienced Quito until you've taken a ride on a city bus. The brightly coloured buses in various states of disrepair trundle cheerfully along the Quito streets with salsa music playing and the conductor leaning out the door reeling off a long list of destinations. There are few bus stops; most of the time you can simply flag down the bus as it passes and get off where and when you please.

Once inside you'll be able to buy everything you need, and many items you really don't need, as travelling vendors will continually jump on and off in the slow city traffic. From toasted maize and iced lollies to Sponge Bob stickers, ponchos and even giant foam feet, you want it, they'll have it.

Finding a route map can be something of a challenge, but if you have a couple of hours to kill then it's hardly necessary. Simply jump aboard and enjoy an authentic tour of the city for just 25¢. Make sure you take the correct change though: if there's one thing that winds a bus conductor up it's a gringo trying to pay the bus fare with a $5 bill.

Major roads (eg. Av. America, Av. Rio Amazonas)

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Standing at 4794m above the city, the majestic summit of Guagua Pichincha is a symbol of Quito. Several companies will drive you up the volcano side in a jeep, but if you're the adventurous type then you might want to consider hiking up to the top. Ride the bus to the hillside barrio of Mena Dos, catch a taxi to the small town of Lloa, then simply follow the road up. You can spend the night at the refuge (4550m) for a few dollars, although don't expect any home comforts and take some warm clothes, a sleeping bag, food and plenty of water. You can then ascend to the volcanic peak in the morning when visibility is likely to be better, and you may have a view of the Avenue of volcanoes on the other side of the valley. Visitors are warned about the presence of thieves on Pichincha's lower summit - Rucu - but Guagua appears to be less of a risk. However, you should be on your guard at all times and leave note of your plans back at the hostel. Altitude sickness is another potential danger for which you should be appropriately prepared.

Mena Dos, Lloa, Rifugio Guagua Pichincha (check the refuge is open before ascending)

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At Mitad del Mundo, or middle of the world, you can have the all-important photo taken of yourself with one foot in the Southern hemisphere and one foot in the Northern hemisphere. You can also buy a little something for the relatives back home: a genuine panama hat, for instance, or perhaps a stuffed llama.

www.mitaddelmundo.com

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The Cerro del Panecillo - literally bread-bun hill - is a natural point from which to observe Quito. Situated alongside the Historical Centre, with the skyscrapers of the rich Northern districts to one side and the increasingly irregular rooftops of the poorer Southern barrios to the other, it provides a fascinating overview of this city of contrasts.

Visitors are advised to take a taxi up to the hilltop statue of the Virgin as the risk of robberies is considered to be a threat, even in daylight hours. If you have the time it's worth making the trip during the day but also at night, when even the lights tell of a divided Quito, with bright neon signs visible in the North and muted streetlights in the South.

Cerro El Panecillo Costado del Centro Historico

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