We arrived in Quito as the locals were celebrating the decision to build a new airport. Having just arrived and seen how close to many homes the old airport was as we touched down with gardens and washing lines on both sides I could understand their joy, but the one overwhelming memory I have of my brief time in Quito was the polution. Exhaust fumes created a yellow smog and I found it seriously unpleasant to breathe and it was only a matter of minutes before I developed a headache.

Even in the hotel room it was bad although the air conditioning must have filtered out some of the worst and it was more bearable than outside. The traffic in the street below was heavy and constant. We took a tour to the top of a near by hill but even there the polution was still  noticable. It was a pity as the all pervasive fumes made our short time there difficult.