Quito: Altitude, Noise and Something Real

We only had a couple of days in Ecuador’s capital, but from the moment we landed, it was clear this place had something going on. Quito is raw, loud and full of life, where colonial charm meets cracked pavements, diesel fumes and bloody good street food. It’s messy in all the right ways.

There’s something strange about cities at altitude. You feel a bit off. A bit floaty. Breathing takes effort and everything feels slightly out of sync. Quito makes you work for it, but that’s what makes it stick.

We wandered aimlessly, dodging traffic and stray dogs, cutting through crowded markets and crumbling alleyways. Climbed up church towers that looked far sturdier from the ground. Sat in grubby cafés drinking gritty coffee while watching the city stumble by. The sort of place where you’ve always got one eye on your backpack and one foot in the chaos.

It’s the people that made it. Locals, drifters, fellow backpackers, you meet them in corners and markets, sharing cheap beers and asking the big questions. 

Quito reminded us why we travel in the first place. Not to tick things off a list. But to feel something unfamiliar. Something proper. That’s the stuff we think about when we’re roasting coffee.

At Gringo Roasters, we want every brew to hold a bit of that: the grit, the warmth, the unpredictability of the road. It’s not about luxury sometimes, it’s about living a bit rough, moving slow, and soaking up the moments that stick.

So here’s to Quito. And to all the unpolished, unforgettable places that change the way we see the world.