Banos - Puyo - Quito

Well, we are currently in Quito which, despite all the scary stories we´ve heard from other travlers, seems like a really cool city. We´re staying in a place nicknamed Gringolandia which is full of discotecs, coffee shops, and internet cafes. Today we went to the Basilica and climbed up to the top of the towers and the belfry. It was pretty scary. The ladder/stairs were practically vertical and the wind was blowing very had. The view was nice though. We also toured the city museum which had galleries about the way of life in Quito before and after the Spaniards colonized the area. It was a pleasant museum with lots of antique things to look at and there were also sound effects...but I´m not sure why the history stopped after the 1800s.
Before coming to Quito we spent a couple days in Banos. It´s a small town close to the Amazon Basin. Actually, it´s 71km from the Amazon and we biked that distance. It was mainly downhill which made it do-able and it had gorgeous views of the mountains and the view of the basin was absolutely amazing! We have only a few more days in Ecuador which is pretty unfortunate since it´s been a lot of fun and I feel like we are missing out on a bunch of stuff. Our plan is to go to the Equator tomorrow and then spend a day in a town called Mindo which is just outside of Quito and then we´ll be going to Colombia!