TelefériQo - you can give saying that a try if you like - is one of Quito's top attractions. Visitors drive through the city and up a hill before reaching the departure point - 3,117 meters up, which is just above 10,000 feet. They buy tickets for the cable car and start climbing ... and climbing .... and climbing. The vegetation on the ground changes as the 18-minute ride goes along.
Finally, the trip ends and people get an immediate look at the surroundings, which are fabulous. Quito is in a valley surrounded by mountains. It's quite stunning to take a look around at almost 13,000 feet. It's in theory easy to go even higher. There is a trail that goes further up the mountain that starts right be the departure station. However, you'd be amazed at how little air there is up there. I climbed up a bill that probably was a few hundred yards long - sort of like going up a few flights of stairs. When I stopped, I could hear my heart pounding. Time to turn around. I can understand why people get sick up here.
This opened in May 2005, and most important visitors usually go for a ride. But let's add a little bit of a warning. There are a variety of closed or struggling stores at the bottom, and not much activity (gift shop, food stand) at the top. As a whole, the place feels like it has seen better days.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go, because you should. How often do you get to see a volcano releasing steam into the atmosphere, as the one shown in the photo is doing?
Here's a video of the place:
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