Quito is surrounded by natural beauty, by the mountains ringing the city, some volcanic, some with white capped peaks, lushly forested hills and a fertile valley.
The valley was populated before the Incas, became an important Inca outpost and was destroyed by the Incas in a scorched earth policy that only briefly halted the Spanish invasion. Sebastián de Benalcázar recognized the city's location and founded San Francisco de Quito on top of the few ruins left him. The founding date, December 6, 1534, is celebrated annually with the Fiestas de Quito.
Quito grew up and out from that colonial core, and now can be organized into three areas. The center is the oldest section, the hsitorical district called Old Town. South of Old Town is mainly residential, a working-class housing area. North of Old Town is modern Quito with high-rise buildings, shopping centers, the financial center and major business centers.
On the Plaza San Francisco in Old Town is the Monastery of San Francisco, the oldest colonial building in Quito. It houses the Museo Franciscano where paintings, art and furniture are on display.
At night, the church's two towers are lit with white spotlights, giving the church a commanding presence on the plaza, but it seemed that none of the teams paused to admire the sight as they sped toward the clue, which directed them to a local restaurant.
