Basilica del Voto Nacional

This past Sunday we visited the Basilica, a large Gothic-designed Catholic church.    We climbed lots of stairs to ascend above the church ceiling for some spectacular views.   There is an option to climb the tallest tower up more flights of stairs (you can see people nearly at the top of one of the church towers).  We did not climb to the apex because two of us realized a fear of heights.      I am sure the elevation of Quito did not help and the stairs were very steep and precarious.    Nonetheless, we  experienced awe at the sight of this magnificent church.    The Basilica was started in 1926 and took several decades to complete.  Look for the turtles and iguanas instead of gargoyles on the church's sides.    John