It may be that the Ecuador articles are the only NYTimes Travel articles that I read, but it seems to me that the folks in the Empire State love Quito. The latest homage to Quito from New York:

Meals and Wheels on Avenue of the Volcanoes

The article has some good points. Ecuadorian street food is great, and the city of Baños is most certainly the tourist capital of Ecuador. BUT I have to take issue with the idea that all Ecuadorian buses have air conditioning. Also, do not pay a dollar for that ice cream – 3o cents should do it.