Quito concentrates embassies, ministries and cable-car reels. It also concentrates students paying rent for a room without heat and two daily bus fares to reach university.
Mateo covers indigenous politics, but this note is urban: how altitude becomes a fixed cost. Free oxygen, expensive heat, non-negotiable bus time.
Ecuador Central does not compete with Quito’s postcard. It competes with the WhatsApp group asking who has a room near the terminal.
