We covered precolonial volcano-worship, syncretic elements ofthe astonishing local churches, the Quito School's artistic traditions. At the oldfashioned Santa Clara Market, he plucked a yellowish ovoid fruit called a taxo off a fruit stand and cracked it open to reveal countless seeds enveloped in bright orange globules, like alien eggs. A relative of the passion fruit, but sweet rather than sour, it is my new favourite tropical treat.