Riobamba, my hometown

I live in Ecuador; a country in South America. There are big cities in my country. Cities such as Quito, the capital, Guayaquil or Cuenca are large cities. There are over three million people in each of those cities. However, there are many beautiful smaller cities in the Coast, the Highland, the Amazon and the Galapagos regions. This short reading is about Riobamba, a small city in the center of the country.
Riobamba is located in the highland region. Beautiful mountains and volcanoes can be seen from any part of the city. There are many colorful parks and markets. There are ancient churches and colonial houses that give Riobamba a traditional downtown. In each of the markets, they serve traditional dishes in a food court. The most traditional dish is called “hornado” which is baked pork. It is served with mote (boiled corn) and/or potato “tortillas” (potato pancakes). There is also a type of sauce in this dish. It is made with milk, onions, garlic and salt. It is boiled and thickened with peanut butter. There is also a sort of salsa made of onions, tomatoes, cilantro, chili, lemon, and salt. When you walk in the downtown streets, you can see many stores that sell electronic devices, make up, clothing, handicrafts, shoes, and others. Indigenous people have a clothing market. They sell ponchos, sweaters, scarves, and other knitted garments made by them.
All these places give a picturesque look to the city. It is very interesting to see new buildings constructed next to the old houses. The streets are wide and are tiled with cobblestones along the main streets. The parks in the center of the city have monuments that resemble important people from Riobamba. In sum, Riobamba is a nice and interesting small city full of history and tradition.