Dia Vente: Our Final Day in Ecuador!

Slept in this final day. Well, until 8:30. Breakfasted in the hotel dining room, showered and began the processed of packing ourselves and all our purchases. Finally got everything packed in the safest way possible. We have a few rather fragile items that we'll take aboard the flights with us. My shortness of breath continued though a bit better today. I am just exhausted and feel like I have had enough and seen enough of Quito. Guess it's time to go home.

Leslie had a couple more churches she just had to see and she wanted to find the place that sold the best helados in Quito, so she deposited me in the atrium courtyard in the back of the hotel and headed off. I was supremely happy in this airy, quiet space. Open to two floors above, this room is decorated in beautiful paintings, comfortable but formal furniture, a small bar, antiques and two computers for guest use. I set up shop here while Leslie went out. I managed some reading, accessed my blog and did a bit of writing.

A couple of hours later, Leslie came back holding a good share of an ice cream cone. She had found the helados stand and had sweetly brought back part of her cone. It held part of two fresh fruit scoops, one of fresh fig and the other strawberry. We chatted about the places she'd visited and then headed to the eatery we had discovered the night before around the corner and had lunch. Leslie got her Llapingocha she got last time we were there. I got something that didn't look at all like the photo. It looked like the bits and ends of meat left after it had been in the fryer too long. We had overstayed our welcome apparently. We did enjoy the berry jugo (juice).

At 5:00 we asked for a taxi and the one that arrived had no meter. He was already putting our luggage in the trunk and was hedging on the price he would charge. He wanted us in the taxi and moving before he talked price. We started pulling our luggage aside and asking for the price we knew should be between $8-10. Our threats finally locked in a price of $8. He drove like a bat out of hell, swerving in and out of traffic, honking as he went. We screeched to a stop in front of the international terminal. The rest of the process, with the exception of a two hour layover in Guyaquil on the way, was the reverse of our journey here and not worth repeating.

As I write we are sitting in the aircraft taxiing out for take off to Miami. In about 4 hours we should land there and then head for our final flight on Alaska Airlines to Seattle.

Well, that about does it. It has been an interesting trip. Certainly one of the most adventurous and challenging we have ever been on. I have added a few more thoughts below concerning our experience and plan to add an entry that sort of sums up our experience and gives a few suggestions for those planning a trip to Ecuador.

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A word about our experience here in Ecuador. When we started investigating the possibility of our trip here we went on to the U.S. State Department website and as I expressed in an earlier blog, it scared the hell out of me. As we now near the end of our time here I must report that our experience has been absolutely the opposite of anything we have read or heard as it pertains to any negative experiences. We have simply had none. Not one incident that made either of us uncomfortable or insecure in the least. If anything I am angry with myself for having left my Nikon SLR at home. So many potential photos were left untaken because the mini-Nikon we brought couldn't take the photo. This is not to say, as I also expressed in the earlier blog, that anyone should merrily prance down the streets of Quito without taking any precautions. I listed some of those precautions in that blog and I stand by them. This is a big city and like any big city anywhere in the world, things can happen. I'm just saying it didn't happen to us and, knock on wood, it shouldn't happen to you either. The police and security presence here is unbelievable right now, but that presence could disappear tomorrow for all I know. Be prepared, be careful and, as my daughter has told me on the occasions that my scaredy cat side comes out, you can't live your life in fear of what might happen! Did I mention my kid is smart?

Our interactions with locals can be described as having been open, honest and caring. Ecuadorians have a deep love for their country, for their families, their faith and in the future of their country. Current President Rafael Correa has done a great deal to create faith in the government as a body that is trying to make everyone's lives better.

The cost of living is high here. Clothing, electronics, appliances are very expensive compared to the U.S. A new Apple iphone that I recently purchased for $50 in the States would be $1,000 here. Food, however, is cheap. You can pay exorbitantly prices at high end restaurants in ritzier parts of Quito, but the food won't be any better and it certainly won't feel more authentic than the little joints you'll find in the neighborhoods. Look to publications like The Lonely Planet for suggestions, but also, look where the locals are going. If it's full of what look like tourists, it may not be that great. If you see a place filled with happy locals, take a chance. You may have the best meal of your trip and here in Ecuador that means you can get a full meal for easily under $5. We were in a place that served a business lunch, soup, jugo, main and dessert for $2 and it looked great.

And while we are on the subject of food, dear readers, when we travel to other countries we go there to experience their culture in every way possible. We do not go to see how their culture has adjusted to ours. If you must eat American fast food, stay home. It is a sad statement on our country that our fast food giants have found it necessary to export our diet to other countries and as hard as France might want to turn its nose up at any food not French, France is actually the number 2 consumer of McDonalds hamburgers in the world. Sad isn't. When the French want to go out for some foreign food and think of America, they think McDonalds not any of the hundreds of regional cuisines indigenous to specific parts of our country. Go to embrace all things from that country (presuming they are legal). That may mean trying some pretty unusual foods. When in Argentina we ate the parrillas, the platter of beef parts BBQed over open fires. Here in Ecuador I tried tripe stew, chuy (guinea pig) and other plates containing meat parts still mysterious to me. But, hey, I found out that they were really good (Though I'm still not sure about the tripe) and if you just can't down it, no worries. You aren't going to starve.

Thanks for traveling with us and Bon Voyage!

Dia Diez y Nueve: Back to Quito!

Our last day of the Galapagos adventure! There was a final shore excursion to a nearby beach but not wanting to get wet or have to return to take a shower when they were already pushing us to leave our room so they could clean it for the next occupant, I elected to stay in the room. I also had some final packing to do and to just relax.

Leslie went ashore and after a couple of hours returned. We had set out our luggage which was picked up to be sent on the the airport ahead of us. We had a final lunch out on the fantail bar area, chatted up our new friends, took photos of everyone and just relaxed until we were called to the our panga for the trip to the Baltra dock and the bus to the airport.

All went well with this process. Our flight was on time and we were whisked back to Guyaquil and then on to Quito. A taxi ride to our new hotel digs and we were moved in by the end of the day. We walked around the corner for a quick dinner which turned out to be pretty good and then back to our room for the night.

My altitude issues came back with a vengeance. Any effort needed to go uphill or stairs and I have to stop to catch my breath before moving on. While in the Galapagos I had no problems at all. So my last two days are going to be about taking it easy, I think.

The hotel's breakfast room is on the top floor two flights up from our room. What a view awaited us. Entirely glassed in the dining room looked out across the old town, church domes and spires, hillside homes and looking up La Virgin de Quito statue towers over the city.

We had arranged to meet with Leslie's former student, Jilly, who had returned from a vacation back home in the states. She had volunteered to show us around and when she arrived at the hotel our first morning back, we decided to go out to Mindo, a small town about two hours by bus from Quito. We taxied nearly an hour to the bus station before boarding a bus for the ride out. $3 per person. It was a wild ride in which I discovered I can get a little motion sick. We were dropped off at the side of the road in the middle of no where. Across the road was a guy with a pick up truck with a canopy. We crawled into the back and he drove us the final couple of km into Mindo.

We stopped at a restaurant/hostel called Caskaffesu owned by an American expat. I have no idea what it means but it was cute as a button. Had a great lunch of grilled local trout, Leslie had a trout cebiche and then we walked a short distance up a side street to a place that breeds and displays butterflies and orchids and hummingbirds for the public to see. We also hired a local driver to haul us uphill over a rutted, potholed dirt road to reach the Tarabita an attraction that is an open cable car that runs on a gas powered motor that runs a four person car along a single cable out across the rainforest canopy. We were about 400 feet above a river and the surrounding tree tops at the midpoint. There was not enough time for us to do any of the hiking to several waterfalls on the other side so the operator pulled us back to the middle and then stopped, then ran us back partway, finally bringing us back to the starting point. It was exhilarating and my fear of heights for some reason didn't bother me at all. The whole thing would never be allowed in the States without any safety devices and the checks that would be required, but it was fine. We thanked the operators, piled back into the truck and headed back down the hill to Mindo, through town, picking up passengers and dropping them off as we went. We even stopped once so the driver could chat with a friend who happened to be riding a burro up the hill. At another point we pulled over and out of the forest walks a guy holding a very sharp machete! Leslie remembers thinking to herself that all Michael's fears about this country would now come true and we'd be hacked to pieces and stripped of our money belts with all that cash we were still carrying around. No such luck! He was just a buddy of our friendly driver who stopped to give him a ride into town.

We continued on through Mindo and up the hill the way we'd come until we reached the bus stop where we were dropped off at the side of the highway to await the bus to Quito. It showed up in 15 minutes which began the bus ride from hell!

A two hour bus ride back to Quito, only there are no seats left on the bus, no windows open to offer any ventilation and a driver who learned to drive at the Quito branch of the Parnelli Jones school of bus driving--there are no rules and you take all corners as fast as you dare while playing Latin rap music as loudly as possible. Standing all the way back to Quito, only $1. We paid the bribe of $5 so I could sit down. Leslie sat on my knee and eventually she and Jilly both got a seat of their own. Jilly finally, mercifully, got us off the bus when we got close enough to Quito to grab a cab. We took it far enough to drop her off and then on to our hotel.

I opted out of the dinner with Jilly and some of her friends on La Ronda which is along Guyaquil Street where the buildings have ornate wrought iron balconies like the ones in New Orleans. I'm done! 6 hours of buses and taxis to spend 3 hours in the country side. Ugh! Leslie is kind of stuck what with Jilly being a former student and her local friends wanting to meet her. Tomorrow we pack for the trip home, stay close to the hotel and relax. About 6:00 pm we will depart for the airport for the first of three flights home. I am so looking forward to it. As much as I enjoyed it, I am really ready to go home.

Dia Quince: The Galapagos Islands

Up early for breakfast at 7:00 before heading off to our first adventure of the day, a wet landing, a 2 hour hike followed by snorkeling on Santiago Island. We landed on a curving black sand beach and hiked out to Egas Point. On the way in our guide spotted a few Blue-Footed Boobies, a famous bird here for it's blue feet, of course. He navigated the dinghy in close to the rocks the birds were sitting on so we could get some photos. We came within a few feet of the rocks but managed to stay off of them and get our photos.

Ashore we headed out to the point where got up close and personal with a number of seal pups and their moms. One pup in particular was still attached to it's placenta and dragged it around while trying to get at it's mother to nurse. Other pups lay about alone due to their mothers being at sea eating. We also saw very tame mockingbirds, fur seals, plenty of Sally Light-Foot Crabs and more marine iguanas as we clambering over the aa and pahoahoa types of lava.

Back at the beach we had the best snorkeling experience of the trip. I swam over to the rocky point of the bay and the crystal clear water exposed the bottom some 40 or 50 feet or more in places. Fish of every color and size swam in small schools here and schools in the hundreds or thousands in other places. Looking at the brilliant variety below me I nearly missed running into a lone sea turtle leisurely making it's way right in front of me. We swam along together for a while until I headed off towards my goal when to my surprise a sea lion as big as me swam by gracefully. We swam parallel with each other, the sea lion turning it's head to look at me and I her in a sort of double take. I continued to explore the view of the bottom amazed at the incredible variety of fish, the colors, shapes and sizes. I saw what looked like a Grouper come out from under a rocky shelf only to quickly dive under another out of sight. It looked to be about 3-4 feet in length and had a huge girth. I would guess it must have been at least 75 pounds or more. I swam back towards my starting point and sat on sandy ledge,allowing the cool Galapagos sea to wash over me. This was probably the best snorkeling I have ever had in all my diving experiences around the world. The clarity of the water, the variety of sea life and ease of access made it unforgettable!

Back aboard, exhausted, but happy, showers and lunch, then a nap. For me also, time to get caught up on this journal. We, disappointedly, had to turn in our snorkeling gear this afternoon. Only got to snorkel twice. Leslie three times. There was another opportunity this afternoon, but it was described as a deep dive and that didn't appeal to us so we elected to nap instead.

The afternoon adventure was on the small island of Rabida. This is known as the red island due to the iron rich lava that formed it. The lava then rusted giving the island it's color. We started with a panga ride up the rocky coastline. The turquoise water was so clear we could see the bottom 3-4 fathoms deep easily. Red cliffs rose vertically in places two hundred feet or more. Cactus and scraggly plants clung to the cliffs. In other places the lava created island comes right down to the water. Here and there sea lion mothers and their pups basked in the sun clinging to a small outcropping of rock. Blue-Footed Boobies rested on other crags while others dive bombed into the water around us hoping to catch a fish. We also saw pelicans, cormorants, crabs and marine iguanas. We turned after an hour and sped back the way we came making a wet landing on a red sand beach where we were greeted by a small colony of sea lions and pups.

They allowed us to walk nearly up to them where we took photos. A short walk inland we came upon a salt water lake inhabited by three beautiful pink flamingos feeding on brine shrimp which exist here due to the higher salinity of the lake water. It was also near this lake that I was approached by a small brown speckled bird. It hopped and fluttered around me, jumping up and down, then staring at me it would begin it's antics all over again until it finally flew down on top of a small rock right in front of me and turned it's head to look up at me as if waiting for applause for the tricks it had done. I rewarded the little bird with a portrait and had a one way conversation thanking the little fellow for being so cooperative. He flew off and that ended our relationship.

Our group next walked back out onto the beach where we walked to the end of the beach where cliffs took over and we could walk no further. It was along that route that we came across more sea lions, pelicans, Boobies, all up close and easily photographed. By the end of the walk we were standing in the surf looking up a hundred foot red cliff while taking photos of another bird species or watching a sea lion come ashore. In the distance, our ship, the Galapagos Legend, sat off shore waiting for our panga to return us and the sun was slowly setting. Hues of orange, red and blue passed under the thin cloud cover and the sky lit up with a stunning sun set.

Our panga struggled to turn it's stern end towards the beach to pick us up. The surf was getting rough. The stern end of the panga was yawing from side. As that was the end we needed to board, this yawing made attempting it dangerous. This was the motor end and the heavy 50 horse outboard swung back and forth as well. At one point a lady walked out to get on the panga and jumped up onto the pontoon just as the boat violently swung in her direction. Had she not jumped up at that moment she might have been knocked down in the surf and quite possibly pulled under the boat. I observed all this from the safety of the beach where I had insisted we move back to until the crew had secured the dinghy.

They finally started the motor, drove the boat off shore a few yards and then made a new landing attempt. This time they backed in, the surf abated just long enough and the last three of us quickly got aboard. The sea had picked as well. White caps and frequent swells made the journey back a quite bouncy. Water sprayed over the bow and made a few people a little nervous. The heavier sea also made disembarking a little tricky since the panga passengers had to scoot along the pontoon to the front of the little dinghy and then time their step off and onto the steps on the ship just right. Quite an adventure!!

As we boarded they let us know there was an ice cream party in the forward lounge so we headed up. Three flavors if helados with all the fixings were out. We created our own sundae and then sat down with friends to share stories of the latest shore excursion. Then we headed to our room to shower and prepare for the evening. An announcement over the speaker in our room let us know that at 7:45 there would be the briefing for tomorrow's outings followed by dinner at 8:00.

Dinner was beef bourguignon for me and Fish et Papillion for Leslie. This is fish and a few veggies wrapped in parchment or foil and sealed for the cooking process. It poaches in the package. It smelled awfully fishy to me which usually indicates to me it is not fresh so I was glad I had gone with the beef.

After dinner they held a King Neptune ceremony, a tradition when crossing the equator which, by the way, we had done four times during the cruise. Leslie went and said it was lame and then dancing started with the YMCA tune. Her ankle was bothering her so she returned to the room where I had gone. By the time she got settled into bed she was asleep in 5 minutes. I wrapped up my journal and did the same. Another big day tomorrow. Night!

Dia Catorce: The Galapagos Islands

I slept better than I have the past two weeks. The slow steady rocking of the ship, the steady hum of the engines lulled me right off to sleep. The sea level atmosphere also allowed me to breathe which also helped.

We awoke, dressed and headed for breakfast. What a spread. Eggs cooked anyway you like, a buffet with everything you could want and some of which you shouldn't be eating. But we're on vacation. We are going to be playing hard and heck we can go back on our oatmeal breakfast diet when we get home.

The first adventure was a wet landing on Isabela Island at Urbina Bay. A wet landing meaning the panga, or inflatable dinghy, noses up to the beach, turns it's stern end to the beach at the last minute and then lets the waves carry us in where we each, in turn, dismount into the water and walk ashore in knee deep water. This was pretty exhilarating since there was no easy of knowing exactly how deep or cold the water would be. The waves and current tossed us around and filled our sandals with the heavy volcanic sand.

Ashore we headed down the trail which lead us first to a land tortoise which just happened to be out grazing on the dew covered grass. At each stop our guide, Andres, gave us a detailed explanation of the flora and fauna of our location. He explained about the poison apple tree that we shouldn't touch because it would give us a rash, the cotton plants that actually produced cotton and had beautiful yellow flowers. The cotton bowl was surrounded by a protective set of leaves that looked like a Venus Fly Trap. We next came across individual land iguanas scattered here and there amongst the underbrush. Our hike lasted about an hour and a half after which we found ourselves back at the beach.

From there we spent about an hour snorkeling in the small bay. The water was pretty murky and not particularly good snorkeling, but was full of the nutrients that make these waters great feeding grounds. We didn't see much on this dive. Kind of disappointing. However, a few people did see several sea turtles.

Back to the ship in our panga, we showered, for the second time today, then off to lunch. We managed a well-deserved nap. Slept like a baby again.

The afternoon outing was a dry landing and hike along the shore on Espinosa Point of Fernandina Island through Mangrove trees and across lava beds. We were able to see seals lolling on the beach and among the cool mangrove trees. Sea turtles swam in the water right off shore, but the big surprise were the hundreds of marine iguanas that laid about on the rocks. They were everywhere, sometimes we nearly stepped them. They blended well with the rocks and hardly moved.

Back to the ship after a very hot hike and another shower! Dinner was a BBQ out at the bar on the fantail of the ship. Bowls of salads and rich desserts, arroz, papas, veggies and the BBQ meats, sausages, chicken, beef, pork. Huge piles of each. We ate al fresco at teak tables and chairs. A lovely sky overhead with a gentle breeze made it a lovely evening. We sat with a couple from Austin, Texas, Josh and Mary and had a delightful conversation with them.

We fell into bed by 9:30, early yes but most everyone is exhausted after a full day of heavy physical activity. Leslie had also sprained her ankle and we needed to get some ice on it. I went in search of it and before long we had her lying down with the ice pack. We were concerned about her ability to take the hike and snorkel tomorrow morning. But that's another day and so we drifted off to sleep.

Dia trece: the Galapagos Islands!

5:00 am is pretty early but it means we are going to be heading to sea level where I can breathe again. We quietly dragged our luggage downstairs where the night clerk was waiting for us. He had arranged a "taxi" for us. He went out the front door and as I watched, he knocked on the window of a king cab Chevy truck. The driver was awakened. He had apparently been there a while. We were a little leery of the idea of this cab since there were no markings on it indicating it was a cab. The hotel clerk assured us it was fine and as it turned out, he was right. Still it seemed odd getting into a vehicle with a total stranger. But as has been our total experience here in Ecuador, all was well.

Getting inside the airport we looked for the person carrying a sign that read "Klein Tours". We had arrived well before we needed to, yet as we stood looking around for any sign of what to do or a person who might help us, we saw no one. 6:00 came and went and still no sign. I stood with the luggage while Leslie went off looking for someone. She finally discovered Klein Tours staff up at the ticket counter. So there was no sign? If we had just stood waiting for that sign, we would never have made the flight! So we got in the special line for us to check in and waited and waited until one of the Klein people got to us only to look at our luggage and tell us we had to go back out and in through another door to have security check out baggage. Ay! So out of the ticketing line, out the front door, around to the security line, threw our luggage onto the conveyor belt and finally got the tag allowing us to go back to the ticketing line. This time it went smoothly. We got a sticker with the name of our ship on it to wear so I guess we can't get lost. Next stop, through the security line. This too took a while. When we finally reached the spot where in the US you would be asked to remove your shoes, your belt, your computer and cell phone and all the change and keys and and other remotely metal objects from your person as well as any liquids, well you know what I mean. Here, no one cared. We placed our carry ons on the conveyor and walked through the metal detector. Nothing went off! I was approached by a guard to take off my cap. I complied. I went to get my backpack. As i picked it up another guard said in Spanish I understood, that I should take my bag to be inspected at a table he pointed to. But by the time I figured out what he had actually said, I had picked up my pack and walked on into the lounge area. No one said anything or stopped me. It was so disorganized no one looked to make sure I had complied. We both had metal including a pocket full of change that never set off the metal detectors. Hmmmm!

Our flight was never posted on the departing flights board despite their only being about 6 flights indicated at all. All of a sudden it was just announced in Spanish only that flight number 32 was boarding. If Leslie hadn't spoken Spanish we might have missed our flight. While we were waiting for our flight, Leslie went over to the only food service in the area. She got in line and watched as all the non-Spanish speaking, mostly gringos, tried to order from the Spanish only staff. They were also shorting their order by not giving them the plantain chips they were supposed to get. They even tried to short change Leslie as well as not including our plantain chips. When she started in speaking pretty fluent Spanish, her service suddenly improved, and she got the correct change. We were shuttled over to the plane in buses. Our flight was uneventful from Quito to Guayaquil where we waited about 40 minutes for a few more passengers to board and then off we flew to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands.

As we banked over the island of Baltra where the airport is located we got our first glimpse of the landscape of these islands. They appear on first glance to be pretty desolate. Desert like with cactus, volcanic rock, few if any trees, little water. We descended the ladder from the plane and headed for a series of low lying, pretty run down buildings where security and customs took their turn with us and we also handed over $200 ($100 each) for the cost to get into the Galapagos National Park which encompasses 93% of the islands' real estate. Our 5 day trip will visit several of the islands. We mounted tour buses that took us the couple of miles to the bay where several tour boats sat at anchor. In the distance, sitting like a jewel in the deep blue water sat our home for the next 5 days, the Galapagos Legend. She is an older design but absolutely beautiful and really well maintained at least where we tourists can see her.

Our bus came to a halt and it's contents spilled out onto a dock where each person was handed a life jacket and directed to get in another line waiting to step into an inflatable dinghy. These dinghies were the hard bottom type so they were pretty easy to step into and out of with the help of the young men at the bow where we boarded. Our turn came and our 20 foot dinghy filled up with about 15 persons, turned and headed to the Legend at a pretty good clip being pushed by a 50 horse outboard.

We embarked through a gangway on the port side, claimed our carry ons and headed up a flight of stairs to the reception desk on Earth Deck, which also turned out to be the deck for our stateroom, a junior suite on the starboard side. We were supposed to head to lunch after we got our key but we really wanted to see that our room was what we hoped it would be. It was!

Two big windows gave us a fabulous view out to sea or onto the islands we were anchored near. Plenty of closet space, a desk, a TV, our own bathroom. It was well appointed and roomy for our needs.

After a quick looksy, we headed to lunch. We enjoyed meeting our table mates, a family with an British dad and a German mom. The other couple were 20 somethings from India but living in Australia and traveling around the world for a year. Lunch was a buffet with so so food, too much food! We ate and chatted up our new friends. During lunch we were presented with a menu from which we were to order what we wanted for dinner. The afternoon was filled with getting our room put away, attending a briefing on what we should and shouldn't do on and off the islands given by one of our guide/naturalists and finally, attending an emergency drill.

Following the drill we were to get our snorkeling gear and prepare for the first shore party, this one to Bartolomeo Island with a climb up 400 stairs for a great view from the top of a cinder cone and then an hour of snorkeling. About the time we headed to the briefing I began feeling, well, not good. By the time the drill was over, so was I. I headed for our room and Leslie went to get her snorkeling gear. She and I were disappointed to find out that they had no masks with corrective lenses. Leslie even owns such a mask but we didn't bring it since we had so much else to bring for the workshop and we figured they'd have them available on the boat. So she is going to try it with the plain glass, but I have serious doubts since she has tried this before and found it frustrating. The last time we snorkeled I didn't need glasses so this may be frustrating for me as well.

Either way, today was a no go for me. With my little health crisis, I didn't need to be far from a bathroom and there are none available on shore! Yikes!

So Leslie headed off on the excursion without me. I insisted. So the photos of Bartolomeo Island are all courtesy of her. After a lovely nap, the best rest I have had since arriving here in Ecuador, I awoke to Leslie's knock and her return from her adventure. I listened to her story and then we headed forward to the Welcome Cocktail Party and a briefing on tomorrow's adventures.

Our dining partners are really delightful people. The young Indian couple are ER doctors. Feeling a bit better, I ventured down to the dinner which we had ordered at lunch. I ate the shrimp and the broccoli soup and not much else. Had a nice conversation with our dining partners and then went back to our cabin to settle in and head for bed.

Dia Once en Quito, Ecuador

Morning dawned brightly on our eleventh day here. The choirs had gotten up early and gone their various directions. After our big day yesterday we let them do their own thing and we slept in-- until 8:30.

Both the shower and toilet in our room are running very slowly. By the time we finish a shower we are standing in 3 inches of water! Our day will be filled pretty much with the details of preparing for our next adventure, the Galapagos. We need to move some of our belongings to the hotel where we will stay when we return from the Galapagos. We can only take one bag aboard the plane out to the islands, so we asked and the hotel will store the other bags which will be filled with things we don't need or that we have acquired.

We took to take taxi over to MamaCuchara's to pick up the music they'd copied for Leslie, then over to the new hotel to drop off our extra baggage and souvenirs, then on to have lunch at what is reported to be the best place in Quito for Seco de Chivo (goat stew). A short taxi ride and we got our things safely deposited in the store room of the hotel. We Had a great seco de chivo at La Buen Sandwich under La Cathedral in the Plaza Grande. This place was highly rated by Lonely Planet and this time they got it right. Chunks of goat braised forever until they are so tender and have absorbed the essence of the sauce they braised in, served next to the ever=present mound of rice, some papas and slices of avocado. Muy Bueno!

We also bought one of those great helados from a vendor in the square like the one we enjoyed along our way yesterday, though this one wasn't nearly as rich.

The next stop, another must see when in Quito. We grabbed a taxi and asked to be taken to the Guayasamin museum, the great 20th century painter who lived here in Quito most of his life.

One would think that a taxi driver would know who this great man was and how to take tourists to his museum. And our taxi driver assured us he did. Not this guy. Oh, he said he knew how to get there, but by the time we had gone through a very long tunnel and through a toll booth, we had a pretty good idea he was hopelessly lost. We pulled over at Leslie's insistence and asked a guy who happened to be walking along the side of the road. He pointed up, way up, and back the way we came. Way back the way we came. Back through the toll booth, through the tunnel and up, up, way up. Leslie's map skills began to pay off as we zeroed in on the place and finally found it. Then the two of them started discussing what a fair fare would be. He insisting we should pay the full fare and Leslie insisting that it was too much since he obviously didn't know where he was going. Eventually, they settled amicably on a much reduced fare and we hopped out in front of the museum.

The museum is actually his home up in an upscale neighborhood. Beautiful home with a view out across the valley and across to neighborhoods on the opposite hillside. We got a guided tour in Spanish and I was surprised at how much I understood. The gift shop was filled with prints of his works priced from around $400 up to around $2,000. Posters were also available much cheaper but we have no interest in those. The signed and numbered print I liked best was about two grand so it stayed on the wall. I'm relaxing out on the patio right now while Leslie looks through some of the other rooms.

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A bit about taxis here in Quito. We have had great luck with taxis so far. If you travel here be sure to insist on the cabbie turning on the meter before you go anywhere. The exception is on Sundays when they don't always turn them on them and often charge double the standard rate which is why they don't want to turn on their meters. You need to know what the normal rate (experience or talking to other folks who have been there for a few days will help you get your sea legs on this issue) is and then expect it to be double.

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We next headed for the Capilla del Hombre, a Guayasamin tribute to peace over war. It was supposed to be a 5 block walk which turned into a 5 block walk uphill. That might be doable at sealevel but I am not always doing well even when I'm not moving. Shortness of breath at higher altitudes has always been a problem for me, even as a kid. So I got real grumpy when I saw what we were getting into. Leslie saw a cab coming down the hill and asked him to take us the rest of the way. I felt kind of stupid when the cabbie turned around and drove about the equivalent of a block and dropped us off. Very kind of him when he could easily have refused and gone on to get a far more pricey fare. The Capilla del Hombre is a fortress-like construction. Inside the massive main room are huge paintings depicting war, injustice and their consequences. There is more on the floor below including a photo gallery of Guayasamin with various heads of state, Castro, Mitterand, etc., with any U.S. president conspicously absent. What with his socialist political leanings though, I guess a photo op with a U.S. president might not be forthcoming. Guayasamin died in 1999 so his estate has been turned into the Guayasamin Foundation which, besides controlling all things Guayasamin, also promotes peace and justice especially in parts of the world where that is in short supply. When we were ready to leave we asked at the entrance for a cab. An older man came up and offered to take us but we balked when we saw that he was unmarked. The attendant at the ticket window assured us he was okay so we decided to take a chance. But we settled on a price before we got in. $3 for all the way across town to our hotel. We knew that was fair so off we went.

Leslie hopped out near the hotel at the Supermaxi and I went on to the hotel to rest up before we headed out to dinner. Dinner was a three block walk away in a Brazilian place Leslie had spotted on one of her walks. It specialized in roasted meats that were brought to your table and sliced off the rotisserie. They brought us 8 different cuts of meat--pork, beef and chicken. An assortment of salads, rice, black beans (these caused me a problem when I bit into a small pebble and cracked a tooth), boiled potatoes and a local draft beer cost $20. We were stuffed!

A short walk through our neighborhood, even after dark, with no problems at all, and we arrived safely back to our room.

Dia Nueve en Quito, Ecuador

Up at 8:30. Usual breakfast. Our amiga from La Ciudad de Mexico, Zulyanar, was downstairs waiting for a friend to come and take her to see the Middle of the World sites, the equator sites we saw our 2nd day here. We had a nice farewell with her and exchanged invitations to come visit. We grabbed a taxi and headed for the historic old part of town.

We got dropped a block or so from the Iglesia de Santo Domingo. Outside the church was a plaza surrounded by shops and restaurants and personas y familias filled the plaza. We visited the Iglesia and stayed for part of the Domingo mass. The beauty of the church and service were marred by the poor choice and poor performance of the music. This is a living church. Not a museum, but hearing Simon and Garfunkel performed poorly in a church built in the 14th century just doesn't work for me. I want to hear good quality sacred music, preferably which matches the period of the church. The church is also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and to hear out of tune folk music in such a stunning place. . . We talked about the 1962 Vatican 2 directive that took away the Latin mass with the idea that it was to help the people become more a part of the service. I think we were in agreement that was not happening in the church we were visiting. The congregants sat when they were told to and stood when they were told to. Seldom did we see them much more actively involved than that. They didn't sing. They recited prayers from memory. They showed no connection to what was going on. It was pretty much the priest's show.

It was out in the plaza outside the church where we saw the only bit of trouble so far on the entire trip. A couple of men seemed to be arguing over a woman. There was a lot of screaming. A couple of punches were thrown, but the interesting thing was that within seconds a motorcycle policeman had literally driven at high speed across the plaza and, with his bike, separated the men. I mean it was so quick.

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While I'm on that subject, let me just speak bit about security here in Quito. While planning this trip we went onto the United States State Department website to find out about any concerns we should have regarding our safety in Ecuador. The website warned us about pick pockets, muggings, petty theft, some incidents of people having been murdered. Enough to scare hell out of me.

But we have found Quito to be filled with warm, friendly, helpful and honest people. Sure we are wearing our money belts but we do that when ever we travel to foreign countries. We are aware of where we are and who is around us. We walk like we know where we are going. We educate ourselves before going so we know where and when to go and not to go. Finally, we can't help that we are Americans, but you would do well not to advertise it. Play down the natural tendency we Americans have for being aggressive, sometimes demanding. Leave your conspicuous wealth at home. Most of the world doesn't wear white tennis shoes. Be kind. Try to speak their language. Don't expect them to speak English even though they probably do, and well. It really seems that a little knowledge, good manners and common sense will, as in most cases in life, save you a lot of grief down the road. Just some random thoughts.

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We walked through the streets, down La Ronda with it's black, cast-iron balconied buildings reminiscent of New Orleans. We ran into a street that was filled with people celebrating something. A band played while dancers in local costumes twirled and turned to and fro in the middle of an intersection. A few steps away was the Monestario de Carmen Alto which we stepped into briefly. It was also lovely. Though cerrado (closed) the day of our visit on Sunday, this church's claim to fame is the pan or bread the sisters bake that is for sale. After a brief look inside the church, we headed across the street to the Museo de la Ciudad de Quito. Exquisite! Housed in the beautifully restored 450+ year old first hospital in Quito, the exhibits are well worth your time. Do check out both courtyards. The second is an especially lovely place to sit and relax for a bit.




Entonces, we walked over to what we both agreed was one of the top 4 or 5 churches we have seen in the entire world. La Compania de Jesus is an absolutely stunning church. The walls, the chapels, the ceiling, the alter, the entire interior of the church is covered in 23 k gold. You must visit when in Quito. I had to sneak my photos which I did discreetly and with the flash and shutter noise turned off.




The Plaza de San Francisco has been beautifully restored by the government. We had read in the Lonely Planet that the Tianguez Restaurant in the plaza was a good place to stop for lunch. Well, I disagree except for one very important thing. It is a lovely place to go and sit and gaze out across the plaza. Do not eat at this place. The food is not worth the price. Buy a beer or a hot chocolate and just enjoy the view. The restaurant also has a very pricey gift shop but is fun to look through. There are lovely Ecuadorian handicrafts and the quality is very high, but unless you have the money, just enjoy wandering through the various rooms and down the really cool narrow tunnel that goes and goes and goes taking you past all of the store's offerings. No dickering here either.

Out on the plaza however you are likely to run into young girls selling scarves or handmade bracelets of yarn. Others are pedaling helados, ice cream, kept frozen with dry ice, or other handicrafts. We fell in love with a little girl who was using every bit of her sweet personality to sell scarves. She held a stack of them almost as tall as she was. Dressed in the native costume with the black hat women and girls so commonly wear in this part of the world. Leslie went through half the stack before she found the three scarves she had agreed to buy from the little girl for only $6. The two of them haggled a bit at first. Two for $5 was the girls first offer. Leslie said, "three for $5?" The little girl, with a practiced business manger came back with, "three for $6?" Leslie nodded in agreement and the search for the right colors was on. The deal and scarf selection complete, I took a few photos of this pint-sized entrepreneur and we were off to our next stop.

It was getting on towards 4 and I was bushed so we walked over to the hotel we are supposed to stay in when we get back from the Galapagos. We went in and checked the lobby and asked to call us a cab. In a few minutes the cab pulled up. The hotel was much nicer than our hostel. But then it should be considering the price. Sadly, the desk clerk wasn't real friendly. So we are now considering cancelling our reservation there and saving the money by staying in our hostel upon our return, a very friendly place even if it isn't the classiest hotel. We took the $3 taxi ride back to the hotel where I piled out and left Leslie to take cab over to La Carolina park.

I went on up to relax until she returned an hour or so later. Today has been a bad day for food. Lunch was a bomb and tonight we took a taxi over to another Lonely Planet recommendation, La Canoa, a place they said would be a great place to eat Ecuadorian cuisine without emptying your wallet. We'd disagree on both counts. We walked in to find the huge dining room mostly empty and those who were there were all Americans. The menu looked like a Denny's menu, the prices reflected it's gringo clientele and the food just didn't stand up to much of what we'd had elsewhere in Quito. I had a tripe stew with little lengths of tripe filled with different ingredients. Leslie had Caldo de Verde which is plantain soup with camerones and a side of rice. We also ordered our favorite Empanadas Verde. Two came on the plate which made a nice little appie. We asked to see a postre menu but when the waiter brought it to us he indicated that, of the full page of dessert items, only two were available, ice cream and the last piece or two of a chocolate cake that looked like it had been sitting out most of the day. Never mind. La cuenta por favor (the count, please). Our dinner, which also included two small bottles of water came to $20. We paid up, asked the waiter to get us a cab, hopped in and were back in our room in 5 minutes. Great site seeing today!