Hotel Embassy Quito

... all. We decided to head into the new part of town and were in the mood for a couple of drinks so we indulged in happy hour or two, always a good excuse when you´re travelling and you don´t have work on Monday! We had a great night bar hopping around a lovely little square in Quito making most of all the 2 for one cocktails, Eugene even got into the frozen Margaritas!<br><br>The following day, I dragged myself out of bed with some coaxing from Eugene and it was ...

... skiers on the placid lake. We picked out little coves and talked about how nice it would be to have a house in one spot or the next......if it wasn´t in Colombia, and near Medellin.<br> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br ><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><b r><br><br>Out of all the cities in Colombia, we liked Medellin the least. On the way back we caught the metro into the downtown and walked about 2 blocks before we ...

... is truely breathtaking.<br><br>Now to recount the begining of the trip:<br><br>After a loving, but not overly drawnout, goodbye from my family i boarded my plane in San Francicso. A quick layover in Atlanta and then I was on my way to Quito. I looked out the plane window as the sun set over Central America, and admired the deep oranges and reds that filled the sky. For miles my view of the sunset was cut by massive black mountains of clouds, each ...

... happy to relent. I also picked up a poncho which I liked.<br><br>As we left looking for a place to eat we came across another, if not larger, market. Here they were selling grain, fruit, vegetables, bread and some poultry livestock. We decided to indulge in some of the food. I had a plate of rice, salad including beetroot and meat, along with a large drink of chocolate in a soup bowl for $1.50.We shared two of these, Niamh had a kebab from ...

... abundance of tourists) seemed like the modern day version of the Central Park and the cafe had a great outdoor area where I could sit under a tree and drink my favourite drink of all time - a Guanabana smoothie. I discovered guanabana previously in Costa Rica and found I quite liked it. I´m not entirely sure what it is/looks like, but the best way to describe the flavour would be vanillery, with a hint of a tangy note and a mild banana flavour ...

... br>We plan to be heading down to Cuenca on August 5th, probably by bus (it´s really cheap but logistically challenging). We will likely leave half our stuff here with Mark and Nancy (I overpacked - Again!) and take the remainder to Cuenca, this includes the 3 kids (used) bikes we bought.<br><br>Sorry about the lack of photos but most internet cafes here prohibit use of flashdrives and such because of viruses. Hopefully we will get an internet ...

... br><br>There is a new centre further down the valley but we havent been there yet. We are advised to stay away as it is very dangerous and girl particularly shouldnt go anywhere without a taxi. We like it here anyway. Today we climbed the bell tower of a cathedral. Scary stuff. Don´t think theyve heard of OHS in this country. There were these really steep steps just hanging over the side of the cathedral. Made the legs shake a bit! Picutres to follow in ...

... the beauty of the Basilica itself the towers and the clibe to the towers is simply breathtaking. My favorite site in Quito so far. But really does that surprise anyone? Beauty, adrenaline and activity all put into one, I am bound to think is if fabulous. It was a big day, we started at 9am and didn´t return to the hostal until 6pm. After a bit of relaxing and some cafe con leche we ventured out for dinner and a bit of salsa dancing.

... last minute items, I was exhausted getting to the airport. Kristin and I had a lot of sadness leaving each other and I readjusted my schedule to allow 3 weeks together in New Zealand and Australia. She is taking care of my dogs during this trip and was a big part of encouraging me to go forward with the trip and reassuring me that she would take care of the dogs. I am so thankful for her and her help. Arriving to ...