Radisson Quito

... she wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but I hugged her and told her, if she ever watned to talk tat I was there for her.... I also tend to make an ass out of my self every tuesday and thursday. I work in the office every tuesday and thursday answering phones, I must say I am getting better at understanding, but I still have at least one screw up everyday... at least it creats commical relief for everyoen in the office ...

... music. Of course a Latin American party wouldnŽt be complete without heaps of food and this one did not disappoint as Marco's family made a pork roast with an entire pig! Following the food fest the remaining close family members watched Ecuador lose to Colombia in the world cup qualifier match. I want to think that had they won Marco's uncles wouldn't have "strongly encouraged" me to drink their special blend of Sprite and Bacardi but I think ...

... city set up on the site of the equator and its fun to stand in the two hemispheres...but its not actually on the equator lol! Back in the 17th century some French people calculated the equator to be where that site is but in the 1970s the American Military came with proper GPS systems and found that the equator was actually around 250m away from the original line but I guess the French didn't do too bad to guess it was there ...

Quito, Ecuador's capital and second largest city, sprawls over a collectino of hillsides at 2850 m. After Quilotoa, it's almost balmy! We change into our most summery clothes and send our dusty mountain attire off to be washed while we explore the city.

The colonial old town reminds me of some of the cities I visited in Eastern Europe nearly two years ago, but how nice to have someone else to wander it with! We start off with a second breakfast at the Plaza Grande, filled with ...

... in an old colonial church of the historic district. It was amazing and only cost $1! Stupidly, I bought some potato chips before the concert because I was so hungry. During each applause, luckily of which there was one after every song, I would shove as many chips into my mouth as I could. After the concert, we ate at a famous hot dog place. Ecuadorian hot dogs include yummy toppings such as onion, crushed up potato chips and even pineapple jam. Then Anna ...

... on a hill and three people walked up there against peoples advise and were accosted by 15 boys with knives so their stuff was taken. Others were walking alone and had sauce squirted on them, then someone tries to 'help' you and pickpockets you. Its really really prevalent and unfortunately it seems being here a month its likely to happen but for now if I go walking I walk with direction and kind of look irritated with something on my mind and so far people have kept away from me. I ...

... museum next door Museo De Sitio Intinan. This apparently is the real equator. Supposedly 250 years ago when it was established where the original monument was, they did a pretty good job with their basic sextants etc. The museum had examples of traditional homes giving a basic history of Ecuador, but the best part was the tests. The water with the whirlpool going clockwise, anti clockwise or directly down depending on where the sink was ...

... there that night. Quito doesn't really seem all that dangerous but the sheer number of mugging stories that I've heard have made me a bit wary. Good thing we were planning to spend most of our time in the mountains. On Wednesday morning we were picked up by our guides for our trip out to Iliniza Norte. Cesar, who was with us on Pichincha was to be Dan's guide. Wilson, who was to be my guide for the next 11 ...

... the same source. But still…

Problem fixed, we were on our way again. We drifted in and out of fog for many, many miles and the journey became like a surreal dream. For the first time I imagined I could feel the type of Occidental mysticism that infuses the work of writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jorge Luis Borges. Towns came and went and the local Indians, wearing small 'Panama' hats, got on and off. The air-conditioned bus rocked and rolled. But my redeeming memory ...