San Jorge Eco Lodge Quito

... had also been rearranging the chairs like he had an obsessive/compulsive disorder and we remarked on it. Then they left, ate nothing. We were too stupid, I was too stupid, too careless to notice until we got up to leave that they had lifted my small backpack with everything - camera, video camera, money, my rain jacket, headlamp, book i was reading.....and passport. All gone. They got about $1000 worth of stuff, and I ...

... that they sell. Problem is that you can't see them! They stay inside behind a revolving door and you speak through the door, asking for what you need and then the door spins around and your goods appear! Quite strange but definitely something different!<br><br>Finally we got a little shopping done before packing our bags and heading to the mountains one last time to stay in a great little hostel near the Cotopaxi volcano for a few days of hiking, biking and chilling...<br>

... well-to-do locals out shopping and having a good time, particularly lots of families. We also saw lots of police and although we stood out as tourists, we didn&#8217;t feel worried about our safety at any point, despite many guidebooks saying that Quito is a dangerous city.<br><br>We reached Plaza Grande and saw the impressive Palacio del Gobierno (Government Palace), before heading to the enormous Basilica del Voto Nacional. A friendly custodian took us on a short tour of the church ...

... head. I wasn&#8217;t sure if it was real but the reaction of the boy at whom the revolver was pointed made me feel that it was. The boy withdrew the pistol and shoved it into the front of his trousers with the handle exposed looking very smug. I tried not to draw attention to myself as I continued to walk towards them and they crossed the road. I got within about 10 metres of them before they noticed me, I could see the gun clearly, it was real. I avoided eye contact but there was a ...

... of daylight left, we decided to check everything out as we walked. We must have sampled food from about 10 different cart venders: coconut, taffy, platano, ice cream, cookies, juice, cheese, and tomales to name but a few. Not sure if we were all hungary or just curious. Either way it was pretty good. We ate a small supper that night together by Jen stir fying some vegetables. Maria and Dany went out and bought a huge thing of gnutella for dessert. Good times. <br>

... or wait for buses - you&#8217;re always able to get on a bus that is leaving immediately, and as for the fare, it&#8216;s usually around $1 per hour of the journey. And so we made it to Otavalo by 9.30am with no hassles. <br><br>Otavalo is famous for it&#8217;s local handicraft markets and the locals who proudly wear their traditional dress. The market apparently heaves on Saturdays - we went on Friday, and although it was still in full swing perhaps lacked ...

... fifteen minutes early and no one was there. People then wanted to check out early but I didn't have a control of money yet and Callum got his days mixed up so I was alone for a while freaking out but a Colombian guy who came to sell jewellery helped me as he had previously volunteered a few times at the hostel. He was my saviour setting up breakfast and then went to set up his small jewellery stall down the end of the rooftop. I woke Callum and got him there for the shift but ...

... Otavalo ist recht klein und nicht<br>so spektakulaer wie ich dachte. Das besondere ist der Indigomarkt, der<br>jeden Tag stattfindet, wo von Ponchos ueber sonstwas alles verkauft<br>wird. Am Samstag, also heute, ist er dann ueber die ganze Stadt<br>verteilt, alle Strassen, ein Spektakel. <br>Vor allen die Leute zu beobachten macht irrsinnig Spass.<br>Ausserdem<br>bin ich heute morgen zu einer ...

... but her new vestido (dress) and when she saw the mountain of clothing slated for her (thanks to some very generous donations), she was so excited she decided to try on everything! Thus began the mini fashion show, with Dina clomping around the house in her new shoes and putting on one new outfit after another, while her sister Tania, who is 11, tried her new ropes on a bit more shyly, but with a big smile on her face. Jon, who is 13, was happy with his American ...