Old Town in Quito
Trip Start
Jan 12, 2008
1
7
21
Trip End
May 05, 2008
Quito,
Ecuador
Monday, February 11, 2008
After a 12 hour bus ride I arrived in Quito. This was the start of many bus rides I will have, so let me describe the trip. Before entering the bus all the passengers were frisked by a policeman and our luggage was searched. We left at 7:30 pm on what was supposed to be a direct bus to Quito. It was direct on the highway to Guayaquil, but after that it seemed like we spent more time on bumpy city streets than a highway. Meanwhile the bus stopped numerous times to pick people up who were waiting beside the road. Later in the night it was standing room only. At 1 am we went through a military checkpoint. All the men got out of the bus and were frisked again. The soldiers werenīt watching each other so I had the privilege of being frisked twice. At least I knew there werenīt any guns on board! After a long night we arrived in Quito at 7 am the next morning.
Plaza Grande in Old Town
I found a nice hotel called the Viena International near Old Town
Plaza Grande
. The rooms are small, clean, and it has a central courtyard and attached diner. It is located two blocks away from Plaza Grande, the heart of the district. The architecture is wonderful here. As you look around the Plaza you see the Presidentīs Palace, a large church, a combination police and tourist station, and some restaurants and the Grand Hotel. It is a gathering spot for people who talk or watch performances by musicians or actors in white face.I was able to take a tour with a Spanish speaking guide of the Presidentīs Palace. It is built around two courtyards and is two stories high. Speaking of courtyards, many of the buildings have shops that border on internal courtyards. It is a nice touch.
There is a 2007 News Photograph Exhibition in the art museum. The pictures are blown up to meter square size, and the captions are in both Spanish and English. Many of the photos were of various wars occurring around the globe. Others photos were of sports, people, or nature. It is an interesting exhibit. I canīt post any photos due to copyright issues.
I have also visited a few churches. They tend to have nice architecture and painted gold patterns on the columns
Plaza Grande 3
. I can only rank one church as being truly magnificent, but the others are being restored so they may rival it some day. Weather and People
The weather is cooler than Panama, I find it to be comfortable. It is sunny at times, cloudy at other times, and can change quickly to rain. Quito is at 2,850 meters altitude. I have been walking a lot and trying to become adjusted. I still feel a little winded from the three story climb to my hotel room. The people here are short and stout, much like myself. Due to the colder weather, the Ecuadorians dress in heavier clothing than the Panamanians. In the evening they bring a sweater or jacket. They also talk a little slower than the Panamanians.
More Classes
Monday I signed up for a week of Spanish language and salsa. I am taking two hours of salsa in the morning and four hours Spanish in the afternoon. I was worried that I might not make it through the salsa because of the altitude, but I did fine. I am learning Cuban style now, and I am finding that a lot of the moves start with moving my left foot back instead of forward on the one beat
Plaza Grande 2
. The Spanish at (Beraca Spanish School) continues to be grueling for me, but I learn so much more at school than I have on the street. My instructor Sophia is under 5 foot tall, petite, and has long brown hair. She is a professor at the young age of 23 and is married with a three year old child. She is persistent in her efforts to drum a little knowledge into my thick head. We are spending a lot of time on verb endings and on conversations. Fellow classmates come from all around the globe.
You can still email me at j.g.green@att.net if you want to chat privately. If you want to comment on this blog than go ahead and leave a message here. I am presently emailing daily from the Papaya-net Cafe. This is a cool spot to email and drink coffee, beer, or even order a meal.
Comments
Hey Jim
It sounds like you're settling into your foreign adventure quite nicely. Steak and french fries; colorful cuisine. I have recently been hearing about the active volcano somewhere around Quito spewing ash and rumbling. Have you encountered anything?
Algebra continues to ba a bit of a challenge. It still takes forever to do homework and take tests. But I'm not quitting, no siree.
Our very cold temps and robust snow storm is gone and now we have the ubiquitous rain creating skating ponds in the middle of streets and parking lots. Always great fun when carrying a heavy backpack full of books. Oh well, at least I can now see where I slip and fall and slide as the daylight lengthens. Hooray!
Oh yeah, one more thing; DOT finally got around to posting for your old position. Now you'll have to think of something else that's fun to do...I'll light a candle. ;-)
Snow
Jim,
Well, your old job has been finally posted on the State Job site. It closes in about 10 days. I know we won't get anyone before you get back.
Hopefully, you have someone checking your boat, we had almost 2 feet of snow and it's raining and 40 degrees.
So you didn't apply for a job on the Panama Canal?
Get your Spainish down and they might hire you.
The weather and country looks really nice, you have a good one.
Gary