Quito
Trip Start
Nov 15, 2008
1
8
68
Trip End
Jun 15, 2009
Quito,
Ecuador
Sunday, November 30, 2008
At 8:30 am the next morning we went straight to our first day of Spanish lessons. This had seemed like a really good idea at the time, learn a bit of Spanish be able to get about a bit easier in South America etc. Well really i should have tried to master English before i tried Spanish! Lets just say after 5 days of lessons, both Dave and i are still feeling a bit useless! No Hablo Espanol!
We stayed with a local family while we did the Spanish course, it was a good experience, but they spoke no English and us no Spanish. It was quiet a weird experience to sit at the dinner table and eat while they sat and watched you, neither party able to say much to the other. They hadn't really met other Australians before and were quiet interested in the country, mainly about kangaroos. They were very shocked when i told them we ate them! We gave them a little koala souvenir and they seemed quiet touched. In return they gave us some Old Ecuadorian coins. Ecuador adopted the US dollar in 2000, so there are not many old coins about these days.
I took me about 3 days to get over jet lag and acclimatize to the altitude. We are only 2,800 meters up here, but you can feel it. Dave faired better then me but even he got breathless when walking up a small incline. We joined the local transport tour with Kamuka yesterday. We have a mixed bunch with a daughter boyfriend mum dad group, a couple from Belgium, a girl from Sth Korea, a mum and daughter from NZ, a guy from the UK and the rest being Aussie couples. Everyone seems really nice, but it is only day one...... hehe.
Today we went to Otavalo about a two hr bus ride away. This place is famous for its markets, and they are huge. We spent the best part of 2 hrs look about and doing a bit of shopping. We picked up a few goodies including a $13 pair of jeans (mine decided to get holes in them during Egypt) so we will see how long they last! On the way back from the bus terminal we all got into taxis which the tour guide payed for with an agreed price. One group got to the hotel and then the taxi driver locked them in the cab until they payed him an extra dollar! Have to watch those locals!
The week we have been here has been Quito's independence week, and a crazy one at that. They have these Truck type things that just drive around town with a bunch of people sitting on seats while on a top level a marching type band plays what must be local songs. It is quiet cool. Last night was the biggest night of the fiesta and the street our hotel is in is where the party is! It was manic, and noisy since our room looks right out onto the road. We didn't really mind, but when the marching band took up a place right in front of the hotel and started to play very repetitive songs very out of tune at 11pm at night.............. well it was a long night lets just say that!
