NEWS # 009
Hi everyone!
Up at 6.00 am, say 'hasta luego' to Hugo from the hotel and go to the bus
stop to buy my ticket to the airport. It is pouring with rain and am
therefore less depressed at the thought of leaving. Catch the bus and ferry
combination back to the airport where I get checked in easily and go in
search of souvenirs. Buy a few and send some postcards to home.The flight
leaves on time and I have a window seat again! A few hours later Quito comes
into view.
On leaving the airport, there are no customs as it is classed as an internal
flight, you collect your luggage and go. Am accosted outside the airport by a
taxi driver who insists that he has the taxi for me. We arrive at a small
Fiat and the driver sticks my board in, with two feet sticking out of the
front window!!! I chuck my bag in the boot and climb in the back. Anxious not to
be ripped off again, I agree a fare of five dollars and off we go.
We weave in and out of the traffic and I am therefore delighted when we
arrive at the hostel with my board in one piece. I give the driver six
dollars for the ride and both of us part happy.
Small problem, there is no room at the hostel who have let mine as I hadn't
called them the day before to confirm. My fault but a pain all the same.
They suggest that I try the hostel twenty yards down the road, who can
thankfully fit me in. I agree to go back to my previous hostel in a couple
of days. I carry all my stuff up the stairs and settle in.
That night I have dinner at the Magic Bean restaurant (chicken kebabs,
garlic fries, some rather unusual looking vegetables and a drink of freshly-squeezed
banana, pear, strawberry and apple juice for the princely sum of
seven dollars. Feel much better and retire for the night.
The next few days are spent planning the next part of my journey. I've
decided that I will spend quite a lot more time in Ecuador than previously
planned, as I have really enjoyed my time here. I am now going to stay here
until 13th March and then go to Lima.
I get my flight changed without any problems and go about planning what I'm
going to do for the next five weeks. I've decided to catch a bus south to a
place called Riobamba on Saturday and from there will get the train to
Duran, ferry to Guayaquil and bus to Montanita on the coast!! I should get
there Sunday night if I am lucky.
I've already had some fun arranging the journey, though. Had to get a taxi
to the Terminal Terrestre (bus station) to buy my ticket. Through pidgin
Spanish and a lot of gesticulating I managed to buy a ticket and headed back
several miles across the city to my hostel - only to find that I had
arranged it for the wrong day!
So, I had to go all the way back across the city to change it. Still, it's done now!
Have
got my photos developed but the quality appears poor and hopefully is down
to bad printing. Will get some scanned in as soon as I can.
All is now set for my trip to the coast and I am looking forward to it with
some slight reservations. Will update you all as things transpire.
Seeya,
Halesy
