5:15 am
For dinner last night we had a piece of salmon, unfortunately I could not enjoy the desert though. I opted for some fruit. We talked for a bit and then played a little more 31. We were asleep by 10pm or so for our early departure. I feel like I am wearing the same clothe, or maybe it is just that all my clothes are a bit salty from the air that gives everything the feeling of being dirty. So I woke up this morning, said goodbye to the beach of Isabella, am boarding the bus now for the 2.5 hour return boat ride to Santa Cruz. I did manage to score some fresh sweet bread from the bakery for a snack before we go.
10:00 am
We are stopping for breakfast now, the ferry ride was another long three hours, I sat in the back and was soaked. There was no sunrise to day, it seemed like it basically went from dark to light. Behind the boat, the water shot up like an exploding volcano of water. I will miss the Island of Isabella. The lave tube, and being in the water with the Marine Iguanas swimming over head. The ride back was rough, we had a person get sea sick again.
The name of the town was Puerta Villa Mil on Isabella.
Larry suggested I listen to Jordan Rudess, he was the keyboard player for Dream Theater, Liquid Tenyson, Brand X.
11:45 am
The port we are at on Santa Cruz is Puerto Ayora. I did a little shopping and went to the fish market where the pelicans eagerly awaited scraps. The men right outside the restaurant were hard at work on a cool mini park. A large wind mill powered an old fashioned farm water spout, the kind with the big handle for well water. The spout would spew water into a wading pool to fill 3 levels of fountain with water that on each level had cactus plants. It was quite beautiful.
4:10 pm
This afternoon we saw Lonesome George He is the last tortoise of his species. Apparently 2 days ago they found a nest of eggs. He mated with a tortoise that is 96% the same species as him and there were 3 viable eggs. In 120 days we will see how many hatch. At that time maybe he will have a few offspring. At 6pm we will meet again to go to the Encantada.
7:45 pm
We are on the Encantada. We got to the boat around 6pm. As soon as we were settles, I jumped in the water. There is nothing better than that late afternoon swim, when the cool air makes the water feel that much warmer. We hung for a bit before a dinner of grilled tuna and potatoes. We discussed the next day’s itinerary and then went our separate ways. Perhaps I can organize a card game tonight, share the game of 31 that I have just learned. So I went on deck for a few minutes and there were boats everywhere. There is a little cloud cover, so it is tough to see the stars. I can’t wait, tomorrow we will swim with sharks and sea lions. I can’t wait, Floriana, here we come!!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
7-22 Day 4 in the Galapagos
7:15 AM
I find that I am at a complete loss for the date. I asked Yus last night when we were at the grocery store getting snacks for our trek up the volcano. He didn't know either. Last night we has "Table Steak" for dinner, we weren't alone though because a group of around 40 high school were here with us. The steak was weird looking. It looked like it has eyes. Afterwards my fellow travelers taught me a game called 31. You only use the cards 7-Ace and the point is to get all suited or 3 of a kind. The best is Ace and 2 face cards suited for 31 points. Three of a kind is 30.5 pts, and then you add up your points for suited only, the point is to not lose. The loser puts a chip in the middle. Then the first one out is the donkey. and he keeps playing until knocked out a second time. The 2nd person out is out, and does not get a second go round. It is a fun game, winner takes all.
This morning I woke up refreshed. Last night I was able to get some aloe from Larry because my neck was burned, and I was able to sleep my best yet. This morning I was even lucky enough to have a good shower because I managed to score some hot water. Not an easy task here.
Today we will go to the volcano, I am told it is the second largest caldera in the world. It is a bit windy though and over cast. So it could be tough to see much. In the first 2 days I have taken over 100 pictures. I just hope I don't run out of space on the camera. Our journey will start with a bus ride of 1 hour, then it is horseback and another 45 minutes hike to the top, on the way back we stop for bbq chicken and mashed potatoes, today will be a good day.
Some time between 8 and 9 am
We are on a bus to the volcano base and it is amazing how the vegetation gets much more dense as we climb higher. It is quite amazing how quickly we go from barren land to fields to rain forest.
12:15 pm
The horse was not bad, Yus's horse went down, and they had to give him another. Right now I am on the peak of one of the craters on Sierra Negra. Two people we met up with recommended a BBC special on the Galapagos. The whole ride up we got wet riding up into the cloud cover. Two hours on horseback and then 45 minutes hike across the center of the crater. There are many different lava here. The black lava in the crater was 3 yrs old, and there is lava closer to the peak that is 30 yrs old. They say evolution killed some Land Iguanas because they were caught in the lava flow here. Now they no longer live here.
The crater name is "Por Con Chico"
Walking across the crater, it looks like what I picture the moon to be. Barren cratered nothingness covered by lava rocks that are both sharp and brittle, we even got to see some steam vents.
approx 3:00 pm
On the way back from the crater, Larry's horse slipped and fell, he fell of hurting his shoulder, but appears to be ok. I thought the ride back was more dangerous because the roads were wet and muddy.
After the ride we stopped for lunch at the tortoise farm for BBQ. The food was really good, but we were swarmed by fly all during dinner. We had more fruit for dessert as well.
I find that I am at a complete loss for the date. I asked Yus last night when we were at the grocery store getting snacks for our trek up the volcano. He didn't know either. Last night we has "Table Steak" for dinner, we weren't alone though because a group of around 40 high school were here with us. The steak was weird looking. It looked like it has eyes. Afterwards my fellow travelers taught me a game called 31. You only use the cards 7-Ace and the point is to get all suited or 3 of a kind. The best is Ace and 2 face cards suited for 31 points. Three of a kind is 30.5 pts, and then you add up your points for suited only, the point is to not lose. The loser puts a chip in the middle. Then the first one out is the donkey. and he keeps playing until knocked out a second time. The 2nd person out is out, and does not get a second go round. It is a fun game, winner takes all.
This morning I woke up refreshed. Last night I was able to get some aloe from Larry because my neck was burned, and I was able to sleep my best yet. This morning I was even lucky enough to have a good shower because I managed to score some hot water. Not an easy task here.
Today we will go to the volcano, I am told it is the second largest caldera in the world. It is a bit windy though and over cast. So it could be tough to see much. In the first 2 days I have taken over 100 pictures. I just hope I don't run out of space on the camera. Our journey will start with a bus ride of 1 hour, then it is horseback and another 45 minutes hike to the top, on the way back we stop for bbq chicken and mashed potatoes, today will be a good day.
Some time between 8 and 9 am
We are on a bus to the volcano base and it is amazing how the vegetation gets much more dense as we climb higher. It is quite amazing how quickly we go from barren land to fields to rain forest.
12:15 pm
The horse was not bad, Yus's horse went down, and they had to give him another. Right now I am on the peak of one of the craters on Sierra Negra. Two people we met up with recommended a BBC special on the Galapagos. The whole ride up we got wet riding up into the cloud cover. Two hours on horseback and then 45 minutes hike across the center of the crater. There are many different lava here. The black lava in the crater was 3 yrs old, and there is lava closer to the peak that is 30 yrs old. They say evolution killed some Land Iguanas because they were caught in the lava flow here. Now they no longer live here.
The crater name is "Por Con Chico"
Walking across the crater, it looks like what I picture the moon to be. Barren cratered nothingness covered by lava rocks that are both sharp and brittle, we even got to see some steam vents.
approx 3:00 pm
On the way back from the crater, Larry's horse slipped and fell, he fell of hurting his shoulder, but appears to be ok. I thought the ride back was more dangerous because the roads were wet and muddy.
After the ride we stopped for lunch at the tortoise farm for BBQ. The food was really good, but we were swarmed by fly all during dinner. We had more fruit for dessert as well.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
7-21 Day 3 in the Galapagos
7:10 am
Didn't sleep well last night, but I did get a nap in the afternoon for an hour or so. Last night we had dinner, it was some kind of fish with rice, it was very good. At dinner, we talked about where we are all from. Right now there are five of us. Four men, 1 woman. They are a young couple from Amsterdam. She is German, and he is actually from Amsterdam. She is a student, he works for a coffee shop in Amsterdam. (Cafe=coffee, coffee shop=weed). The oldest guy in our group is "Larry" the postman from Sweden. He talked a lot about his travels. He gets 6 weeks vacation per year, and he can carry over 2 of those weeks. He told me that one year, he carried over two weeks and took November and December off, as well as January and half of February because he get his vacation time at the start of the year. On that trip he had gone too a restaurant for dinner, and the portion was to large, he only ate a third or so of it. He asked for a doggy bag to take it with him. Realizing he would never finish it, he offered it to two homeless people outside the restaurant, they in turn graciously accepted, but made a small request "can you buy us a coke to have with it?" He obliged.
The last person Jurs is from Denmark, he is a finance guy who is trying to keep up his English. Nice guy, says being away from work allows him to slow his thinking to the important things like eating, sleeping, and "bathroom".
After dinner we walk down to the town square for snacks to take with us today and a drink. The waitress, who affectionately referred to everyone as "oh my loved one" made a silly remark about my order of a sprite while everyone grabbed a beer. It took a while before I could find out what she said about me, she said "only a sprite for a big man like you?" Doesn't sound like much,but she said with gusto...
Oh well, breakfast is fruit and what I think are soft boiled eggs, today we have our first excursion. We had fresh papaya and guava juice too.
We will be swimming with sea lions, penguins, and sharks.
12:00 PM
I finally understand how Darwin felt. We took a small boat to an island for our first walking tour of the Galapagos right in the harbor for Isabella. When we hit the little dock there was a baby sea lion sitting there in the sun. He was such a ham.... from there we walked along the island of black volcanic rock. It looked as Darwin described it. No life, just rock and coral, but as we walked slowly you began to see the rocks come alive. These marine iguanas blend with the rock so well that at first it is easy to pass them by, then suddenly something moves and you begin to see dozens of them on the rocks, that is once you know how to spot them. Even now as I lay in this hammock by the beach near my hotel, the Hotel Volcano, you see dozens of them come on shore from their morning meal at the sea bed. Even as I write this, there is an average size one, around 20-22 inches watching me as the younger smaller iguanas move up from the surf. Perhaps they should be more concerned with the frigate birds and pelicans. Back to our walk, even before the island, we had our first look at the Blue Footed Boobies and Galapagos Penguins. The island had a trail that we followed that led us to a nesting ground for Iguanas where the babies are just beginning their life, and then on to sea lions nursing their young, amazing. From their we went snorkeling and right away found two tortoises in the middle of the inlet we went to. I swam to the far side of the inlet and found myself swimming in the middle of an underwater valley, and there were 6 male Marine Iguanas swimming by. It was truly amazing to see these tings most people only see on the Imax.
So now we will eat 1pm and then off again at 2, perhaps if time permits, we will snorkel again after the tour.
Lunch was weird, we had carrot soup with popcorn... you actually put popcorn in your soup... it was good. Lunch was chicken and potatoes.
Stops along the way :
Tortoise Breeding Park
Their was a cool wall we saw out on Isabella called Wall of Tears. Prisoners were brought here and given meaningless tasks to break their will. They built this for fifteen years. These prisoners were the most dangerous ones they had.
Ok so it seems everywhere we go in this little bus (they use it to take the kids to school too... I seem to smack my head over and over again on the roof.
I saw my first lava tube... it is amazing when you get there knowing that this is formed by molten lava, it is unreal... there are tons of Marine Iguanas around.
I was told I need to check out a Spanish cartoon called "Mafalda"
Didn't sleep well last night, but I did get a nap in the afternoon for an hour or so. Last night we had dinner, it was some kind of fish with rice, it was very good. At dinner, we talked about where we are all from. Right now there are five of us. Four men, 1 woman. They are a young couple from Amsterdam. She is German, and he is actually from Amsterdam. She is a student, he works for a coffee shop in Amsterdam. (Cafe=coffee, coffee shop=weed). The oldest guy in our group is "Larry" the postman from Sweden. He talked a lot about his travels. He gets 6 weeks vacation per year, and he can carry over 2 of those weeks. He told me that one year, he carried over two weeks and took November and December off, as well as January and half of February because he get his vacation time at the start of the year. On that trip he had gone too a restaurant for dinner, and the portion was to large, he only ate a third or so of it. He asked for a doggy bag to take it with him. Realizing he would never finish it, he offered it to two homeless people outside the restaurant, they in turn graciously accepted, but made a small request "can you buy us a coke to have with it?" He obliged.
The last person Jurs is from Denmark, he is a finance guy who is trying to keep up his English. Nice guy, says being away from work allows him to slow his thinking to the important things like eating, sleeping, and "bathroom".
After dinner we walk down to the town square for snacks to take with us today and a drink. The waitress, who affectionately referred to everyone as "oh my loved one" made a silly remark about my order of a sprite while everyone grabbed a beer. It took a while before I could find out what she said about me, she said "only a sprite for a big man like you?" Doesn't sound like much,but she said with gusto...
Oh well, breakfast is fruit and what I think are soft boiled eggs, today we have our first excursion. We had fresh papaya and guava juice too.
We will be swimming with sea lions, penguins, and sharks.
12:00 PM
I finally understand how Darwin felt. We took a small boat to an island for our first walking tour of the Galapagos right in the harbor for Isabella. When we hit the little dock there was a baby sea lion sitting there in the sun. He was such a ham.... from there we walked along the island of black volcanic rock. It looked as Darwin described it. No life, just rock and coral, but as we walked slowly you began to see the rocks come alive. These marine iguanas blend with the rock so well that at first it is easy to pass them by, then suddenly something moves and you begin to see dozens of them on the rocks, that is once you know how to spot them. Even now as I lay in this hammock by the beach near my hotel, the Hotel Volcano, you see dozens of them come on shore from their morning meal at the sea bed. Even as I write this, there is an average size one, around 20-22 inches watching me as the younger smaller iguanas move up from the surf. Perhaps they should be more concerned with the frigate birds and pelicans. Back to our walk, even before the island, we had our first look at the Blue Footed Boobies and Galapagos Penguins. The island had a trail that we followed that led us to a nesting ground for Iguanas where the babies are just beginning their life, and then on to sea lions nursing their young, amazing. From their we went snorkeling and right away found two tortoises in the middle of the inlet we went to. I swam to the far side of the inlet and found myself swimming in the middle of an underwater valley, and there were 6 male Marine Iguanas swimming by. It was truly amazing to see these tings most people only see on the Imax.
So now we will eat 1pm and then off again at 2, perhaps if time permits, we will snorkel again after the tour.
Lunch was weird, we had carrot soup with popcorn... you actually put popcorn in your soup... it was good. Lunch was chicken and potatoes.
Stops along the way :
Tortoise Breeding Park
Their was a cool wall we saw out on Isabella called Wall of Tears. Prisoners were brought here and given meaningless tasks to break their will. They built this for fifteen years. These prisoners were the most dangerous ones they had.
Ok so it seems everywhere we go in this little bus (they use it to take the kids to school too... I seem to smack my head over and over again on the roof.
I saw my first lava tube... it is amazing when you get there knowing that this is formed by molten lava, it is unreal... there are tons of Marine Iguanas around.
I was told I need to check out a Spanish cartoon called "Mafalda"
Monday, July 28, 2008
7-20 Day 2 in Ecuador and the Galapagos
7/20 - 7:10 am
So I am at another airport, Waiting for my 8:45 flight to the Galapagos. After blogging last night, I went to bed, or at least tried to. I had a 6am wake up call, but I didn't need it. I slept for maybe an hour or two at most last night. Small room, not very quiet and maybe the elevation, 3000 meters, I think he said, the air feels a little different, heavier, its an odd sensation. So I am hungry and didn't have a clue what to order because everythingon the menu has cheese in it. I spoke with my driver and he said he might be able to get me a 3 hour tour of Quito when I get back. Would love to take some pictures before returning.
9:05 am -> Galapagos bound
Thought--- You ever look out the window on a plane and wonder if you can walk on the clouds?
This just came to me... with what little sleep I had last night, I dreamt that I drove by a burning building with the second floor on fire. I didn't call the fire department, I assumed they were on the way. Instead, I stopped to shoot the fire. It was beautiful, towers of flames, bright red, orange, and white spikes danced in the wind above the building. So beautiful, yet, so destructive. The very essence of man, beautiful creatures that in their ignorance, are horribly destructive.
So now we are in the approach, listening to conversations around me, I really wish I understood Spanish. First impression, more houses and move developed than I expected... more later.
Odd saw a USAF plane on the landing strip... OK not crazy, this is Guayaquil
OK now we are on approach to the Galapagos, the stewardesses sprayed something along the bags to kill any bugs that aren't native to the islands.
Initial thoughts on Baltra - The airport was so small that we did a u-turn and taxied all the way back to the gate.
I noticed that there are no cars on the island, trucks bikes and motorcycles...
We went to the surf shop where we will get the boat from. We waited for two more travelers then headed to lunch. I am having octopus cervici.
After lunch we got a water taxi to take us from Baltra to Isabella. a 3 hour speedboat ride. I must say, it was brutal, one of the guys almost suffered dehydration from seasickness on the ride.
Coming into Isabella was tough. A maze of volcanic rock to navigate on your way to port. I should probably sleep right now... but I may be to excited.
This is heaven right? I am laying here on a hammock, waves crashing to my left over the volcanic rock that has pushed itself up from under the beach. A nice light breeze, but enough to carry the sea spray up and over the beach at the far side of the break. A dozen people are playing volleyball just beyond a beach side bar called the Iguana. You would hardly recognize this island for what it really is, or at least not yet you wouldn't. I must say, there is nothing more relaxing then a hammock, a light breeze, and the ocean.
So I am at another airport, Waiting for my 8:45 flight to the Galapagos. After blogging last night, I went to bed, or at least tried to. I had a 6am wake up call, but I didn't need it. I slept for maybe an hour or two at most last night. Small room, not very quiet and maybe the elevation, 3000 meters, I think he said, the air feels a little different, heavier, its an odd sensation. So I am hungry and didn't have a clue what to order because everythingon the menu has cheese in it. I spoke with my driver and he said he might be able to get me a 3 hour tour of Quito when I get back. Would love to take some pictures before returning.
9:05 am -> Galapagos bound
Thought--- You ever look out the window on a plane and wonder if you can walk on the clouds?
This just came to me... with what little sleep I had last night, I dreamt that I drove by a burning building with the second floor on fire. I didn't call the fire department, I assumed they were on the way. Instead, I stopped to shoot the fire. It was beautiful, towers of flames, bright red, orange, and white spikes danced in the wind above the building. So beautiful, yet, so destructive. The very essence of man, beautiful creatures that in their ignorance, are horribly destructive.
So now we are in the approach, listening to conversations around me, I really wish I understood Spanish. First impression, more houses and move developed than I expected... more later.
Odd saw a USAF plane on the landing strip... OK not crazy, this is Guayaquil
OK now we are on approach to the Galapagos, the stewardesses sprayed something along the bags to kill any bugs that aren't native to the islands.
Initial thoughts on Baltra - The airport was so small that we did a u-turn and taxied all the way back to the gate.
I noticed that there are no cars on the island, trucks bikes and motorcycles...
We went to the surf shop where we will get the boat from. We waited for two more travelers then headed to lunch. I am having octopus cervici.
After lunch we got a water taxi to take us from Baltra to Isabella. a 3 hour speedboat ride. I must say, it was brutal, one of the guys almost suffered dehydration from seasickness on the ride.
Coming into Isabella was tough. A maze of volcanic rock to navigate on your way to port. I should probably sleep right now... but I may be to excited.
This is heaven right? I am laying here on a hammock, waves crashing to my left over the volcanic rock that has pushed itself up from under the beach. A nice light breeze, but enough to carry the sea spray up and over the beach at the far side of the break. A dozen people are playing volleyball just beyond a beach side bar called the Iguana. You would hardly recognize this island for what it really is, or at least not yet you wouldn't. I must say, there is nothing more relaxing then a hammock, a light breeze, and the ocean.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
7-19 Door to Door - My first day in Quito
First i want to say that I have been writing all day and the times on here are from when I started... also, please excuse the typos (George) as I am on a Spanish keyboard, and it is a little bit different than I am used to, not to mention that because internet explorer is in Spanish, they don´t have the spell check available for English, so I will spell check it when I get home.... that being said... Door to Door, my first day in Quito
10:30 am July 19, 2008
So Jane left two days ago, and now it is my turn to leave. Right now she is on her way to Entebbe in Uganda from Amsterdam for her conference with her parents, I start this with a mention of her, only because, well she was the first thing I though of, even before I thought about what I was going to see today. Jane, I miss you :)... Right now I am in Miami Florida and am waiting for my flight to Quito. From there I have a 7am pick up to take me to the airport for my trip to the Galapagos Islands. In the airport, it is funny, every time you travel, you see the same travelers. For example, there is always that one girl who insists on having her boyfriend take pictures of her and her lap dog, that is, not before she holds the camera in front of the dog packed away in her Prada bag and snaps a shot. So before leaving this morning I saw these two courting birds, regulars on the back deck of our freshly painted condo. Going through their morning hellos. They have this ritualistic necking dance they do that ends with their beaks meeting and the negative space outlined by there two bodies formed the shape of a heart. I thought that was quite beautiful, again makes me you Jane :), but I will see her when I get back, or at least the day after when she gets back. So here I sit belly full of greasy bacon, powered eggs that made the Sahara look like a rain forest, and a hash brown that tasted like a hockey puck at the only place that served a meal they could call breakfast. The place looked like it used to be a bar... but there was no alcohol. We all know I don´t drink, but I found myself having a mamosa (with cran in stead of orange juice) after my breakfast... shocking i know... hopefully it will help me fall asleep on the first flight. I am going to put my feet up now and play a little PSP....
3:25 PM
OK I just sat down on my connecting flight in Miami... I managed to score the exit row... when I intrigued abut getting away from the middle seat they gave me this... I didn´t even think to ask since it was 10 minutes before boarding... nice. I love the extra leg room and was lucky enough to have a small person next to me so I should have plenty of room.
So the final leg on my approach to Ecuador, and I am sharing a plane with 40 members of a southern church group from Alabama all wearing bright yellow t-shirts that said "Pon Tu Confianzaen Jesuscristo" on the back and "Dios Le Bendiga" on the front. I am not sure what the back said... but it appears the front means... God Blesses him... well at least if I am going to go down... I have a bunch of god lovers on here so maybe he'll spare me...
So I am flying to a country where I know barely enough of the language to get my ass kicked or find a bathroom... I should have paid more attention to those Spanish lessons at DHS. The plane has been playing music over their speaker and it has been unbelievable eclectic... in fact right now they are playing Jack Johnson... I believe the song is "upside down"... when I get to Quito... I am going to try and find a cab to drive me around the city a little to take some pictures if it is still light... cross your fingers.
What am I most looking forward too... I think the moment I get off the third flight tomorrow and land on Isabella Island apparently it is a rather small aircraft that will get us to the island, and I am not sure what to expect from the airport there... one of the volcano´s erupted on the island in May, apparently this island has some of the most active volcano´s anywhere in the world... that should be amazing as we hike up to check out the cones... so I just learned we are getting an extra hour when we get there... Ecuador doesn´t subscribe to day light savings... they are not east coast time in the summer, but central time in Quito. 3hrs and 38 minutes from Miami to Quito... temp 68 degrees... (90 in Florida when i left and 90 in Stamford...)
Just a side note... Airports have the coolest trucks on the tarmac...
8:04 In the hotel....
Here is a link to the hotel:
http://www.hostalrabida.com/
I am in the hotel now... this hotel is quaint... the owner is a British woman whose daughter came down here a yr ago... her the woman and her husband, both retired, came down to visit and fell in love with the city, so they bought the hotel and moved here for good. The British woman is married to an Italian man, and they are sitting right next to me having there dinner as I eat mine. Sorry Jeff and Steph, no photos, but it is a delicious grilled salmon with ginger and soya sauce. Ok first impressions of Quito... we were in approach, it was already dark as we descended through the clouds to a valley between a few mountains to see the coolest array of city lights I think I have ever seen. I have always loved flying into a city at night... I had hoped to hop in a cab to do some shooting tonight, I suppose I have to hope for some time on the return to Quito The hotel is beautiful as I sit here eating my salmon dinner, I look around... the hotel is not what I expected... I feel like I am staying in an old fashioned English inn... The rooms are small, but I am not sure you are expected to spend much time in them here... seems to be set up more as a social setting... They have a wonderful patio area with a gorgeous pet rabbit who is quite friendly... he came right up to me a nuzzled against my leg so I would pet him. His name is brownie, and apparently he is 7 years old. When the couple bought the hotel, they bought the rabbit two with the condition that the rabbit would never end up "in the pot". Apparently Brownie has free reign and can often be found hopping about inside the hotel and the restaurant as well.
My guide will pick me up in the morning 6:45am... woo hoo... On the way to the hotel he gave me a little info about the city... ***warning educational material*** the city of Quito has around 2.1 million people in an area not much different in size than NYC... not too many people compared to what we a reused to being near NYC... it is basically broken down into three sections... the poor section, the wealthy section near the old city, and the downtown area which is where the hotel is. I was also told there is a section of bars down the street the locals refer to as "gringoville" hhhmmm I wonder what they could mean by that..... I was told not to walk down there if I decide to go tonight (obviously I am not since I am here typing away) but it is only a $1 cab ride to go. I even overheard the owners daughter saying she was going down there but would not walk the three or four blocks because it is a rough neighborhood to walk there.
Anyway... this is it for now... hope you all sleep well tonight... I know I will... Adios!!
10:30 am July 19, 2008
So Jane left two days ago, and now it is my turn to leave. Right now she is on her way to Entebbe in Uganda from Amsterdam for her conference with her parents, I start this with a mention of her, only because, well she was the first thing I though of, even before I thought about what I was going to see today. Jane, I miss you :)... Right now I am in Miami Florida and am waiting for my flight to Quito. From there I have a 7am pick up to take me to the airport for my trip to the Galapagos Islands. In the airport, it is funny, every time you travel, you see the same travelers. For example, there is always that one girl who insists on having her boyfriend take pictures of her and her lap dog, that is, not before she holds the camera in front of the dog packed away in her Prada bag and snaps a shot. So before leaving this morning I saw these two courting birds, regulars on the back deck of our freshly painted condo. Going through their morning hellos. They have this ritualistic necking dance they do that ends with their beaks meeting and the negative space outlined by there two bodies formed the shape of a heart. I thought that was quite beautiful, again makes me you Jane :), but I will see her when I get back, or at least the day after when she gets back. So here I sit belly full of greasy bacon, powered eggs that made the Sahara look like a rain forest, and a hash brown that tasted like a hockey puck at the only place that served a meal they could call breakfast. The place looked like it used to be a bar... but there was no alcohol. We all know I don´t drink, but I found myself having a mamosa (with cran in stead of orange juice) after my breakfast... shocking i know... hopefully it will help me fall asleep on the first flight. I am going to put my feet up now and play a little PSP....
3:25 PM
OK I just sat down on my connecting flight in Miami... I managed to score the exit row... when I intrigued abut getting away from the middle seat they gave me this... I didn´t even think to ask since it was 10 minutes before boarding... nice. I love the extra leg room and was lucky enough to have a small person next to me so I should have plenty of room.
So the final leg on my approach to Ecuador, and I am sharing a plane with 40 members of a southern church group from Alabama all wearing bright yellow t-shirts that said "Pon Tu Confianzaen Jesuscristo" on the back and "Dios Le Bendiga" on the front. I am not sure what the back said... but it appears the front means... God Blesses him... well at least if I am going to go down... I have a bunch of god lovers on here so maybe he'll spare me...
So I am flying to a country where I know barely enough of the language to get my ass kicked or find a bathroom... I should have paid more attention to those Spanish lessons at DHS. The plane has been playing music over their speaker and it has been unbelievable eclectic... in fact right now they are playing Jack Johnson... I believe the song is "upside down"... when I get to Quito... I am going to try and find a cab to drive me around the city a little to take some pictures if it is still light... cross your fingers.
What am I most looking forward too... I think the moment I get off the third flight tomorrow and land on Isabella Island apparently it is a rather small aircraft that will get us to the island, and I am not sure what to expect from the airport there... one of the volcano´s erupted on the island in May, apparently this island has some of the most active volcano´s anywhere in the world... that should be amazing as we hike up to check out the cones... so I just learned we are getting an extra hour when we get there... Ecuador doesn´t subscribe to day light savings... they are not east coast time in the summer, but central time in Quito. 3hrs and 38 minutes from Miami to Quito... temp 68 degrees... (90 in Florida when i left and 90 in Stamford...)
Just a side note... Airports have the coolest trucks on the tarmac...
8:04 In the hotel....
Here is a link to the hotel:
http://www.hostalrabida.com/
I am in the hotel now... this hotel is quaint... the owner is a British woman whose daughter came down here a yr ago... her the woman and her husband, both retired, came down to visit and fell in love with the city, so they bought the hotel and moved here for good. The British woman is married to an Italian man, and they are sitting right next to me having there dinner as I eat mine. Sorry Jeff and Steph, no photos, but it is a delicious grilled salmon with ginger and soya sauce. Ok first impressions of Quito... we were in approach, it was already dark as we descended through the clouds to a valley between a few mountains to see the coolest array of city lights I think I have ever seen. I have always loved flying into a city at night... I had hoped to hop in a cab to do some shooting tonight, I suppose I have to hope for some time on the return to Quito The hotel is beautiful as I sit here eating my salmon dinner, I look around... the hotel is not what I expected... I feel like I am staying in an old fashioned English inn... The rooms are small, but I am not sure you are expected to spend much time in them here... seems to be set up more as a social setting... They have a wonderful patio area with a gorgeous pet rabbit who is quite friendly... he came right up to me a nuzzled against my leg so I would pet him. His name is brownie, and apparently he is 7 years old. When the couple bought the hotel, they bought the rabbit two with the condition that the rabbit would never end up "in the pot". Apparently Brownie has free reign and can often be found hopping about inside the hotel and the restaurant as well.
My guide will pick me up in the morning 6:45am... woo hoo... On the way to the hotel he gave me a little info about the city... ***warning educational material*** the city of Quito has around 2.1 million people in an area not much different in size than NYC... not too many people compared to what we a reused to being near NYC... it is basically broken down into three sections... the poor section, the wealthy section near the old city, and the downtown area which is where the hotel is. I was also told there is a section of bars down the street the locals refer to as "gringoville" hhhmmm I wonder what they could mean by that..... I was told not to walk down there if I decide to go tonight (obviously I am not since I am here typing away) but it is only a $1 cab ride to go. I even overheard the owners daughter saying she was going down there but would not walk the three or four blocks because it is a rough neighborhood to walk there.
Anyway... this is it for now... hope you all sleep well tonight... I know I will... Adios!!
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