Bus travel, part 2

We're waiting to catch our bus to Quito tonight and then on to mindo,  a ride that might take us 16 hours with the Quito connection.   Gladly,  it looks like we travel into the north terminal,  which will make our connection easier.

A fellow traveler warned us that they would not allow backpacks inside the bus, which means my camera and other more expensive gear would ride below.   I am prepared to argue our way on.  Never mind that there's not much space on these buses for a 6-foot tall person,  I am not going to be worrying about my gear. 

An 8pm bus means a likely 2 movies blasted in Spanish for our "enjoyment, " shut off at midnight until dawn.  I really hope it's a better choice than the tsunami disaster flick we watched on our way to the coast, where a red cross worker actually handed me a pamphlet and a coloring book on what to do if a tsunami hit the coast here.  Trying yo prepared, clearly,  but it helped us to make our decision for a hotel on a hill, I'm sure.

Buses to Quito seem to be much less comfortable than guayaquil-based buses.  A disappointment as we'd pay twice as much for comfort.    Chile, Argentina,  even Peru,  all have much more comfortable buses available for longer hauls.  Not sure why Quito hasn't done that yet, they seem ready for tourism in almost every other way.

Bus travel

It's 10:30pm, our overnight bus has just left the south terminal of Quito and I have the second GI Joe movie blasting in Spanish past what my noise cancelling headphones could possibly neutralize. 

The moment the bus leaves the terminal,  the bootleg DVD is on and blasting.   It's hospitality here, it seems.   We've walked into several quiet restaurants only to have the TV turned on the moment we sit down.   

At least the bus arrived,  while late, in the wrong slot and with 2 other buses trying to use the same slot, causing a good amount of general chaos.   people bumped around, there was various shouting of destinations,   The only calm center of which was a young woman and her rooster, who both looked extremely self-posessed in the moment.   it looked very well-kempt, The bird's shiny feet took a light grip on top of a mattress and box spring someone was moving by bus, i take it.  It wasn't in a cage, a bag or a box, whatever you are supposed to use to transport roosters in, just hanging out with the lady, waiting for a night bus.

People jostled about,  got their bags on, and we scrambled about and onto the bus.  The woman,  her rooster and the mattress remained perfectly still as we rolled out of the station.

I envied that chicken in that moment.

Return to Quito, the Ecuadorian sense of timing

Leaving Puerto Arroyo to get to Quito is a bit of an undertaking.   The flight itself is reasonably short,  but between point A and B, you have a pile of connections to make and as nothing goes off on time here (i've read that the! Ecuadorian lateness is famous even in latin america), it can be incredible.  There was so much waiting around that by the time we got our luggage in  Quito,  I had finished a book of Galapagos history that I started at the bag check in line in aeropuerto Seymour in Galapagos. 

Leaving the hotel, we got a taxi across the island to the ferry across the channel to the bus to the airport to the line for check in to the line for security to the line for boarding to fly to guayaquil to wait for refueling to fly to Quito to wait for bags to get a taxi to get stuck in traffic to finally getting to the hostel in Old Town, where we had to explain the directions to our driver.  Not one of these interaction went off smoothly or on time, lines were at least 50 people long and there is simply no sense getting angry about it.

When at last, we arrived at the hotel after nearly 2 confusing hours getting from the airport to old town, we dropped our bags and went to eat, after having nothing since breakfast.  Luckily,  this is the neighborhood I took a little food tour in a few weeks back, we went for chicken in peanut stew, beers,  some little beef and potato croquettes and the real winner, caldo de 31.  The caldo de 31was clearly a local favorite, though the owner warned us off: "people like you don't usually like this, " she said apologetically.   

We were sold.  A delicious pho-like broth with scallions and the perfect amount of heat with a mixed bag of cow's organ meats,  from brain to tripe to kidneys to liver with veggies.   Amazing with a little lime and roasted corn.  Afterna long hungry day, it was amazing.   The whole meal cost us $8.  Joy.

Last day in Quito for a while

We leave for the Galapagos tomorrow.   We could have very easily spent $6000 on cruises, but we got a last-minute first class boat for 5 days to go to some of the islands and then we'll spend the rest of our time doing land-based excursions or some other small island-hopping.  We start tomorrow with a nice hotel near Puerto Arroyo,  I believe.   Then Friday,  we get picked up to meet the boat, the tip top iii

Galapagos:  we have a 5-day cruise on a 104 foot (22 foot beam) cruiser with two 17 foot zodiac launches, it including snorkeling,  wetsuits and kayaking,  a fullsized bed!, private bathroom and shower, all food and soft drinks (no drinky drinks,  so you know how that can add up, although you do get wine with dinner), a night in a first class hotel and airport transfer.

Not bad, really.  I am pleased and we got about 65% off on a last minute trip.  I am also pleased because it's very water-based and a lot of the  wildlife is in the water, obviously.   Personally,  I will be giddy to swim with any of the following:  hammerhead sharks, sea lions, dolphins, big weird swimming iguanas, nothing at all but the Galapagos waters, 12-15 foot wide manta rays, fish.

Then we'll stomp around the islands on some small independent trips, which I think we'll like.  I have this odd fantasy about drinking rum out of a paper bag, eating some kind of Beast on a Stick and staring at weird wildlife lounging around and not caring whether or not I am there at all.

This is ourblast night staying at a lovely compound in the suburbs of Quito that might be well placed in almost any 80's drug movie.  Gerrit, the expat Dutchman that owns the place, keeps meticulous care of the place (or has his various servants do so), massive gardens, bird life is flush, more hummingbirds and several bird calls I can't readily identify.  It's a good distance out of the city, in a very elite area, behind a guarded gate and then 10 foot high walls.  It's quite secluded and each one way cab ride has cost me more than any of my other hotel stays.  however,  a good excursion to the local shopping mall, which would not be  out of place on the north shore of long island, might be needed to secure a few comforts. 

It's really got to be said, Gerrit's been an amazing host.  I would happily spend more time here, if it fit our budget.

Right now, we're cutting weight as they limit all gear brought over to less than 23 kilos per person.  Massive rain boots and other heavy gear can stay in storage here at the compound.   We'll pick it up on our way back into Quito.

The wrong way to arrive in Quito

After a late flight into Quito,  I met my driver who immediately apologized for not taking me directly into the city.  Quito now has  program of traffic control that is very strongly policed.   My driver had the wrong numbered plate to enter the city during rush hour, so we took a super slow route to get to the hostel.  It was a "bit of tourism" as my driver said, done at less than 50kph.  It took 3 hours to get there, including a prolonged stop on the side of a major highway as we watched locals try their luck running across 6 lanes of otherwise high-speed traffic.

At $100 a ticket,  I really couldn't fault him for waiting.   It would hardly be worth his while.   By comparison,  someone would be quite happy to earn $100 in a week here, if they could.

And so I got to know Omar and the many concerns a man making a living in Quito mighf have.  As with most cabbies, he was happy to talk for the whole ride, a real test of my Spanish first thing.

When I finally arrived at the hostel,  I did everything I could to acclimate badly to the altitude:  I had few beers, avoided water, ate a heavy meal and went to bed late.  My normal program might be utterly the opposite.

And so I am dragging today and can definitely feel the effects of the altitude.   Coming from sea level in Panama,  it's not so surprising.  A slow start and slow moving around is what's in order, I think.