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In the style we were becoming accustomed to we went to a beach resort with a pool for one night that was linked with Anne and JA´s hotel. All we had to do was jump in the taxi the hotel had organised and enjoy the rest. Well that was the plan, as we were dropped at a wharf at 10 with no sign of a boat that had been due to leave at 10. We were a bit bemused as two previous parties from the hotel had left just before us and there was no sign of them either. We waited, and waited some more, the heat was blistering, but after an hour with no joy, we deduced something might be wrong. The payphone was broken and for once we weren´t surround by people trying to sell calls from their mobile phone. Luckily JA had her Aussie mobile and que sopresa we were at the wrong wharf, in fact a long way from the right wharf, the hotel assured us that they´d given the driver the right instructions, blah, blah, we just wanted to get to that pool, and after another taxi ride, dumped at another empty wharf, another call to the hotel, an encounter with a drowned dog the launch arrived and we wasted no time and getting poolside. Just counted our blessings we had a phone and could speak Spanish. What bliss, 2 hours late but the whole pool to ourselves, peace, no hawkers and still plenty of time to soak up the rays, go for a wander along the coast and see the local community and have another dip before dinner. Dinner was the total of the hotels guests (5 of us) on a table on the roof terrace looking over the water to the lights of the city, all lined up to see the view like a wedding top table. The location was great, unfortunately the food, one course (heated up from lunchtime) was not great in either quality or quantity and as we waited in the hope they would bring us something else (hey you build up an appetite sitting by a pool all afternoon) we gave up hope and slinked off for an early night, our stomachs only appeased by a muesli bar between us and a werther´s original that one of the fellow guests brought to our rooms feeling sorry for us.
So the next day it was off to Equador. Had just a minor hiccup on trying to check in. We actually had tickets for the 9th of December rather than the 16th November - BIG WHOOPS. My pretour meeting was 6pm that day and the tour started the next. Well used to Latin American bureaucracy we planned our tactics in the queue for the ticket desk, 1) pretend not to speak Spanish, hence ditsy gringas who don´t understand airline tickets (even though the date was highlighted in fluorescent pink and circled and 2) start nice, but be prepared to get fiesty. Turned out the ticket lady didn´t speak any English, so 1) was foiled, but as I explained the problem to her, she instantly issued us with new tickets without a mummur. WOW. When everything else seems such a battle, the ease and relief was amazing. Our troubles weren´t quite over yet though. Anne got stopped and completely grilled, and stuff searched by the Narcotics police and JA had all her liquids (aussie good stuff!) confiscated by customs, well apart from the stuff she managed to swipe back when the customs officers turned their back and truly gave them what for, well try and separate a girl from her toiletries!!! I strolled past them all with a 500ml water bottle hanging out my daysack without a problem though, oh and we are now allowed to take 6 inch blades onboard now apparently.
We descended into Quito airport safely which is well known for it´s tricky landings and said our ¨Au revoirs¨. JA and Anne were off to the Galapagos Islands. I got into a taxi with the driver asking me if I´d seen the wreckage of the Iberia flight that had crash landed 2 days earlier!
I stayed at the Secret Garden hotel in the old town, well reputed for it´s rooftop terrace and social atmosphere. I encountered the full extent of Quito´s altitude (2850ms) on climbing the 4 flights of stairs with my bags to the terrace to check in. If I hadn´t already lost my breath it would have been taken by the view. A panorama of the old city nestled in the hollow of Volcano Pichincha. So terrace view, correct and I quickly learnt so was the sociability as I was thrusted a long neck of beer within seconds of arriving and the terrace, the social centre was full of card games, cocktails and as the sun went down, dinner, wine, apres dinner drinks and then a mass exodus to the new town for dancing.
A fabulous and warm welcome to Equador but warning going from sea level to altitude and having a big night causes unpleasant repercussions!
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