From Quito to Buenos Aires : WEEK 1 : QUITO, OTAVALO

D A Y 1 - transit

So having flown in to Quito via Houston, Texas with united airlines ( aka- long haul answer to Ryanair) we landed in Quito around midnight, the city itself is about 2850m above sea level and it felt like we were in the clouds. The pick up and transfer was easy as we had booked it with our hostel (Vibes hostel) and we got our first taste of tropical rain and rocky roads of Ecuador along with a rather dodgy uphill start where we rolled backwards....me tom exchanging worried looks...

COMMENTS

Food: Chewing gum chicken on the plane and an all American Wendy's burger and strawberry lemonade ( minus the all American smile - the ladies serving were a bit scary...)

Design: Who designs a plane where all the seats DON'T FIT so the people on the back row who have been travelling for 15 hours have to sit BOLT UP RIGHT....sort it out!

Hostel: Vibes hostel - New town, la Mariscal area of Quito, a westernized party area full of 'gringos'

Weather: Rain!

DAY 2 - Quito

Woke up feeling pretty grotty, not sure whether it was the 24hr door to door journey or the altitude? Found ourselves a local café near our hostel selling traditional Ecuadorian cuisine! yummy

We decided to get our bearings and walk around the city ( something which many internet reviews say is dangerous and we should get a taxi every where - this is rubbish, not true at all and that's coming from a real scare-dey cat)

We began by walking through a park to head to the old town. We went inside the basilica and got tickets to go to the roof...a rather sketchy bridge over the vaults and a precarious climb up a ladder! not something you would get at old Salisbury cathedral! After we went to the centre of the old town and saw the main sights...

THIS IS FOR YOU ALEX POOLE

After all this we were feeling pretty tired from the day before and feeling the side effects of the altitude- pressure headache. So we went back to the hostel for a nap! zzzzzz

COMMENTS

Food: XXXL Breakfast - Chicken, rice, plantain, avocado and egg for me (toms allergic). Snack - tortillas (not as we know them in the uk, here its more like a flat bread stuffed with cheese) We also had a real hot chocolate, really bitter.

Design:

Pretty Tiles!!