HELL OR HIGH WATER...

My first day in Quito...

It started off nice today, but turned to shit SUPER quick.  Torrential rain. Thunder Showers. I took refuge in a small cafe.  I walked in, soaked right through, looked at the waiter and said "vino tinto?" 
He nodded... and I knew I'd be ok.

Quick rant...
I TOTALLY understand the the fault lays SOLELY with me for not having enough insight to actually bring a rain jacket with me.  Perhaps I can blame Roland a little smidge bit... because he didn't actually include it in his advice message to me.  In fact, to tell the truth, I didn't bring ANYTHING that would work in the rain... but right now, the other stuff is merely muffins... I need a rain jacket.  Look at the weather forecast!  

Poor me.  Yep... I must have a rain jacket.  And if I have to lie, cheat or steal, I decided that I would have one in my hot little hands by the end of the day. 

Let me tell you how many little shops I've been in today.  If I was seeking out yarn or a plastic purse, this city would be all over me like a fat kid on a smartie.

BUT... for a country that considers HALF of its year the 'rainy' season... you would think that there would be a rain jacket shop on every corner. 

Plaza Grande- Quito

I would also like to point out that in a country primarily made up of women weighing in at below 120lbs, my North American chubby body type would constitute a XXL+ jacket... and those aren't as easy to come by as one would think.  In fact, you could probably just keep rolling with the X's and I'd be comfortable as pie.

Finally, the girl in my hostel directed me on to an area that sold "cheap" clothes... I must look pretty down & out.  But regardless of my current state of poverty, I found one.  And only a size L (G in Spanish) - it's a 'little bit' tight, but nothing a few weeks of starving myself won't cure.

Plaza Grande

Right now, as I type, I'm eating dinner at a small little pizzeria and the waiter keeps asking me if I like my pizza because I'm trying desperately not to eat the base or the crusts... I want to say "I have a jacket... and some really tight summer clothes that I need to fit in to"   but I don't know how to say it in Spanish, and I'll spare him the visual.

They are all staring at me while I chug my red wine and nibble at the top cheese part of my pizza.  At first I cared... you know the feeling... always trying to explain your weirdo idiosyncrasies & bizarre things that happen to you to strangers.

"Honestly, my ankles aren't always like this.  Usually I'm super hot!"

My entire life, I have felt this overwhelming necessity to 'explain'... but for once, I decided to leave it... who cares?  It's not like I will ever see them again... unless I decide to dine here again tomorrow night...

 Ok... so, enough about me and my insecurities... and the storms... and teeny weeny rain jackets... and wine and creepy pizza eatings... on to bigger things like my day in Quito.  Photos attached for your viewing pleasure.  Don't ask me much about them... I mostly just aim, shoot and keep walking.

I explored most of the Historical Quito... made my way through the Plaza Grande, took in a couple churches (San Francisco and the Compañia)... super impressed by La Compañia, and all the intricate gold engravings and details... I had to steal this photo off Google images because we weren't permitted to take any photos.  I was going to cheat and take some, but I didn't want to be disrespectful and get arrested.  Put a real 'downer' on the holiday, considering it's only my first day here... and it's already raining.

Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús in Quito

Speaking of getting arrested... there are Policia everywhere! Except at night, when I'm a single & hot, rich tourist walking the streets alone with my thick ankles lol... but Gawd! They're on every corner during the daytime.



The last time I was in Quito... and this story I'm about to tell is no word of a lie...  I apologize to any official AFS'ers that might be finding out about this for the first time...

There were 6 of us (no names mentioned to protect the innocent) that had (somehow) managed to escape the grips of our familia and the AFS organization, and we found ourselves alone in Quito for the night.  None of us had a lot of money, and what money we did have, was sure to be put towards beer, cigarettes and deep fried food.  Priorities... always.

While 4 of us had a few drinks in a local pub, 2 of the group went off to find us some accommodation for the evening.  And accommodation, they sure did find.  When they finally returned to the pub, they were out of breath, laughing hysterically and spent the entire time convincing us to "come see the place," give it a chance," "it was cheap"... and if we promised to overlook everything else, we were all guaranteed to love it for these 3 reasons. 


It was a whore house.  

Only $2 per night, per room... but still... a whore house.

And yes... we did stay there. One night.

The place was a DIVE.  Torn off siding, broken rickety fence, smashed windows, peeling paint, cracked beams, ripped up carpet, graffiti on the walls... oh yes... a real head turner.

We got three rooms (2 of us in each one) - I remember every single detail.  The room I was in had a double mattress on the floor and a sink in the corner.  Another room had a single mattress, a pot (presumable for peeing?), a smashed mirror and a broken door.

The last room was like a 5 star suite- it had a double bed, bed frame AND a bathroom- but while we weren't there, it was rented out by the hour.  We found that out the hard way... 

I'll spare everyone the rest of the details... but we survived one night.  None of us entered in to a life of prostitution or pimping... or brothel management... that I know of anyway.

So anyway- bringing it back to reality- I am NOT staying in a whore house this time around.  At least I don't think so.  I'm at a lovely little hostel called Friends Hostel and the Wifi password is  "forever friends" which is just about as cute as Hello Kitty.  It's "slightly" more than $2 per night... But, honestly, it's really warm and inviting... and the staff is amazing.

Photos... cute, right?

OH... one more thing... I forgot to mention that I tried a "flat white coffee" today for first time ever and man, is it ever gross.  Off to bed now...

IT'S COLD...

Got up and at 'er today.
Check out was 11am... but being quite brilliant, like I am, I'd requested a late check out... as I knew that I'd be tired.

I was right.
I ended up waking up in a panic because I'd had a stupid dream that Potzy was with me and he kept running out in to the road, and then in to the jungle- and he wasn't coming when I called him... and I forgot his food.

Speaking of food - I'm starving...

I should be drinking more water.  My cankles have subsided "slightly," but I'm definitely not a candidate for any foot commercials right now.

Still thick, but at least my toes look nice.  

Ok- enough about my new-found beauty!  The Quito Airport Suites I stayed last night was fine... cold, but fine.  The bed was really short, which I found strange.  It was almost like it was one of those department store display beds...  I don't know. Maybe I'm abnormally tall... or maybe just usually short people stay there.  I endured the suffering though and finally got to sleep around 5am... when birds were starting to chirp.

I had two options this morning...

#1- I could take a taxi to the bus stop, catch the bus in to Quito, then catch another taxi to my hostel. 

#2- I could take a taxi straight to the hostel for $25.

I opted for door #2.

Quito Airport Suites

Too tired and my pack is too heavy for me to maneuver the ins and outs of Quito on an empty stomach and 4.5 hours of sleep.  And honestly, it's kind of cold.  It's raining and dreary today.  

Guess how many sweaters and long sleeve shirts I brought?.... yep, just keep on guessing.  My entire pack is filled with tank tops and shorts and summer dresses...  

Hey Roland - you should have helped a sister out in THIS department.  Packing :-(

OCD Nightmare... Seriously. 
This should be illegal.

Driving down the highway and through the streets of Quito... floods of memories came back.  It's almost exactly how I remember Quito and it just seems nothing has changed.  The deep green canyons lining the highway as we wind our way up and down the mountains and in to the city... the signs, the colourful housing covering the hillsides, the unfinished buildings, the tiendas everywhere, the old rickety vehicles chugging along, the constant honking, people walking in the middle of the street... chaos! I love it :-)

 This is my taxi driver, who had to pull over on the side of the road to pull out his map because he was so confused as to where I was trying to go.  I love it!  He did eventually ask someone for directions.  If you ask me, who needs a GPS? Highly over-rated...

Anyway - I just checked in to my hostel in Quito and I'm going to thrown on a snow suit and venture out in to the city to see what kind of trouble I can get myself in to... 

That is code for find food and wine...