Well, an uneventful night in Lima's airport. It was wide awake as always. I was not able to get to the new spot i found. . . it was behind security. . . and I thought it was right before -- oh well. still found a better spot to nap than last time. I've learned the wall by the food court is pretty good and much better than the wall by the internet cafe. They clean that food court spic and span over night. moving tables and chairs, mopping up a storm. I was lying around on my backpack and kept thinking their cleaning solution smelled like suntan lotion. it was so odd. And then I unpacked when I got to Quito and one of my sunscreen bottles had apparently busted. it is the spray kind. one is full and one is empty and there is a film over everything near it. . . so, I was smelling my own bag!
One thing that seems prevalent is how forward the men are!!! . . . it is like being back in Italy. I know a gringo will get comments and red hair doesn't help when no one but america and ireland have it . . . makes you stand out more. . . so i am used to that, but here it is definitely more obvious that the men are looking and let you know if they like what they see. Harmless they all are, but I had forgotten how forward foreign men can be. . . whether it is total strangers commenting as you walk by on the street or the seat mate that asks you out after meeting you for an hour or the restaurant or store owner that picks up the conversation (even though they don't speak English and you don't speak Spanish) and is asking about how long you are here and where you stay and what your plans are as if to see if he can fit in somewhere when all you want is a bottle of water or bowl of soup. :) But, like I said, they are all harmless flirting. It is just so much more out there than the states.
That and how shocked people are that I am traveling alone. why is that so odd? I do all sorts of stuff alone at home, but leave the country and you are C-R-A-Z-Y!
I got to Quito and got a taxi to the hotel ($5) for like a 20 min. ride. . . love how cheap it is here. You couldn't go 3 blocks in NYC for $5. I checked in and found out my roommate's name. I went up and unpacked and downsized the day pack so i could go check out the city. I was waiting at the desk and met my roommate. She is a mom that is traveling with her 2 daughters. GAP put us up as we were on the boat. . . so 2 people per room. Wendy said she was just staying with her daughters. it is 2 double beds so plenty of room for 3. And I get the room to myself. . . works out well. But we will room together on the boat I think. Each room has 2 bunks. Sounds hard to share among 3?? we'll see.
The group was to meet at 16:00 and I didn't get back downstairs until almost 15:00 so I just explored around the hotel this afternoon. The area is called New Town. I want to go to some markets and Old Town. . . that will be Quito. This is too, but just not the picturesque part of town. it is more the tourist part of town. We had our meeting at 16:00 and I met the rest of the group--or part of it. There are all sorts of trips to the Galapogas--4 days, 6 days, 8 days, etc. Right now there are 6 people on our boat that are at the first part of an 8 day trip? They will get off on Wednesday, the 31st, with me. And 7 more people will join. .. so the boat is always full, but the groups are overlapping. So out of the 10 i met today, 9 are staying together for 8 days, but they get me and 6 others for the first part and then 7 more when we leave on Wednesday.
Today we just had our debrief. We will have a full boat. 16 passengers and 8 crew including our guide. Our guide will speak English, but no one else will. . . so talking to the crew exercises your spanish. We leave tomorrow morning at 07:30 to go to the islands. We fly there. We arrive and get on the boat and set off. OUr days are packed! We get up and have breakfast at 07:00 on the boat. Then go ashore at 08:00 to hike for 2 hours and see the islands and flora and fauna. Then back to the boat for snorkeling before lunch. Then lunch and a siesta (isn't this sounding fantastic! they plan your nap for you!) and then another afternoon hike on a different island or different part that leaves at 15:00. Everyone back on the boat by 18:00. A debrief for the next day before dinner and then dinner around 19:30. Our GAP representative said that everyone is in bed by 21:00. Maybe you have a drink and look at the southern cross in the sky from the top of the boat, but ALL are usually in bed by 22:00. I cannot recall the last time I was in bed by 22:00!! WEll, I can. . . it was the night before the Chicago Marathon and all of my roommates were in their pajamas and in bed well before 22:00 and I was asking "what are y'all doing??" we had a good laugh over it seeing I was the ONLY night owl in the room. That and staying at tent city. When there is no electricity, you get up and go to bed with the sun. . . but what a way to stay. Lulled to sleep by the pacific ocean pounding the shore and then waking up to birds singing. . .Oh, I love Tent City. But I digress.
Sounds like we will have a very busy day each day. I get off with the 6 that are there now and we come home New Year's EVe. Should be very interesting! I have heard lots of stories about it. I am looking forward to it. I then have 2 days in Quito before flying back to Lima to meet the Mission Trip on 1/2. I am going to try and get outside of Quito on 1/1. I know town will be shut down that day after the huge party.
Quito is nice so far. Reminds me of Punta Arenas, Chile or Puno, Peru. A port town. A few interesting things in town and lots of great things all around it. I'll get to see more on 1/1 or 1/2. I am going to see if any of the 6 getting off are staying extra days like me and if so, may tag along with them.
I don't have any good pictures yet to add. Maybe later. My hotel does have free WiFI in the lobby, which is FABULOUS!! It is good people watching, free, and my keyboard is English! In Lima, i could not for the life of me remember how to make the @ sign. so i had to go find an old email and cut and paste to email someone.
Oh, yes, dinner. . . couldn't find what I was looking for that LP suggested (Sumner, they have a restaurant that is a cab ride away that supposedly has risotto to die for--maybe the night of 1/1?). I was going to a great pizza place. . . staple of foreign travel. Instead, i wandered until I found this place that was full of gringos. We were all eating way before the locals. I had onion soup and vegetable fettucini. The owner, nor the waiter, spoke English. I was trying to convey that I wanted it with white sauce like the regular fettucini, but I knew I had conveyed the wrong message and he thought I wanted it with red. . . oh well, at least I am recognizing that what I am saying is not getting through. sure enough it came with red. it was okay, but i've had much better pasta. But it did not matter because of my first course--onion soup!! It was some of the best onion soup I've had. It was served "bubbling hot" in this bowl it looked like had been in the oven, it was a big black bowl that looked like a small kettle. Anyway, it was very, very yummy. and it and my pasta came with a small slice of garlic bread that Mom would have loved! it must have fresh garlic in the butter or something? reminded me of the garlic toast at Tent City that was just that. . . bread with butter and fresh garlic that is just toasted. it was so yummy!! But really fresh garlic. . . Mom, you'd have LOVED it! and the soup too probably. After dinner the owner came over and chatted for a while. . . as much as we could with the language barrier. And now I am back at the hotel about to pack the bags for the islands and store what I am not taking. GAP gives us a bag to use so we take only what we need. I am really loving the free internet and having my own computer versus being in an internet cafe and wishing the connection were faster, etc. and paying for it! We'll see if i still think it was worth lugging my laptop at the end of 2 weeks. For now, accessing internet and being able to download pictures, it is worth it.
Tomorrow, I'll be at the Galapagos Islands!! I still cannot believe it. What a dream come true! That must mean that Africa and Asia are next. . . they are at the top of my list next. so, we'll see.
Until New Year's Eve or next year depending upon what time I get in 12/31, I'll talk to you soon! Having a blast and looking forward to the rest of the trip. . .
last thought before i go -- who is on my boat? Australian family of 4 (mom, dad, and daughter and son) and a couple from Australia. A mom and her 2 daughters (mom and a daughter live in NY State and the other daughter from Hawaii). and me. That makes 10 and we'll meet the other 6 on the boat. it seems like a good group! We'll see what I say after 4 days on a boat with them. ;)
Buenos Noches!
