Yesterday, I left Otavalo and took the bus back to Quito. It was a much quieter ride and since I knew what to expect, it was uneventful. I had ran into the couple from Oakland who also came back to Quito yesterday for their flight home. We went to Mama Clorinda´s which serves Ecuadorian food. I had a really good empanada and rice and shrimp dish. Many of the restaurants will give you popcorn which you´re supposed to put in your soup or many places will serve a plate of large cooked kernels but you can eat them. They´re nice and crunchy. Similar to the size of corn nuts.
I had decided to go to the equator today and I was happy that the Canadian gal I met last night wanted to join me since I was taking the local buses. I had received good directions from the front desk at the hostel and 2 1/2 hours later, we had made it! It was 25 cents for the first bus and 15 cents for the second. They offer tours to go to the equator but who could beat that price? Colleen had heard that some of the people she had met, paid $80 for a taxi. We took the required pictures standing on the equator, walked around the shops and then went into a small museum. It´s the tower type building in the picture. As you walk up to the top of tower, each of the six floors showcases the indigenous people from the various regions of Ecuador. It was interesting and had descriptions in English! I must be in a tourist trap! Coming home was a bit more of an adventure. We caught the bus where the guy was yelling "Quito, Quito" but this bus didn´t stop by the metro bus terminal so we got off when the guy told us to get off. After stopping and asking for directions a few times, and pulling out a map a few times, we made it back to the hostel about an hour later. Of course, we arrived soaking wet because it began to pour down rain a few minutes after we got off the bus. I remember thinking, this is my first miserable point of my trip. They have had so much rain and the places don´t have heaters so your things never dry out. Even the pages of my book in my room was damp. I´m definitely ready to move on and get out of Quito.
