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Published: October 11th 2007
We´re finally back in the mountains, our native habitat. Let the South America section of our adventure begin!
We bid Adios to Central America and hopped over Colombia for safety sake with a quick return to Costa Rica. We enjoyed a fantastic four-hour layover in the fancy San Jose airport, complete with Karin´s Cafe Britt coffee and candy samples and unwrapped reading material so we could finally peruse (Panamanians like to cover their books and magazines in air-tight plastic so curious little travelers can´t snoop through or tatter their prized pages). We stepped out of the airport in Ecuador and had the strangest sensation. It was like we were home... only different.
Quito is surrounded by beautiful mountain views with cool, dry breezes and a side of bright sunshine. At 9,350 feet and only 22k from the equator, it´s forever spring time here. We are freezing in our shorts and flimsy fleeces. And it is glorious. We thought we would spend a day or two in the big city and then make a break for the mountains, but we enjoyed Quito so much that we stayed for a week! (We´re also waiting for our cold weather clothes to arrive
in the mail, so a special thanks to Jocelyn and Nick for sending our jackets and hats, and a mighty vendetta against DHL for holding them hostage).
We explored the ciudad antigua (old city) with its white-washed buildings, beautiful churches, and palm-filled plazas, where street performers are showered with coins simply for sweeping the streets as a promise for an upcoming comedy act. We practiced our mountain-climbing skills at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, a Hogwarts-style wonder where for only $2, you can literally walk over the central ship or cathedral section ceiling to the votive chapel. You can also climb rickety rebar ladders waaay up past the clock tower and beyond the gargoyles to bang the church bells and peek out to see a downright transcendent view of the city from 260 feet. Now that is something you would never be able to do in the US of A.
We spent a nice little Sunday at ¨La Mitad del Mundo¨ or the middle of the world where we hugged and hopped across hemispheres (it´s no Home Depot or Bed, Bath and Beyond, but it´ll do). The line is the exact spot where the equator was first believed
to be. Turns out, what really divides the globe is a few feet of the mark, but we made the most of it with lunch, followed by an amazing display of local tunes and indigenous dancing by precious kids and talented teens in the square. This was also the day we discovered that Trevor has a secret love of fried foods (a enigma that didn´t even rear its ugly head when Trev enjoyed lunch at the Yum Brands cafeteria in between interviews). His ¨fried day¨ began with a chocolate donut from a vendor in a park market, lunch of fried empanadas and french fries, and a dinner of chicken strips and more fries from the Latin KFC. But this was all before the Mariscal...
Soon we inspected the Mariscal Sucre or new part of town, a modern metropolis of amazing restaurants, overflowing book shops, outdoor gear stores, and even a kayak shop full of waterproof wear and sparkly helmies. We packed our short-sleeve T-shirts away, and stocked up on long undies and waterproof pants. Then we moved uptown to the best little B&B in Ecuador, where not only did we enjoy the veggie fare, but we also broke our
rule about eating at the same spot twice. The lunch here is exotic juice, soup, a full plate of tasty pasta, salad, veggies and more, plus a fruity dessert for $2. What a deal.
Don´t forget to check out the videos for a glimpse of the colorful native dancing we saw at La Mitad del Mundo. Now we´re off to the mountains, the Sierra, the Highlands, the Avenue of Volcanoes. Yes, the Ecuadorian Andes at long last. Tune in next time!
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That's a sweet viddie of indigenous dancing, but are you guys really in Old Town San Diego? I think I recognize those dancers. I'll be putting on a few similar moves of my own tomorrow night to the tunes of "Son de Madera" at CC. That is, if I can stay up past 10.........