Fight or Flight?

Emma writes:

So after all the planning, the booking, the packing and the buying of Micro fleeces, our 9th of December leaving date came around quickly. I'm already a little concerned about our carbon footprint after all the miles we put on Salford Van Hire´s finest red transit, packing and moving all our worldly goods from Manchester to Hull and London and Plymouth into storage and usage. But I suppose we can plant some trees when we get back and sort that one out.

All done though - goodbyes said, leaving drinks drunk and the only thing left to do was think about where to be until our 4am check in at Heathrow on Sunday morning. And handily, Ricky Hatton provided the solution, with the crazily hyped Big Fight ready to set off any time after 3am, or so they said. So off to Richie´s place to stay up and watch the build up then? Nooo, off to Richie´s house to stay up until 1am and then fall asleep. Can´t take the pace anymore. But we made it in time to Heathrow, not with much help from North West London´s "Airport Cars" who, as soon as we got settled in the back, asked "Which way to the airport then?".

Plan was - Iberia flight to Madrid, Lan Ecuador flight Madrid to Guyaquil, Lan something or other Guyaquil to Quito, due to arrive 7pm local time. Bags checked in all the way. We can´t for some reason, but it is a confusing ticket. It'll be alright...

Plan ended up - with our bags going off in one undisclosed direction and us getting stuck at Madrid for the night because nobody could start the plane, or something. So we were quickly put up in a hotel and fed and watered. We wondered what it'd be like with a plane full of Brits getting stuck - finding the bar and staying there until the plane started, but it seems we were the only ones. Hmmm, beer or bed?

Next day, after we'd resolved our moving house/fight night/early flight sleep debt we got picked up - all was good to go with Lan. However, due to an accident in Ecuador last month, the planes from Madrid now can't go via Guyaquil. Reassuring. So we head straight to Quito. Even better. But where the hell are our bags going?

Answer - mine's on a flight behind ours. Nobody knows where Matt's is. Which is helpful. My Spanish is coming along, but this is proving difficult. We're told to try again tomorrow, I think, and we start to add all the bits Matt's going to have to replace if it's really gone for good. Jeans, shirts, camera chargers, mini speakers, washbag nonsense... Oh my god, Cow's in there! Now this is serious. Cow is our travelling companion for this trip, as she has been for much of the world already. What will we do without her?

Our first few nights are booked at L'Auberge hostel in Quito Old Town/New Town/Grey Area. It's ok. Quiet and clean. Pizza calls and then bed.

It can actually be really cold up here in Quito. It's the second highest capital city in the world and quite hard to breathe. We've been told to take it easy for the first few days, so that's just what we'll do. Volcanos can wait a few days. Spanish lessons a few more, and we'll reconsider our thoughts of beach. I think the weather isn't that great. But it's got to be better than Manchester...

Next day, still no bag for Matt. And still no idea where it is. So the day belongs to wandering around Quito old town, a haven for colonial architecture buffs, and getting out of breath easily. I'm absolutely knackered from the lack of oxygen. Sure we'll get used to it. We had a lunchtime beer for 45 pence. Everything seems cheap so far. Especially as we're paying in dollars. For us Brits it's a half price sale. And got a bit sunburned. Must watch that. This Ecuatorial sunshine/cloud is deceiving.

Get back 'home' and there's a message that Matt's backpack has decided to make an appearance and we go and collect it from the airport. Bit squashed and obviously well travelled. Wonder where it went...

Another thing is food. We're not managed to suss it out very well and go to bed a bit hungry really.

---

---