http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Ecuador , North en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:21:43 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:21:43 +0000 23.12.20091720Von Quito hatte ich bisher sehr unterschiedliches gehoert Moloch Kriminalitaet Party moderne Einkaufscenter Kolonialarchitekturhellip es trifft wohl alles zu. Was ich bisher gesehen habe beschraenkt sich auf die Ausgehmeile Mariscal wo ich wohne und die Altstadt die ich mir heute angesehen habe. Beides gefaellt mir aber natuerlich habe ich nur einen Einblick in das Vorz http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-462360.html It is hard to believe that in about 3weeks wersquoll be heading off to South America The time is ticking by ever so quickly and we are looking at piles and piles and piles of stuff to try to get into our suitcases. Dios mio Hay demasiado cosas y no hay bastante espacioAlong with a guitar a violin backpacks filled with art supplies books books and more books we also have our own m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-461536.html 12 Dec 2009 Looking around Quito Started off walking to 1 of the central parks La Carolina and had a picnic with our own tour guide Mo. Heaps of activity going on music football volleyball for us a little rest nice. After this we caught our first public transport trolebus which was crammed holding onto your pockets. We made our way to the south of Quito for 0.25 to go to the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-460823.html 13 Dec Middle of the World Woke up again around 6am nice Alice snoring lol. We heard about this place that you go to which is about 1.5hrs by bus outside Quito which is where the exact equator is monument and all. Cost about 2 for the transport and we got there about 9.30am and looked around. Funny story the massive monument there actually was built in the wrong spot by about 1 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Mitad-del-Mundo/blog-460703.html You are receiving this notice because I have added you to my Ecuador Galapagos Blog posting notices. If you do not wish to receive these emails please let me know and I will remove you.This is my second try at posting this entry please forgive me for getting so many posting emails. I've had a bit of challenge with the travelblog website and internet connections. SueGetting ThereWe started ar 1 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-459972.html Mindo has been great over the last few days. I didn't get up to an awful lot this time just some tubing down the river and another early morning Cock of the Rock visit. I've met a few people at El Monte an Austrian family a group of visiting Americans two nice English girls a national geographic film maker and an Australian university professor. An eclectic mix as many of the people I've see http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Mindo/blog-459626.html I was worried that coming back to Mindo might actually spoil the memory that I had of it. As almost the first place we came to in South America it left a big impression upon me an impression I now thought might no longer stand up in comparison to what wersquove experienced since. But I was wrong.Coming back to Mindo has if anything made me realise more how uniquely special this place is. It http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Mindo/blog-459625.html Having just stayed in La Paz for the fifth time I think I'm ready to leave it behind me now. Just as well for today is the day we travel back to Quito and make some real strides in a homeward direction. For the first time on this journey I have finally been afflicted by Montezuma's revenge. It isn't pretty. My stomach has been cramping all day and visiting the toilet has been a less than posi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-458178.html Buses buses and more buses. Also some trolleys thrown in for good measure. Not stopping heading straight to Otavalo to escape the big city. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-456576.html The first leg of my world adventure Latin America is nearing its conclusion. As I begin writing I am flying over the Caribbean from Quito to Havana after a layover in Lima. Irsquove been excited going into each part of this trip this time Irsquom not only nervous but also anxious. First there is the illegality second Cuba is a very different type of place. Irsquove heard a lot http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/blog-455889.html Nous avons dcid de passer plusieurs jours sur Quito histoire de s'habituer l'altitude Quito tant 2800 mtres.Dave avait en tete d'escalader le volcan Cotopaxi qui est le plus haut volcan actif au monde donc le 1er jour nous avons fait le tour des agences de voyages pour connaitre les prix et les arrangements pour l'escalade du volcan. Au dpart on pensait prendre un guide particulier http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-455375.html Aprs Cali nous avons continu notre route vers le sud direction Ipiales ville situe la fronitre avec l'Equateur. 7h30 passage oblig la douane passeports tamponns et quelques centaines de mtres plus loin nous voici cot Equateur. Arrivs Tulcan pas le temps d'aller aux toilettes ni de prendre un caf que des gars nous ont prcipits dans le bus pour Quito. Le bus est incroyableme http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/blog-455370.html So we arrived in Quito on the 14th of November. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and is at an altitude of 2800 meters. My main plan for Ecuador is to climb a mountain Volcano called Cotopaxi which is a couple of hours south of Quito. We figured that the altitude training would help.On arrival in Quito we made friends with a spanish couple Martin and Layla and we decided to stay in a hostel call http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-455357.html So after the four day tourI had 10 days left at the station. Our group was slowly departing the loss of Phil being the first. More drinks at the station bar for Nushs leaving dotoo many games of Ring of Fire for my liking and the loss of Mel at the weekend lead me to think that I wanted to leave a couple of days earlyheadback to Qutio and do some sightseeing around the area before the begin http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-454669.html Apologes for the major tardiness with the blog. Its been a crazy couple of weeks but thats why I love it here. Firstly celebrations for Alycats birthday took place on the weekend of the 24th Oct many a mojito consumed with the final destination being Iguana Rock where else and an unfortunate meeting with Notorius PIG and his mate Vin Doll you know who you are boys Antics on the stat http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-454490.html Sorry that I haven't written in a while but nothing really has been going on here. Oh expect for the lights are turned off everyday at random times. The eletricity here is generated through hydroelectricity. No rain no power. It hasn't rained for a while so there is a power shortage. They cut the lights off in random parts of the city for about four hours at a time. It is kinda annoying w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-453515.html For the last month or so Irsquove been eating dinner with the people every night at the downtown Center in my break in between classes and it has been such a blessing. In the beginning I thought it would drain me and granted I am tired by the time I get to 6pm BUT it is definitely one of my favorite parts of the day.Tonight I sat with a few of my first grade girls and some other kids. On http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-453439.html Back in Quito and having been away for 2 weeks it was time for our first trip to the lavanderia laundry. Having paid as much as 30 in India to have laundry done in hotels we decided to venture out to one of the lavanderias wersquod seen in town. We had a whole bundle of washing done for 5 and were quite satisfied with the result so this is definitely the way to get clean clothes in Sou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-451187.html HolaNikita Undercoveragent mit privatem Bodyguard meldet sich zureuck... Ja mittlerweile fuehl ich mich echt schon so und hab ueberlegt das Business zu wechseln waere sicha interessant und spannend Naja zumindest haben wir den Humor noch nicht ganz verloren bzw. kommt es schon langsam wieder zurueckHaben die letzten Tage wirklich alles nur menschenmoegliche gemacht um an Infos und dergleich http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-450760.html Hmmm where has the time gone I can remember when we first conceived of this idea many many months ago and wondering whether it would be possible. How we started squirreling away some money little by little then started holding some fundraising events and people scratching their heads wondering why we were trying to raise funds for a trip so far in the distance creating summer camps http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/North/Quito/blog-450361.html