Travelling Begins

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Hola EVERYONE,

I dont really understand what I am doing on this blog yet so just be patient with me. It is also a very very slow computer which is very frustrating!!

I apologise now if this is too long winded for you but I am writing as much as possible as I will keep this as my diary of events as well. Just skip to the pictures if it starts boring you.

O.k, here goes . . . .

Travelling began with an emotional good bye with Pedro and once he left mum arrived and I had another emotional good bye. What are we like?? Anyway, once mum left we set off on our travels. Flight to madrid was fine but ran an hour late so had to get to our transfer plane very quickly as it was due to take off. The 11 hour flight to Quito, Ecuador was the worst flight of my life!!!!!

We sat next to the toilet and practically everyone on the plane decided that this was the best toilet to use, resulting in there being a beautiful aroma wafting over us for our entire journey, lovely. On top of this, everyone who queued for the toilet decided to lean against my chair no matter if they leant on my head at the same time, great!

Anyway, enough of my moaning . . We arrived in Quito at 4.30pm which is 6 hours behind you in England. Nik had already booked our hostel and we were also getting picked up so we had a nice man waiting for us. He took us on an exciting drive because he didnt know how to drive the car as it was a temporary one whilst his car was in the garage (he didnt speak any english so just guessed this when he made us swap cars at the garage). I will just add, these Ecuadorians are absolute nutters on the road - the rules are; there are no rules.

Arrived at our hostel by 5.30pm, I was then sick which I believe was a result from the fabulous plane journey. Went to bed my about6.30pm. Very jet lagged.

Woke up next day and had breakfast (bed and breakfast all for $7). As we sat eating on the terrace with a view of most of the city (beautiful), a nice french man called cloither (too hard to say so named him frenchy) came over and said hello. Then the next minute he invited us to climb a volcanoe with him, which we agreed to. I know this is quite strange but when you travel in hostels, most people are very friendly like this.

Met up with him and his friend (Mervin - dutch) who he had met the day before. Then they decided it was too misty to climb as it would be dangerous. Keep in mind that Ecuador is so high above sea level that when we sat on the terrace we were alot closer to the clouds than usual. So we decided to go to Papallacta, hot springs instead. An hour journey in a taxi on the way. Had the most amazing time. The hot springs were in the mountains and right next to a volcanoe (forgot name of it, theres so many around ecuador) and the water was so hot, there was steam coming off. It was quite a cloudy day and the sun occasionally popped out, however I forgot my sun lotion, oops. Mervin and Frenchy were really nice and new fluent english and spanish so it made the day easier for us because no one speaks english as I had previously been warned (learning phrases quick though, just to survive).

Spent the whole day there and had a good laugh, got the bus home - very interesting!! Once we were home and I peeled off my clothes I realised the extent of my sun burns. Not good. Shoulders were the worst. Went to bed early again, absolutely shattered.

Next day, we were going to climb the volcanoe if the mist had cleared but it hadnt. Decided to look around Quito Old Town - went to a cathedral, Mervin came too (who by the way reminds me of Martin Evans, Pedros friend). Was brilliant, never thought I could spend as long as we did in a cathedral but there you go. If you look at the photos, we climbed to the very top of the spires. It was so high but the views were amazing. Sat out side on the spires too, crazy fools.

Got the trolley home (the tram). That night Nik and I decided that we wanted to go to a tapas restaurant we had seen the day before so arranged to meet Mervin there for about 7.30pm. However, we didnt know our way around the new town as we thought we did so got abit lost. Didnt want to walk around in the dark so got a taxi for $2 to take us to an ecuadorian restaurant instead. Felt really guilty that we stood Mervin up but genuinely couldnt find the restaurant. The funniest thing was, when we left the restaurant we looked left and there was the tapas restaurant we were supposed to meet Mervin at 7.30. We could not believe we had missed it, the restaurant was practically next door, we are complete idiots!! Could not stop laughing though, poor Mervin.

Next day we left Quito still in alot of pain on my sun burnt shoulders, was not easy putting 17kg of rucksack on them . . . .

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Comments

[Rob]

Poor old von merv!!!
Carly I cant beleive you left that poor clog wearing hurdy gurdy man in the middle of nowhere on his own!!!!!!! Hope you are well, photo's look realy good. I would say be carefull but as you have lived in Portsmouth you know what third world country's are like!!!! Be good be carefull, Remember A.B.C Accept nothing, Believe no one, Check everything. Love from Rob, Tasha and Jessie, XX