The other side of the world

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I've been in and around Quito since I got back from the Galapagos Islands and it's been quite an interesting time... first of all I raced up to the equator to see how the water flushes on the other side of the world and sure as eggs, it does infact go the other way!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, they've got this little sink right, and when they pull the plug over the equator the water goes straight down, they move the same sink 2m to the south and it falls with the clockwise swirl that I grew up with out in Glenbrook, then 2m to the north it falls with an anti-clockwise swirl!! So that was cool, then me and Lee(a "dude" from California) went to prison to visit some convicted drug smugglers which was very interesting. Got some good stories to tell about that(including the one about the stabbing we saw right outside the prison) but you can ask me about that some other time.
Then we both decided that we were going to hang around for the Ecuador Vs Brazil football game(which was yesterday and an absolute blast!!! And Ecuador won too so we had a crazy night in town aftyerwards) so we shot out to Baños for a few days and did some Canyoning(absailing down waterfalls). cool little place with fresh cany getting spun up on every street corner and the dirtiest hot pools I've ever regretted getting into.
Then I got back to Quito to find that my "friend" Maria-Rosa from the Galapagos Isalnds had come up from Cuenca to visit me... sweeeeet!!! so we've spent the last few days bumming around together taking salsa lessons and sightseeing around Quito and stuff so that has been great. She even bought me an Ecuadorian football shirt to wear to the game yesterday... very nice girl😊 just a shame we've got to say goodbye tomorrow because I'm heading up to Colombia, te quiro mucho mi corazón, te voy a extrañar muchisimo y nunca voy a olvidar en ti cierto! besos grandes, y te escribo pronto desde Colombia

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Photos

The big reunion
So I arrived in Quito after Galapagos, checked into a cheap hostel and shot accross the road for a long yearned Chicken Kebab, and while I was waiting for it, who should walk around the corner but Christian who I hadn't seen since Montañita... then 5mins later while we were both tucking into our juicey Kebabs and catching up on what we'd both missed out on over the last couple of weeks, Tim and Isabel majically appeared for about the 10th time so far on my trip so we decided to make a bit of a party right there and then. Chicken Kebabs, Pilseners all round, and a wierd fruit flavoured bong-pipe thing that just looked too interesting not to try. Great bunch of people that I've enjoyed travelling with throughout differant parts of my trip, and the morning after this little reunion they all flew off to differant parts of the world so the chances of more random encounters like this are pretty likely for the rest of my South America trip - can't wait to catch up with you all next year some time.

The president's riot wagon
Me and Lee conned these very serious men into letting us climb ontop of their beast for a more interesting photo of the Presidents Building - Casa Blanca

Canyoning - Banos
James, Lee and me at the bottom of a huge decent

Roasted Guinea Pig
This is considered quite a delicacy all around Peru and Ecuador, but I havn't been fooled.

The Candy Man
There are liturally hundreds of guys doing this in the street, they throw it around like a lasoo until it gets to the right concistancy. Blackberry was my favorite flavor, and I preferred it fresh off the bakers hands rather then the set hard like they usually sell it

Rum and Coke night at the hostel
every other night the alcoholic owner dished out a big bucket full of Rum and Coke to "maintain the atmosphere"... good times

The wheels on the buss go round and round....
they don't really observe the recommended quota in there buss sytem over here, especially on big game days

Mi corazon
uno de los besos buenasos suyos :)

Comments

[anonymous]

i'm going to ecuador 27 january
hi man! You seem have a lot of fun. Id'like to know how did you go on the galapagos island. The boat was to one of your friends or you just take a trip !!!! Thanks a lot.... Jack - jack

[anonymous]

You missed a lot in Medellin
I cannot believe all what you missed in Medellin. El Peñol is one spectacular place with that giant rock to be climbed and a nice restaurant waiting for you at the top. So many places in the south region of Antioquia that you could have visited.If you re-visit Medellin, let me know so I can tell you where the real fun in the mountains are. - Natalia