Dizzy Heights

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Awoke this morning at 8 ish and had a great breakfast of pancakes AND scrambled eggs, before taking a taxi to the Teleferica, a cable car to the top of the mountains around Quito with fantastic views.

My taxi driver was almost straight out of a GCSE spanish textbook. He asked me my name, my age, where I was from, how many brothers I had, even if I had any pets. The only questions that stumped me where when he asked me how many I had. Stupidly I just said 3, and with the look of admiration he gave on this response I assume he asked how many cars or girlfriends I had. He then asked me what religion I was, and for some reason, I said I was Catholic, though this seemed to please him greatly, and it was easier than explaining in Spanish why I didn't think there was a God so maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.

On arrival at the Teleferica, I got into a cable car with 3 elderly gentlemen who I hoped were the Ecuadorian equivalent of the Last of the Summer Wine crew. Though sadly my dream was shattered when they didn't go back down the hill in a bathtub.

Spent the afternoon in the Old Town, looking at churches and narrowly avoiding getting caught up in a communist protest, before going to the market to buy a few last minute presents.

Strange to think my time in South America is almost over. I've enjoyed pretty much every minute and met some fantastic people I hope to keep in touch with for a long time to come. I've done things I never thought I'd do, some of which I enjoyed, some of which I was relieved to be over. I've had the priviledge of seeing places generations before me haven't had the opportunity to, and generations to come may not be permitted to. I've found the people of South America as friendly as anywhere else on Earth, if not more so, and all the horror stories I heard before my trip appear to have been unjustified. And if anyone asks, I've been to Mass every Sunday for the past 20 years.

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Comments

[Winky McGonad]

Really...
lovely and elegent summary of your time in SA mate, sounds like its had a really positive effect on you. Keep blogging.

[darrel]

i see your trip and raise you........
ok i've been impressed with your antics and gripped with your blog its moved to number one in my soaps list, knocking hollyoaks off the top. Unfortunatley all your travelling exploits are no match to back here, as the snow is back at the venue !!!!!