TORONTO TO QUITO

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JULY 6, DELTA FLIGHT 681, SEAT 29F, 37000 FT.

"I got one more life, can you see it waisting away? But i got a plan..oh..do you understand?"
-THE VERVE


When people talk of travel, romanticized images of far away places is what normally comes to mind. Now although these may be true, not often enough do people acknowledge the stress of months of saving, planning and sleepless nights spent dreaming of the unknown. The moment that dream all of a sudden becomes a reality is at once both exhilarating and terrifying. So here i find myself bound for quito, ecuador leaving a very comfortable and well structured life behind.

Now here is the funny thing..i had a five hour stop-over in Atlanta and i wasnt prepared for culture shock so early on in my trip. Maybe it was the lack of sleep playing tricks on my mind but i am more inclined to think that it was the continual reminder over the PA that we were under a level orange terrorist alert. Or maybe it was the live broadcasts of car chase scenes that ecerybody seemed glued to...or the hundreds of evangelistic missionaries boarding their flights to conquer the world. Whatever it was it all made me feel like i was on another planet, the difference between Canada and the States had never felt so pronounced...everything in Canada seems so much more sensible. After 5 hours in the airport, 2 hours on the tarmac waiting for takeoff and another 6 hours in the air, i couldnt wait to finally step foot in South America. My arrival was a about 3 hours delayed and i was anxious as to whether my transfer to the hostal would still be waiting for me..it was well after midnight and the thought of trying to negotiate a taxi ride to ,i have no idea where, in spanish was making me nervous.

I was completely blown away by my flights approach to Quito. I have flown into some pretty cool places but this was something special. Out of nowhere a mass of sparkling lights appeard between the clouds and after training my eyes the sihlouette of the Andes came into focus. The plane banked and turned in between these giants, the city lights sprawled up their massive shoulders. When the plane finally touched down and the air steward announced "Welcome to Quito, Ecuador", the whole plane erupted with applause...surreal. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get to the Secret Garden, my home for the next week. Let the adventure begin...

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Comments

[papa t]

thanks for the reminder...
you lucky bastard. LIVE FREE D (and thanks for taking us along for the ride)....