Aug 15 - Sep 3, 2016: Ecuador

Aug 16, 2016. Grand Hotel, Quito, Ecuador

• Didn't sleep well last night, even with 1/2 Ambien.  Jet lag? Quito is 3 hours later than Los Altos).  Or just nervous about the whole trip?  Time will tell. I woke up at 4:30, and couldn't get back to sleep.  Spent several hours reading through Lonely Planet and Rough Guides of Equator and Peru, trying to figure out what I'll be doing these next many weeks.  Current thinking: take my time, use several spots in Ecuador as bases, with day trips to neighboring sights.  I'm not sure how easy it is going to be to set up some of the multi-day hikes described in the guidebooks.  Also: the guide books have got me nervous about pickpockets in towns and robbers in the country.  Also: how to get to Lima?  Flying from Guayaquil is an option, but more interesting is to take the slow way, with buses along the Peruvian coast, checking out the sights as I go.  There is so much to see in Ecuador that I am tempted to go slow, not worry what I miss, then return after Machu Picchu and see more.

• By the way, I'm loving my iGO keyboard.  Without it I know I would be very bad about taking notes. 

• So today I took a taxi (they are cheap and have meters (only in Quito, I am told) to the top of the nearest hill - Quito is surrounded by hills & volcanoes of all sizes - on top of which stands a big Winged Madonna - they only one in the world, whoopee.  Walked back down, and grabbed a taxi for the teleferico up to Cruz Loma.  From there I hiked about 2 hours to near the summit of Ruku Pinchincha, thus going from around 10,000 to 13,000 feet.  Slow but steady, but I'm getting acclimatized.  A little wobbly on the way down.  Lots of clouds, so couldn't really see the volcanoes.

• Then back down and a taxi ride to the Jardín Botánico de Quito best for orchids (Ecuador has the most of any country), a short stop at the Vivarium - lots of sleeping snakes - and back to the Grand Hotel by 4, ready to call it a day.  Tried Skyping Caren, but she wasn't in - I'll try again right now...

• Tried again - and got her!  Skype is amazing.  She had just returned from visiting her sister, who was also quite broken up over the death of their father just a few days ago.  The good news is that the visit went well, and they may get back together again as friends - I certainly hope so.  According to Caren, Sue only agreed to the visit because Irv asked her to, as a dying wish.  

Aug 17, 2016.  Grand Hotel, Quito, Ecuador

• Walked first to the Basilica del Voto Nacional for the view, but clouds still obscured the surrounding volcanoes - haven't seen them yet!  Next a taxi to a museum that was supposed to have shrunken heads, but couldn't find it.  Next walked even further through the thoroughly uninteresting New Town to the Museo Fundacion Guayasamin, which had the art of Ecuador's most famous artist - and which I really didn't like, although the building was nice.  Next on to the Museo National, the best museum in Quito, but unfortunately closed for renovation.  Finally I hit pay dirt: the Casa del Alabado, in the Old Town, had a wonderful display of pre-Colombian artifacts, thematically organized.  Took a whole lot of photos.

• I had emailed the agency that issued my permit for the first day at Machu Picchu to point out that they had failed to send it.  When I got it, I discovered it didn't have my passport number on it.   Will have to email them again today.  They had also promised to send me a free transfer ticket for my troubles, but it didn't arrive either.  Sigh.

• Went to bed at around 8 PM, very tired, especially my legs.  Am I just getting old, or is the altitude still affecting me?

Aug 18, 2016.  Rancon del Turista, Otavalo, Ecuador.

• Taxi to the northern bus station, way to the north - Quito is a very, very long city.  Then a bus to Guayllabamba, and another taxi to the zoo.  Mostly local animals, with a few lions and ostriches to give it an international flavor.  Very well laid out, with a marked path past all the exhibits, and another path to the exit.  Three beautiful Jaguars, quite active, a couple of condors, and two spectacled bears - the only chance I'll ever get to see these guys.

• Then a taxi - bus - taxi to this hostel, which I had reserved earlier in the day via maps.me > Booking.com.  Somewhere around $12 a night, with private bath, and just a few blocks to the main square, where the big deal market takes place in two days.

• Walking around Otavalo, you see locals from the surrounding area in their native garb - the women are especially dolled up, with embroidered white blouses, long wool skirts, lots of beads; the men are in felt hats, blue ponchos and calf-length pants, hair braided in one long strand.  The guide books tell me these outfits most closely resemble what the Incas wore of any other region in Ecuador.

• Booked a train ride for Sunday - from here to Salinas and back - should be very touristic, but the scenery is supposed to be great.

• Tomorrow will attempt a taxi > hike to and around the Lagunas de Mojanda, which should take all day.  And I am contemplating a two day guided ascent of Cayambe, beginning next Tuesday.  Not supposed to be an easy one...

• Lovely meal at one of the nicer restaurants - steak, potatoes, salad, tropical fruit smoothie: $11.  Most I've spent so far, but worth it.

• Goddam WiFi is on-again, off-again here, mostly the latter.  Off right now, so time to hit the hay.

• Everybody is wearing Fly Emirates t-shirts...

• Don't forget to see Taxopamba waterfalls on way to Lagunas Mojanda.  And climb Fuya Fuya.

• Condor Park, 11:30 & 3:30.  El Lechero lookout nearby.