Tonight we went to a nice rooftop restaurant to see L. off back to the USA. Quite expensive for Old Town Quito, but a great view, good food, an elevator operator, a harp, and fireworks! Costs Here lies a delicious porkchop. Cost today: $75.75 Cumulative cost: $1032.98
Today I went on a school trip to finally visit the Virgin of Quito, the giant winged aluminum lady beckoning from the hilltop on the south side of the city. The “Panecillo” (“little bread loaf”) hill offers a great view of the city, including the south side heretofore hidden by the same hill. Unfortunately today it was a little too… Read more »
Today we went to lunch at an American owned restaurant. I had a burger with chips and it was the first spicy food I’ve had in a while, though I think they overdid it a bit with the salt and pepper. We sat outside, but there is also a cozy spot with couches hidden away on the third floor –… Read more »
New week, new teacher. I asked Mario¹ to take me to the shops where stolen things are sold. He took me to the mall nearest the place where my camera was stolen. There were stories and stories of little shops with various electronics, mostly phones, in the windows. Some things were new, some looked questionable. I did not see my… Read more »
Today we went to the butterfly garden in Mindo. This was the cleanest, most touristy sight I’ve seen here yet, but also new and fun. There were variously camouflaged cocoons, and the opportunity to watch the butterfly being born. Some young ones were still hanging from their cocoons drying their wings. Many more were flying around the garden and feeding… Read more »
Today we took a truck ride and a hike through the mountain jungle to some waterfalls (“cascadas”) and pools. The hike was nice, with a little rope assisted scrambling. The waterfalls are unimpressive even compared to those in New Hampshire, but there is a nice area both locals and tourists use for swimming jumping into the water. We swam by… Read more »
Today I departed Quito for a weekend trip to Mindo, a small town in the cloud forest. It’s a cute little town of hotels and small houses, with the fronts of the buildings finished to look nice for the tourists. It’s nice to be out of the bustle of Quito. There are birds chirping away all day and possibly all… Read more »
After school today I went to file a police report about my stolen things. The school administrator said that although they will not be able to get my stuff back, the police do use the information to find patterns in how the thieves work. I later remembered that I may also be able to use the report to file a… Read more »
Today I had lunch with one of the girls at the school at a small cheap restaurant ($2) down a corridor off the street in Old Town. At the end of lunch my bag, which I had hanging off the back of my chair (contrary to oft repeated instructions), was gone. We ran around the restaurant asking the waiters about… Read more »
When we left school today, the sky and the air were strangely smoky. The girls were afraid that Cotopaxi blew, as it is expected to any day. There did seem to be fewer people on the street, but for the most part the city seemed to be moving as normal. The sun was orange overhead. Little bits of ash were… Read more »