Some joker decided that the morning after the night before was the ideal time for an 8am sight seeing departure. (I can’t remember who it was – it may have been me – but needless to say we didn’t quite depart at 8am. We had to have our coffee and pancakes first.) Eventually we made… [Read more…]
April 27, 2010
I hate saying goodbye but sometimes, a little pampering can soften the blow. And our last weekend in Quito was great. Yes, it was a little bit girlie – maybe a little bit vain – but it was ultimately a very fitting goodbye. Our festivities began on Friday. Once we’d got out of school (I… [Read more…]
April 23, 2010
There may have been a night out on Wednesday. Cocktails may have been consumed. Drinking games may have been played. The hours may have evaporated until Bryony and I ended up in a cab, unable to stop laughing even as we crept into Ruth’s flat. I may have walked into a chair on my way… [Read more…]
April 21, 2010
Prison gates must look the same all over the world. Tall, steel and fitted with one of those imposing sliding grills. I was the first out of the taxi. I tapped hesitantly on the grill. “Hola,” I called quietly. The grill slid back and an Ecuadorian eye observed the four gringos standing on the pavement. We squinted back at him through… [Read more…]
April 21, 2010
We have been hearing the odd horror story ever since we arrived in Quito. They are mostly tales of hapless tourists. There are tourists who let it slip that they are flying home the following day, only to discover some drugs have been slipped in their bag. Similarly, there are the idiots who think it is… [Read more…]
April 21, 2010
Ecuadorian bureaucracy is a joy for which there are apparently no limits. It started at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where you need a mountain of paperwork, every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed, to obtain your visa. Yawn. It continued today in spectacular fashion. Last week we successfully obtained our full visas via the… [Read more…]
April 16, 2010
My days in Quito have settled into an easy and surprisingly enjoyable routine – I am already feeling sad about swapping this city for the Galapagos (I know!) and even considering re-enrolling at the school again afterwards. This is how my day goes… 6.40am - Wake up. 7am - Say hola to Maria and devour her breakfast. 7.30am… [Read more…]
April 15, 2010
It occurs to me that with all my ramblings about my life here, I haven’t said one word about the lovely city of Quito. I’m not sure which bright spark decided to build a capital city in a valley surrounded by volcanoes, but it’s beautiful. I love walking out of Ruth’s house in the morning and seeing the… [Read more…]
April 14, 2010
“Who here has their boyfriend?” Silence. “Who here has their girlfriend?” More silence. “Excellent,” beams Edi, our short and slightly rotund middle-aged dance teacher, who is atonishingly fluid of the hip. “In my classes we make romance. Sometimes we make marriage.” Fat chance Edi, fat chance. The warm up for his salsa class was not… [Read more…]
April 14, 2010
I am today recovering from one of the most excruciating dinner table conversations I’ve ever endured. The nine of us (seven volunteers plus Monika and her son) went out for dinner to a lovely Ecuadorian restaurant. I was seated near the end, next to Pippa, beside Monika and opposite Pa-ool (his name really should be… [Read more…]
April 28, 2010
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