kickin quito

emil says:

what a welcome change quito has been: upbeat, young, proud, vibrant, and with an actual infrastructure to boot (and i saw a recycling bin).  solid blend of antiquities and bumpin nightlife. food has been a welcome improvement from colombia and cuba. at an altitude of 9,200 feet quito creates some sinister hangovers and taking that one elevated step into one's shower feels like climbing the steps of machu pichu. on a side note "business ideas for folks looking to set up enterprises in quito": 1) feels like avg male height here is 5'4" and i only mention this because of the prominence of motorcycle riding in this city. sadly most fellas at a stop light are unable to reach the pavement solidly with both feet, making for a wobbly akwardness. create a 'lower-seated' motorcycle, make a fortune. 2) there are at a minimum 100 galapagos tour operators each brokering seats on only 50 private boats. consolidate this industry, its so ripe for 5 owners to own all the boats rather than 50. 3) chile/argentina have wine, columbia had a fabulous brewery (bogota brewing co) even cuba has some great pilsners but ecuador doesn't seem to have a marketable national beverage. seems like an easy fix.

inglesia de san francisco...under construction for the past 5 years

 i love....gooooolllldd!

turns out panama hats are actually made in ecuador!

virgin of quito

we still like each other

might take one of these home

laurel says:

bring on ecuador!  after a 5 hour bus ride to quito where a crate of chickens was checked in as baggage, we arrived in quito.  (luckily our backpacks were chicken poop free)  and let me upgrade you....we are finally staying in a nice hotel in a converted colonial mansion.  i def recommend this spot if you are planning a trip here:

http://www.cafecultura.com/

quito's old town is a unesco world heritage sight full of ornate spanish churches lining narrow cobble stone streets.  after exploring old town, our big to do was to organize our galapagos trip.  this turned out to be quite a process, but all worth it for the incredible last minute deal we scored.  if you are considering a trip to the islands, and have a few days of wiggle room, you can save 50% or more by organizing the trip on a last minute deal from quito.  we leave for galapagos tomorrow...pinch me now.  

bon voyage

http://www.lapintagalapagoscruise.com/discover-la-pinta.html