So i know i´m a slacker...
Trip Start
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Trip End
Ongoing
Quito, Ecuador
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
arrived in quito at midnight the night before my first day of orientation with a nasty case of the travelers best friend. which, by the way, was no fun during the ten hour bus ride from cuenca. none at all. but quito is nice enough. the university is quite possible one of the most well done that i have ever seen and i am enjoying my classes. been doing a bit of traveling. the first weekend i went to īmitad del mundoī in other words, the equator. and yes i did have fun jumping from one hempishpere to the other. noone would take my photo so i shot my feel on either side. it was rather funny. the next weekend i ended up going to montanita, a really cool little hippy beach down by guayaquil in the south. that was great fun. eight hours from cuenca in a bus designed for twelve, but somehow we managed to fit eighteen plus luggage. we were really cozy. but the full moon beach party was alot of fun. the next week ended up going to otavalo for the famous handicrafts market. iīm sure that a good portion was made by hand, i am just amazed that so many people can produce so many items of exactly the same model and quality... letīs see... hung out in quito the next weekend with some friends and had a good time. the salsa lessons are definitly coming in handy for the local hot spots. last weekend was really cool. went to catch the train for the nariz del diablo in riobamba. p.s. donīt go for the five dollar rooms- trust me itīs better to pay a little more... a five hour ride south through some of the most beautiful country i have ever seen, on the roof. in each of the villiages the kids would all come pouring out of the woodwork to catch the candy that the tourists threw. it was quite the kodak moment. after the train caught a bus down to a small town where a friend of mine works and spent the next three nights hanging out on the dairy farm that his uncle owns. this was truly amazing. i heard nothing but birds, the music of the neighbors (good music, not what i would hear from MY neighbors) and the occasional donkey. i firmly believe that this is a magical place, and hope to be invited back. itīs worth the seven hour bus ride, including the tire that exploded half-way back yesterday...
so thatīs all for now, but more to come later.
