Arrived in Otavalo

I guess the long and short of it is we: descended about 1000 feet (down here at 8000 we're sprinting up the steps), crossed the Equator on the Pan American Highway (photo), scored a sweet deal on a lovely little kitchenette apartment in a nice hotel, took the girls to check out a school (photos)(thanks Hayden and Bill), liked it, and they will attend their first day tomorrow. I especially like the photo of Ro's first few minutes in her new classroom.

This town is lovely. There's a strip of semi-horrifying tourism services immediately adjacent to the main market square (they call it Poncho Plaza - LOTS of musical instruments, hats, geegaws, bags, jewelry, etc. to buy), but also plenty of real world less-developed country (a friend calls it "underconsuming country")town to live in. I feel like we shot from far far away and came pretty dang close to a good mark. Thanks Chuck and Sue and Hayden and Bill for the great counsel.

We have a phone number, too. Comment here or email if you would like it. P

Pile o' baggage

We took a vote and decided to put up this picture, albeit out of chronological sequence. This is 4:30 am New Year's Day in PDX; coincidentally, taken by our friend Tood who was passing through on her way to Florida.

We almost were trying to set it to music: 5 duffle bags, 2 roll aboards, 4 backpacks. And a banjo.

All well. Good thoughts certainly helping and welcome. P

Last days in Quito

All continues well in our South American metropolis. We’ve established a lovely little beachhead here at our hotel: friendly, cozy, quiet, pleasant (photo). I have made friends with the restaurant staff; they go off menu to make bland pasta and deliver hot chocolate to the room for the gringa girls. Today, they invited me to join in the noontime card game; I bought the table beers and learned to play the traditional Quito game of 40. I’ll teach you all when I return.

In addition to OLD, Quito is quite HIGH! Yesterday, a friend of my friend Skip’s met us and took us up the Teleferiqo (gondola) from downtown (9,000 ft) to 13,000 (photos, do the math on 4100m). After a few minutes, the clouds cleared and Pichincha Volcano appeared at 16,500 (photo) – the highest mountain I’ve ever seen, higher than anything in the lower 48. This held the record for several hours until I saw Cotopaxi from Ed’s apartment – 19,500! That’s in the neighborhood of Denali. Yahoo!

Afterwards, Ed and Pilar hosted us in their home for pizza and visiting; their kids are 7 and 4. The 3 Little Pigs was a big hit on the couch (photo). Thanks for a great day you guys!

Today was our last day in the big town. We checked out mass at a giant Spanish colonial church on the Plaza Grande: full-on gilding and Rococo interior. Wow. Then a huge park in the center of the city where folks were out in force enjoying soccer, volleyball, basketball, biking in the sunshine. Lovely. Some ice cream for the girls, all in good spirits.

Otavalo tomorrow! Paul

And a few words from the girls:
Althea Says:
It was a great ride on the gondola yesterday, and our friends were very nice and their part of Quito was beautiful. We go to Otovalo tomorrow, and I'm hoping it will be a little more homey. We will See the school and maybe meet some friends! :-)Hoping it all goes well,
Althea

I am just kind of feeling weird about coming to Quito and then leaving Quito it is kind of a big change. it will be interesting to see what is like in Otavalo.
Rosie

Going To Ecuador!!!!!

Going to Ecuador was a really big surprise and i really didn't see it coming.but it seemed so far away when they told me but it isn't so far away anymore because we're in Ecuador and it is a lot different then i thought it would be. But over the time I've been in Ecuador it isn't to bad here. it is actually kind of fun. Rosalie

Going To Ecuador!!!!!

Quito!

It feels a little boosterish, but I’m quite interested in some of this info and wanted to pass it along. We’re staying in the Old Town area of Quito (photo of street in front of our hotel). In the 1940’s, the aristocrats sort of block rushed another section of town and created New Town, or La Mariscal. It’s reputed to be more tourist-inhabited and isn’t Colonial-building-central like this area is. This part of town is in fact, for this hemisphere, really old.

La Plaza Grande was first laid out in 1534 – that’s Plymouth Rock minus 85 years, and during the lifetime of Michangelo, before Shakespeare’s birth, just 15 years after Cortez started whacking on Aztecs. It will be 500 years old when Rosie finishes college. Old!

I walked over today while the juniors were acclimating to new time zone and 9000 feet (ie snoozing); it was quite bustling (photo) with families and musicians enjoying the last day of Xmas break, plus riot police with those plexiglass shield things waiting patiently in reserve as the respective boosters of two political opponents shouted and cheered and waved their index fingers at each other. The Cathedral is on one side, big obelisk thing in the middle (photo).This Plaza is now called La Plaza Independencia in commemoration of kicking out the Spaniards in 1809 (after nearly 300 years of colonial rule); the obelisk is the monument to that.

Eggs and buns and fruit salad and café con leche for breakfast downstairs this morning, tomorrow we’re looking forward to hazarding the Coastal Breakfast: Green banana balls stuffed with cheese or fried pork rinds. Yum!

Hugs to back there. Paul

Arrived!

All safe and sound, thanks for all the good wishes out there. Dear friend Geoff took time away from Beth´s birthday dinner and NY Eve to drive us in, 4 am shuttle from hotel, Houston at noon, Quito at 10:30, immigration and then taxi to hotel at 11:30 (Quito is on NYC time, so really only 8:30 pm for us). Whew. Stellar travelers, iPod movies, kind neighbors shared brownies and headphones with us.

Wé´re staying right in the center of the City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the best Spanish colonial areas in the Americas (apparently). Big city, but an interior, quiet hotel room. Ventured out this am around the block, stopped in on a mass filled with people less than my shoulder height. Words for the morning: Salvador, Par and Peluqueria - savior, pair (of eggs, on a menu) and haircuttery.

Thanks for reading. We have a date to visit a friend of a friend tomorrow and his family. Cheers. Paul