A bumpy flight to Quito, Ecuador, the second highest capital in the
world
on our way to Ecuador |
After a relaxed morning we board
our 9th LAN flight, this time to the capital of Ecuador. I had been
to Quito 10 years ago on a very stressy trip with a small group from
ANDERS-Reisen meaning ‘Different Travels’.
Well, this tour certainly turned out
to be very different form any tour I had been doing so far. Nearly everything
that could go wrong went wrong: we had nobody to pick us up at the airport, the
weather was crap and we got stranded on the Galapagos islands since somehow we
didn’t have the right tickets to fly back.
on finals into Quito |
So we ended up on a nightmare tour
in a military freighter airplane flying around all of the islands in Galapagos
(Phil would have loved it!) with no water, no toilet and no food on board and
not knowing how long we would stay in each of the tiny airports.
We finally
arrived in Guayaquil at midnight (this wasn’t a planed stop on our official
route) and I had to find and organize an overnight accommodation for 10 tired
and angry people. The next morning we went back to the airport and to our
aircraft only to wait for the officers to eventually decide that they would fly
us back to Quito. A storm was forecasted and prospect of flying in this
window-less aircraft in bad weather took my last drop of energy out of me. But
I remember being allowed into the cockpit for our approach to Quito and I was
literally standing behind the captain as we rolled finally with a big sigh onto
the runway at 3200m above sealevel. We were by now 2 days behind schedule but
had seem every on of the Galapagos Islands – at least their airports!
The weather on this flight wasn’t
much better. It was bumpy all the way through and we only caught a short
glimpse of the snow-white Cotopaxi (5897m) which stands very near Quito.
dining with the Ambassador of Ecuador |
The
landing reminded me of the old Kai Tak airport in Hongkong. Houses and built up
areas right till final touch down. Quite exciting. Immigration here was quick
and efficient and after 30min in a taxi we arrived at our luxury hotel in
downtown Quito called the ‘Patio Analuz’.
It’s a lovely boutique hotel with two
light courtyards and it’s only 200meters off the Grand Plaza in the old city.
Money wise a bit of a splash out, but we wanted to use our little time we had
here to be right where things are happening.
After a little orientation stroll
around the streets, we meet Peter Evens, deputy Ambassador from the British
Embassy here in Quito. Phil had known the previous Ambassador and he has
arranged for us to meet Peter and to do a talk tomorrow at the British School.
We sit down at a little bar near the square and talk about life in Ecuador,
Iceland (that’s where his last posting had been), living in Bristol (funnily
Peter was at Clifton College and even knows the Corrie Tap our favourite Sunday
lunch pub!) and how terrible American Immigration is!
We start a scathing
conversation about some of the American rules not realizing that behind us sits
an American lady. Eventually she turns around and we realize our faux-pas.
Peter then explains that the Brits share the Embassy with the Germans. “So do
you really get along with each other?” I want to know. “Well, you know, if the
alternative is to share it with the French, we rather stick to the Germans!” he
says with a big smile. These Dips have a great sense of humour.
view along the streets of old Quito |
Next we talk politics here in
Ecuador. A lot has changed since the new government in 2001. Most of the old buildings
have been renovated and all the street vendors have been removed. There is more
tourist police around to prevent theft and crime and in general things seem to
have improved. Only the Galapagos Islands must be in a desolate state, he says.
Corruption leads to illegal tours and cruises, more people now try to actually
live on the islands and therefore destroy the delicate ecological environment.
What a shame. When I was there 12 years ago it still was the unspoilt paradise
of birds, marine iguanas and swimming with the dolphins in crystal clear water.
After a couple of beers we bid
farewell to Peter (he is leaving his post in a week to return to London, so his
is up to his eyeballs with farewell dinners) and find ourselves a nice
restaurant to grab some food.
PHIL:
Day 85/9 May
Flight to Quito .
We’ve both been to Ecuador
before but separately and many years ago (35 in my case).
I must prepare to
give a presentation on ballooning to the British
School in Quito tomorrow using illustrations from our
trip so far. Again, it is to be given without charge, though the School
principal is offering us a lunch at the school. I must admit it is galling that
others can charge several thousand dollars to relate less interesting tales.
After a short exploratory walk around the old
city, which has clearly had a recent facelift, we meet Peter Evans, deputy at
the British Embassy. Over a couple of beers he tells us of previous postings to
Iceland and his forthcoming
departure to the Foreign Office in London .
By coincidence it turns out he attended Clifton
College in Bristol , just round the corner from us, and
is familiar with our local haunts.
climbing up the church tower - not for the faint-hearted |
The conversation moves on to Cuba and relations with the USA . We agree
about the surreal nature of the US
retaining Guantanamo right next to their most
implacable enemy, and how the Department of Homeland Security’s over zealous
activities at airports offend America ’s
allies more than they deter terrorist activity.
There is a lone woman sitting
at an adjacent table in the bar. She is, of course, an American and as she
leaves sheepishly admits the fact with a mute apology for her country. Peter
leaves for another in his round of farewell dinners and we agree to meet up in Bristol soon.
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