Quito: Second Highest World Capital

I arrived safely in Quito! I was an uneventful flight and an uneventful trip to the hostel.

Seeing as it was my first day of spring break, I decided to take a sleep in. Figured that I deserved some time lounging around. Note to self (and others choosingntonstafy I hostels with shared rooms), just because you want a sleep in doesnt mean the other people in your room are on your same schedule. Needless to say, I was hoping to sleep late. I managed to lie I bed late instead!

Knowing that I needed to book my trip to the galapagos islands right away, I went to see a travel agent mid morning. Supposedly they know best. I spent quite a bit of time researching different cruises and boats, and decided on a tourist class, six day cruise in the islands! This cruise should have island visits as well as snorkeling advetures in the islands. I am pretty excited about the trip. This of course meant I needed plane tickets to the islands as well. Working with this travel agent, I thought would be easy. Wow. What a process!

Sitting in her office we were able to make the reservations, but a thirty minute taxi ride later we were buying the tickets. I don't think that I have ever been to a travel agent who made me take a six with the to a mother placebo buy my tickets. The guy that the new palace was slow. I kept wondering if I should have just tried to book on orbitz! It took about 40 minutes to buy two tickets! Nerver the less,Galapagos booked. Show me the turtles, finches, and blue footed boobies!

I seem to hi cities when there is a bit of civil unrest. There were protest marches today I. Quito. Fit. Down the cEnter to the city. The hostel said to stay away from the old town. I didn't for mos t of the day! I am still not sure what they were protesting, bu they seemed motivated for change. I wandered through the old city for a while, and took in some sites in the late afternoon. Planning o finish my old. It's wandering tomorrow!

Some quick observations about Quioto: it is nice that they use dollars. Easy!
Quito at first glance is similar to other large Latin American cities, big, loud, polluted, and full of people!
Ecuador seems very friendly so far
The US couldnt get behind th sacagawea dollar coin. It is very much in use in Quito!!
You would think that it would be hot at the equator.
Quito is the second highest world capital. Kind of excited I have been to two of the top three! But only five of the top thirteen. :-(
Beer is cheap!

Tomorrow should take through the rest of the old city and then perhaps some other adventures...my trip to the Galapagos altered y itinerary a bit, itching to figure out what makes the most sense!